Dr. Rita Zrenner is a research associate at the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ) and a private lecturer at the Institute of Biochemistry and Biology at the University of Potsdam. Her expertise lies in the field of molecular plant sciences, where she studies processes and underlying signal transduction pathways that control plant growth and the production of secondary metabolites in response to biotic and abiotic stimuli. A particular focus is on plant interactions with soil-borne plant pathogens, as little is known to date about their specific interactions with the host. In particular, she is investigating the molecular basis of the quantitative resistance of potato to Rhizoctonia solani and the interaction between asparagus and various Fusarium species.