Lab members
Leonie Luginbuehl
Group Leader
Leonie did her PhD at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, where she investigated the role of GRAS-domain transcription factors in reprogramming roots during the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Her work identified a lipid biosynthesis and export pathway that provides AM fungi with fixed carbon. As a Herchel Smith Fellow at the Department of Plant Sciences in Cambridge, she studied the cell type specific regulation of photosynthesis gene expression in leaves of C3 and C4 plants using single cell sequencing approaches. In September 2022, she started her own group as an Assistant Professor at the University of Cambridge.
Lee Cackett
Postdoctoral Researcher
Lee got her PhD in 2020 from the University of Cape Town, where she studied the molecular mechanisms behind the ionic component of salinity stress in plants. She then joined Julian Hibberds’ lab as a postdoc where she explored chloroplast development in rice bundle sheath cells. Lee is now a postdoc in the Luginbuehl group where she is working to understand how carbon metabolism is controlled in rice shoot and root during AM symbiosis, with the aim to optimise carbon allocation to AM fungi for improved colonisation and thus nutrient transfer, plant growth, and yield.
Isobel Magrath
PhD student
Isobel did her undergrad degree at the University of Syndey and the Australian National University. She worked as a research assistant in Caitlin Byrt's lab at ANU for a few years, investigating the various functions of plant aquaporins, before coming to Cambridge for a PhD. In her PhD, Isobel studies how carbon is allocated to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi by the model legume, Medicago truncatula.
John Palmer
PhD student
In 2024, John completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Cambridge. Previously he completed a research project in Jake Harris’ group focusing on developing tools for epigenome engineering. In his PhD, John is investigating the roles of gene regulatory mechanisms and the chromatin environment during AM symbiosis. In his spare time John likes to paint and attempt to DJ (but not at the same time).
Stella Pozzi
Part II student
Stella is a third year Natural Sciences student at the University of Cambridge specialising in Plant Sciences. She is currently working on her Part II project under the supervision of Lee, a postdoc in the group, looking at the role of RAM1 on AM symbiosis in rice. In her free time, she likes to learn languages and dabble in a variety of sports, as well as co-captaining her college football team.
Alice Monksfield
Part II student
Alice is a third-year Natural Sciences student at the University of Cambridge. She joined the Luginbuehl lab for her Part II research project since she is interested in AM symbiosis. She is investigating the roles of energy sensors in controlling carbon supply to AM fungi.
Leo Li - Master's student
Bertie Titley - Part II student