Thomas Laux

CV

Thomas Laux is professor for Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology of Plants at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Freiburg. He is the coordinator of Trinational School of Biotechnology Strasbourg which is a joint effort of the Universities Basel, (Switzerland), Strasbourg (France), Karlsruhe (Germany), and Freiburg.
Thomas Laux studied biology in Erlangen and did his PhD thesis on the regulation of fatty acid synthase in rats  at the department of Biochemistry (Prof. Schweizer). After postdoctoral trainings at the University of California Los Angeles with Professor Bob Goldberg and the LMU Munich with Professor Gerd Jürgens, Thomas Laux worked as group leader at the University of Tübingen where he habilitated in 1999. During this stage Thomas Laux initiated his work on stem cell regulation in plant meristems and on early embryo patterning. In 2000, Thomas Laux became professor at the University of Freiburg.
His awards include the August Chevalier Medal of the French Academy of Science and the Cornelia Harte Award of the German Society of Developmental Biology.

FRIAS Project

Stem cells are crucial to replenish the daily loss of cells in animals and the continuous formation of new organs in plants. In addition, their use in medicine and plant Biotechnology has greatly enhanced the opportunities of regenerative biology. Maintenance of stem cells requires the balance of self renewal and cell differentiation by a complex network or regulators and interconnected circuitries. Unveiling the logic of stem cell systems will combine efforts in animal and plant research and applied and theoretical approaches.

Selected Publications

1. L. Katsir, K.A. Davies, D.C. Bergmann, T. Laux: Peptide Signaling in Plant Development Curr Biol, 2011; 21 (9): R356-R364
2. M. Ueda, Z.J. Zhang, T. Laux: Transcriptional Activation of Arabidopsis Axis Patterning Genes WOX8/9 Links Zygote Polarity to Embryo Development Dev Cell, 2011; 20 (2): 264-270
3. Z.J. Zhang, T. Laux: The asymmetric division of the Arabidopsis zygote: from cell polarity to an embryo axis Sex Plant Reprod, 2011; 24: 161-169
4. P. Graf, A. Dolzblasz, T. Wurschum, M. Lenhard, U. Pfreundt, T. Laux: MGOUN1 Encodes an Arabidopsis Type IB DNA Topoisomerase Required in Stem Cell Regulation and to Maintain Developmentally Regulated Gene Silencing Plant Cell, 2010; 22 (3): 716-728
5. A.C. Mallory, A. Hinze, M.R. Tucker, N. Bouché, V. Gasciolli, V. Elmayan, D. Laressergues, V. Jauvion, H. Vaucheret, T. Laux: Redundant and specific roles of the ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins AGO1 and ZLL in development and small RNA-directed gene silencing PLOS Genetics, 2009; 5 (9): e1000646
6. I. Rieu, T. Laux: Signaling pathways maintaining stem cells at the plant shoot apex Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 2009; 20 (9): 1083-1088
7. Breuninger, H., Rikirsch, E., Hermann, M., Ueda, M., and Laux, T. (2008). Differential expression of WOX genes mediates apical-basal axis formation in the Arabidopsis embryo. Dev Cell 14, 867-876.
8. Sarkar, A., Luijten, M., Miyashima, S., Lenhard, M., Hashimoto, T., Nakajima, K., Scheres, B., Heidstra, R. and Laux, T. (2007). Conserved factors regulate signaling in Arabidopsis shoot and root stem cell organizers. Nature 446, 811-814.
9. Laux, T. (2003) The Stem Cell Concept in Plants: A Matter of Debate. Cell 113, 281-283.
10. Gross-Hardt, R., Lenhard, M., and Laux, T. (2002). WUSCHEL signaling functions in interregional communication during Arabidopsis ovule development. Genes Dev 16, 1129-1138.
11. Lenhard, M., Bohnert, A., Jürgens, G. and Laux, T. (2001). Termination of stem cell maintenance in Arabidopsis floral meristems by interactions between WUSCHEL and AGAMOUS. Cell 105, 805-814.
12. Schoof, H., Lenhard, M., Haecker, A., Mayer, K.F.M., Jürgens, G., and Laux, T. (2000). The stem cell population of Arabidopsis shoot meristems is maintained by a regulatory loop between the CLAVATA and WUSCHEL genes. Cell 100, 635-644.
13. Mayer, K.F.X, Schoof, H., Haecker, A., Lenhard, M., Jürgens, G. and Laux, T. (1998). Role of WUSCHEL in regulating stem cell fate in the Arabidopsis shoot meristem. Cell 95, 805-815.