Wiebke Häger
About
I am a biochemist with a special interest in plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs), particularly those enzymes that target the plant cell wall polysaccharide pectin.
In 2021, I obtained my PhD in Yannick Pauchet’s group “Molecular Biology of the Insect Digestive System” at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. There, I studied how inhibitory proteins from the plant cell wall influenced the pectin digestion system of herbivorous beetles.
Currently, I am working as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Thorsten Hamann’s group “Functional Plant Biology” in the Multiscale Biology section of the Department of Biology. Focusing on the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, the Hamann Lab studies cell wall integrity (CWI) maintenance in plants. The CWI maintenance mechanism comprises a complex network of proteins and signalling events that monitor the state of the cell wall and integrate the information into plant responses to ensure the integrity of the plant cell. CWI can be influenced by external stressors (e.g., drought, salinity or pathogen attacks) or internal cues (e.g. cell wall remodelling during development).
PCWDEs are produced by both, phytopathogens and plants themselves. In my project, I am interested how plants perceive changes in the cell wall and CWI caused by PCWDEs and if plants differentiate between changes in CWI that was caused by internal or external factors.
Teaching
I am involved in the following courses:
BI2015 – Molecular Biology, Lab Course
BI3013 – Experimental Cell- and Molecular Biology
BI2012 – Cell Biology, Lab Course
BI1007 – The Structure and Function of Plants
BI2080 – Global Change Biology
REFL3080 – Scientific Research Seminar in Natural Resource Management
Background
since 2022 – Postdoctoral Researcher, Research Group “Functional Plant Biology”, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO
2016 – 2021 – Doctoral Researcher with research topic "Biochemistry", Research Group “Molecular Biology of the Insect Digestive System”, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, DE
2013 – 2016 – M. Sc. Biochemistry, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, DE
2010 – 2013 – B. Sc. Biochemie/Molekularbiologie, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, DE
Publications
2025
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Dybvik, Terje;
Ashcroft, Felicity Jayne;
Ticha, Tereza;
Sueldo, Daniela Jorgelina;
Eddings, Ryan;
Sirovic, Ana.
(2025)
Fylte 24 sekker på 110 meter strand.
Fosna-Folket
Popular scientific article
2024
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Nymark, Marianne;
Ashcroft, Felicity Jayne;
Wild, Richard J.;
Häger, Wiebke;
Sirovic, Ana;
Sueldo, Daniela Jorgelina.
(2024)
Fosna-Folkets nyhetsstudio - Det var overaskende å se hvor mye som var kommet i løpet av vinteren.
Fosna-Folket
Popular scientific article
2022
-
Häger, Wiebke;
Pauchet, Yannick;
Kirsch, Roy.
(2022)
EVOLUTION OF POLYGALACTURONASES AND POLYGALACTURONASEINHIBITING PROTEINS: A VIEW BEYOND THE CLASSICAL PERSPECTIVE.
Annual Plant Reviews online
Academic literature review
-
Kirsch, Roy;
Okamura, Yu;
Häger, Wiebke;
Vogel, Heiko;
Kunert, Grit;
Pauchet, Yannick.
(2022)
Metabolic novelty originating from horizontal gene transfer is
essential for leaf beetle survival.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
Academic article
2021
-
Häger, Wiebke.
(2021)
Plant-derived inhibitors targeting a beetle’s pectin digestion: A biochemical study on the interaction between plant cell wall proteins and members of the glycoside hydrolase family 28 from the mustard leaf beetle Phaedon cochleariae.
Wiebke Häger
Wiebke Häger
Doctoral dissertation
-
Häger, Wiebke;
Wielsch, Natalie;
Shin, Na Ra;
Gebauer-Jung, Steffi;
Pauchet, Yannick;
Kirsch, Roy.
(2021)
New Players in the Interaction Between Beetle Polygalacturonases and Plant Polygalacturonase-Inhibiting Proteins: Insights From Proteomics and Gene Expression Analyses.
Frontiers in Plant Science
Academic article
2020
-
Häger, Wiebke;
Henning, Jana;
Heckel, David G.;
Pauchet, Yannick;
Kirsch, Roy.
(2020)
Direct evidence for a new mode of plant defense against insects via a novel polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein expression strategy.
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Academic article
2015
-
Rahfeld, Peter;
Häger, Wiebke;
Kirsch, Roy;
Pauls, Gerhard;
Becker, Tobias;
Schulze, Eva.
(2015)
Glandular β-glucosidases in juvenile Chrysomelina leaf beetles support the evolution of a host-plant-dependent chemical defense.
Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Dybvik, Terje;
Ashcroft, Felicity Jayne;
Ticha, Tereza;
Sueldo, Daniela Jorgelina;
Eddings, Ryan;
Sirovic, Ana.
(2025)
Fylte 24 sekker på 110 meter strand.
Fosna-Folket
Popular scientific article
-
Nymark, Marianne;
Ashcroft, Felicity Jayne;
Wild, Richard J.;
Häger, Wiebke;
Sirovic, Ana;
Sueldo, Daniela Jorgelina.
