Dr. Tatjana Kleine
- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.
My name is Tatjana Kleine, and I am a principal investigator in the Plant Molecular Biology Group at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich). My research is dedicated to understanding how chloroplasts—the cellular organelles responsible for photosynthesis—communicate with the rest of the cell to regulate development and respond to environmental stress.
I am particularly interested in organellar gene expression and the remarkable process of retrograde signalling, whereby chloroplasts send signals to the cell nucleus to influence gene activity. Using model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana, my work seeks to uncover the molecular networks that enable plants to adjust to changes in light, temperature, and other environmental challenges.
By advancing our knowledge of these adaptive strategies, I hope to contribute to a deeper understanding of how plants thrive in dynamic environments—a question of growing importance in the face of climate change and the need for sustainable agriculture.
- What motivated you to get into plant science?
From an early age, I was fascinated by the natural world—one of my fondest memories from school is a half-year project in which I observed an ecological niche: a tiny lake nestled within a forest and its surrounding environment. I have a lifelong curiosity about plants, which I paired with a growing enthusiasm for molecular biology, especially after discovering that it was possible to study and even manipulate plants at the molecular level.
Plants have always captured my imagination. They are indispensable to all life on Earth, providing us with food, oxygen, and vital raw materials. Their extraordinary diversity, resilience, and evolutionary ingenuity offer endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Even as I focus on basic research, I am driven by the hope of making a small but meaningful contribution to our understanding of plant life.
- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?
I believe that anyone interested in plant biology either uses—or should consider using—Agrisera antibodies. I initially turned to their products for the detection of photosynthetic proteins, but as their portfolio has continued to expand, I now rely on Agrisera antibodies also to detect and quantify my proteins of interest, including those with nuclear localization—but also to confirm protein localization, provide reliable loading controls, and analyse protein dynamics under various experimental conditions. Agrisera’s antibody versatility and high quality have made them an indispensable resource in my research and for the broader plant science community.
- Any further comments?
I spent three wonderful years as a postdoctoral researcher at the UPSC in Umeå, located near Vännäs, where Agrisera is based. I have extremely fond memories of my time there and grew to love Västerbotten—it truly is a special place. During this period, I had the pleasure of getting to know Joanna and her team. I greatly appreciate their dedication as well as their constant and prompt support. Thank you very much!
Links
• Dr. Tatjana Kleine
• Agrisera antibodies to proteins involved in environmental stress response
• Agrisera Antibodies reactive in Arabidopsis thaliana