Our worldwide cooperation with higher education and research institutions makes numerous study, research, and internship opportunities possible.
The International Office supports you on your way to Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg or abroad. It advises you on European and global support programs that include language courses and cultural events. It answers your questions concerning organizational issues such as entry into the country, right of residence, living, and insurance.
The research group led by Halle-based plant geneticist Professor Ulla Bonas investigates the interaction between pathogenic bacteria and plants for quite some time. The group focuses on Xanthomonas bacteria, which primarily attack tomato and pepper plants. In their earlier work, the Halle lab already proved that the bacteria introduce numerous harmful proteins, so-called effectors, into plant cells via a specialized secretion system that works like a molecular syringe. "This protein cocktail weakens the plant's defenses and allows the bacteria to multiply inside the plants. The plant's age faster, lose their leaves and produce less fruit," says Ulla Bonas.
One of these harmful proteins is XopH. The research groups from Halle, Bonn, and Freiburg investigated this particular protein's action mechanism in more detail. Using analytical new methods developed by the Freiburg researchers, they were able to show that the XopH protein targets one of the main phosphorus supplies inside plant cells. "When XopH depletes this supply, it probably not only takes nutrients away from the plant but also prepares it to receive the harmful bacteria," explains Bonas. It is likely that the XopH protein also weakens the plant's defenses and changes its hormonal balance, which is suggested by the fact that the affected plants have a problem to grow.
Some host plants have adapted to attacks from Xanthomonas bacteria and can recognize the manipulation through XopH. "We do not know yet how exactly they do this. However, the result is always the same: The diseased tissue dies to seal off the infected area and prevent the pathogenic bacteria from spreading further through the plant tissue," Bonas concludes.
The study in "Nature Communications" provides another answer to how bacteria harm plants and how plants react to this threat. However, all in all, much basic research still needs to be carried out to understand the disease process fully: XopH is only one of a total of more than 35 effector proteins that bacteria inject into plants to colonize them.
Education and research with a 500-year-old tradition: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) offers a wide range of academic subjects in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and medicine. The oldest and largest university in Saxony-Anhalt was created in 1817 when the University of Wittenberg (founded in 1502) merged with Friedrichs University Halle (founded in 1694). Today the university has around 20,000 students and 340 professors.
MLU's academic profile in the humanities field is shaped by the core research areas "Enlightenment – Religion – Knowledge" and "Society and Culture in Motion. Diffusion - Experiment - Institution". The university's core scientific research is in "Materials Science – Nanostructured Materials" and "Biosciences – Structures and Mechanisms of Biological Information Processing." Agricultural sciences also play a leading role, and Halle's university bears sole responsibility in Saxony-Anhalt for developing this academic profile. The Faculty of Medicine focuses on epidemiology, health and nursing research, and research on signal transmission. Here nursing scientists research an equal footing with physicians. The Dorothea Erxleben Learning Centre is one of the largest teaching clinics for prospective medical professionals. In addition to its primary academic focuses, the university offers a range of minor subjects, some of which are only offered in Germany at MLU.
As a Central German University Alliance Halle-Jena-Leipzig member, MLU cooperates closely with other universities and with external research institutes and industries. This is visible at a local level on the Weinberg Campus, the second largest technology park in Eastern Germany. All of the university's natural science institutes are concentrated here. They work in partnership with companies and significant German research institutes, such as the Max Planck Society and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Halle's university has a broad-reaching network of partner universities throughout the world.
In addition to the Weinberg Campus, MLU has three other central locations. The centrally located University Square is one of the most beautiful university squares in Europe, and it is a site in Halle that is steeped in tradition. Many institutes focusing on the humanities and social sciences are located on the new Steintor Campus. Educationalists and theologians teach, study, and conduct research at the Francke Foundations.
As the most prominent university in Saxony-Anhalt, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg cooperates with more than 200 higher education institutions from around the world in study programs and joint research projects. With this cooperation, our university offers you many varied opportunities to participate in these international activities. Please become part of our university community and enrich our university and city life alongside 2,100 other international students and 23,000 students from Halle.
Check out our internet pages and get an idea of our university steeped in tradition and the lively city of Halle (Saale), no matter whether you are looking for opportunities to go abroad or for study and research opportunities at our university. The International Office informs and advises you on funding, support, and language courses.
