Dr. Margot Smit
Independent Junior Group Leader

Margot is a plant developmental biologist interested in unraveling mechanisms that control cell identity and patterning. She obtained her MSc in Biotechnology from Wageningen University, completing thesis projects in the labs of Dolf Weijers and Siobhan Brady (UC Davis) studying vascular developmental regulation. She was awarded an NWO-EPS PhD grant to pursue study the regulation of plant vascular identity during embryogenesis in the lab of Dolf Weijers (Wageningen). For her Postdoc she moved to the lab of Dominique Bergmann (Stanford) to study the regulation of stomatal development and cell identities, supported by an NWO Rubicon grant. In October 2023 she started at the ZMBP as an Independent Junior Group Leader where her group studies the temporal regulation of plant development and cell identity, for now focusing on stomatal development during embryogenesis. Since February 2024 the lab has been supported by a DFG Emmy Noether grant.

Contact and links:

Office: 4P22
+49-(0)7071-29-76672
margot.smit[at]zmbp.uni-tuebingen.de
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/likeyoda1.bsky.social
ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8285-5130

Steffi Zimmermann
Lab technician

+49-7071-29-77468
steffi.zimmermann[at]zmbp.uni-tuebingen.de

Yadhusankar Sasidharan
PhD Candidate

Yadhu completed his Master's in Plant Biology in Dr. Kalika Prasad’s laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, where he focused on the molecular aspects of de novo root regeneration from Arabidopsis leaves. He joined the Timing Lab in March 2024, where he is currently investigating the mechanistic basis for the differentiation block that occurs during Arabidopsis embryonic development. Outside of the lab, Yadhu enjoys photography and going for walks.

Contact and links:

+49-7071-29-77468
yadhusankar.sasidharan[at]zmbp.uni-tuebingen.de
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/yadhusankar.bsky.social
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9967-1913

Vijayalakshmi Suryavanshi
PhD Candidate

Vijayalakshmi (VJ) completed her masters in Biotechnology at D.Y Patil University, Navi Mumbai (DYPSBB). For her thesis, she studied the effects of gold nanoparticles on the in vitro growth and development of Siraitia grosvenorii at CSIR IHBT, India. She joined Timing lab in April 2024 where she is now investigating the mechanisms delaying the stomatal patterning during embryogenesis on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Outside of the lab, she likes to paint, and never says no to a good cup of chai.

Contact and links:

+49-7071-29-77468
vijayalakshmi.suryavanshi[at]zmbp.uni-tuebingen.de
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vijayalakshmi.bsky.social
ORCID : https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3418-4636

Pablo González-Suárez 
Postdoctoral researcher

Pablo is interested in understanding how the environment, particularly temperature, affects the timing of developmental decisions in plants. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Leeds working on the environmental control of the end of flowering. After graduating in 2024, he did a short postdoc at the John Innes Centre before moving to Germany. In 2025 he joined the Timing lab, where he leverages single-cell transcriptomics and confocal imaging to understand how and when cells commit to fates during embryo development. Outside of the lab he enjoys running, playing ukulele and watching dog memes.

Contact and links:

+49 (0)7071 29-77468
pablo.gonzalez-suarez[at]zmbp.uni-tuebingen.de
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pablidopsis.bsky.social
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2122-5984
Webpage: https://www.pablidopsis.com

Emilio Aldorino
PhD Canditate

Emilio has set out in his PhD to uncover some of the key regulatory steps involved in plant cell fate determination during embryogenesis. After obtaining his masters in 2019 from Swansea University through the KESS Scholarship, he went on to work across a number of plant science institutes, including, Nottingham Arabidopsis Stock Centre (NASC), Rothamsted Research - where he worked on the EU Untwist project studying the long term effects of drought in Camelina. He then spent three years working under Chris Whitewoods at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge university (SLCU) studying how the cell identities of the leaf mesophyll layers appear and develop over time, and how airspaces were patterned within them. He has been with the lab since 2026, and in his spare time he is outside with his dog Oreo, probably covered in mud.

Contact and links:

+49 (0)7071 29-77468
emilio.aldorino[at] uni-tuebingen.de
Bluesky:
ORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9912-8132

Susan Tober
MSc thesis student

Agneta Larsina Timpe
BSc thesis student

Camille Couturier
MSc intership student (University of Montpellier

Sarah-Karina Loosen 
Student helper (HiWi)

Sarah currently is a master's student (CIB) at the University of Tübingen. During her bachelor’s thesis, she was working on optimizing embryo culture and staining and is currently establishing a somatic embryogenesis protocol, among other things. She is generally fascinated by threshold decisions in developmental processes. Outside of lab, she likes to spend time in nature, read, dye her hair and is a coffee enthusiast.