(2024)
Fosna-Folkets nyhetsstudio - Det var overaskende å se hvor mye som var kommet i løpet av vinteren.
Fosna-Folket
Popular scientific article
-
Häger, Wiebke;
Pauchet, Yannick;
Kirsch, Roy.
(2022)
EVOLUTION OF POLYGALACTURONASES AND POLYGALACTURONASEINHIBITING PROTEINS: A VIEW BEYOND THE CLASSICAL PERSPECTIVE.
Annual Plant Reviews online
Academic literature review
-
Kirsch, Roy;
Okamura, Yu;
Häger, Wiebke;
Vogel, Heiko;
Kunert, Grit;
Pauchet, Yannick.
(2022)
Metabolic novelty originating from horizontal gene transfer is
essential for leaf beetle survival.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
Academic article
-
Häger, Wiebke;
Wielsch, Natalie;
Shin, Na Ra;
Gebauer-Jung, Steffi;
Pauchet, Yannick;
Kirsch, Roy.
(2021)
New Players in the Interaction Between Beetle Polygalacturonases and Plant Polygalacturonase-Inhibiting Proteins: Insights From Proteomics and Gene Expression Analyses.
Frontiers in Plant Science
Academic article
-
Häger, Wiebke;
Henning, Jana;
Heckel, David G.;
Pauchet, Yannick;
Kirsch, Roy.
(2020)
Direct evidence for a new mode of plant defense against insects via a novel polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein expression strategy.
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Academic article
-
Rahfeld, Peter;
Häger, Wiebke;
Kirsch, Roy;
Pauls, Gerhard;
Becker, Tobias;
Schulze, Eva.
(2015)
Glandular β-glucosidases in juvenile Chrysomelina leaf beetles support the evolution of a host-plant-dependent chemical defense.
Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Academic article
Report
-
Häger, Wiebke.
(2021)
Plant-derived inhibitors targeting a beetle’s pectin digestion: A biochemical study on the interaction between plant cell wall proteins and members of the glycoside hydrolase family 28 from the mustard leaf beetle Phaedon cochleariae.
Wiebke Häger
Wiebke Häger
Doctoral dissertation
Outreach
2024
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PosterZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Häger, Wiebke; Ticha, Tereza; Klein, Vivien Jessica; Madej, Gregor; Ziegler, Christine. (2024) New constructs for functional characterization of THESEUS1. The Plant Peptides and Receptors Meeting 2024 , Wageningen 2024-09-11 - 2024-09-13
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PosterZwartkruis, Stephanus Theodorus Wilhelmus; Ticha, Tereza; Häger, Wiebke; Soni, Nancy; Alterås, Bjørnar; Ticha, Michaela. (2024) Agrobacterium: Naturens genetiske ingeniør. Researchers' night 2024 , Trondheim 2024-09-27 - 2024-09-27
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PosterTicha, Michaela; Häger, Wiebke; Baez, Luis Alonso; Schulz, Julia; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2024) PlasmaWall sensors: detecting plasma membrane displacement from the cell wall. UK Plant Biomechanics Day 2024 , Cambridge, United Kingdom 2024-04-18 - 2024-04-18
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PosterHäger, Wiebke; Bawin, Thomas Georges A; Krause, Kirsten; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2024) Characterisation of polygalacturonases in the interaction of parasitic plants and phytopathogens with their host plants. SPPS2024 Conference , Copenhagen, Denmark 2024-08-27 - 2024-08-29
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Academic lectureHäger, Wiebke; Bawin, Thomas Georges A; Krause, Kirsten; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2024) Characterisation of polygalacturonases in the interaction of parasitic plants and phytopathogens with their host plants. 17th World Congress on Parasitic Plants , Nara, Japan 2024-06-03 - 2024-06-07
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Academic lectureHäger, Wiebke; Bawin, Thomas Georges A; Krause, Kirsten; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2024) Characterisation of polygalacturonases in the interaction of parasitic plants and phytopathogens with their host plants. Botanik-Tagung , Halle, Germany 2024-09-15 - 2024-09-19
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PosterHäger, Wiebke; Bawin, Thomas Georges A; Krause, Kirsten; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2024) Characterisation of polygalacturonases in the interaction of parasitic plants and phytopathogens with their host plants. IBI Day , Trondheim, Norway 2024-11-15 - 2024-11-15
2023
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Academic lectureHäger, Wiebke. (2023) What makes an enzyme harmful? Exploring the role of cell-wall-degrading polygalacturonases in host parasite interaction. Plant ECR Networking Meeting , Halle 2023-05-09 - 2023-05-11
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PosterHäger, Wiebke; Bawin, Thomas Georges A; Krause, Kirsten; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2023) Unravelling the role of polygalacturonases in the interaction of parasitic plants and phytopathogens with their host plants. XVI Plant Cell Wall Meeting , Málaga 2023-06-18 - 2023-06-22
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PosterHäger, Wiebke; Bawin, Thomas Georges A; Krause, Kirsten; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2023) Exploring the role of cell-wall-degrading polygalacturonases in host-parasite interactions. