Intrigued by how plants respond to abiotic and biotic challenges during my bachelor’s degree at the University of Potsdam, I set a course toward a deeper understanding of plant-biotic interactions with a master’s degree at the Martin-Luther University (MLU) in Halle, which I completed in August 2023 in Dr. Martin Schattat’s lab. During my studies, I did a five-month internship at the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, where I worked in the lab of Dr. Sebastian Schornack. This allowed me to explore relationships between beneficial and detrimental plant-microbe interactions, deepening my fascination with this field. Since November 2024, I have been a PhD student at the University Tübingen (ZMBP) in the lab of Dr. Jessica Erickson, studying how proteins from pathogenic bacteria in the plant apoplast support disease. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading fantasy, am obsessed with Star Trek, and love playing video games and D&D.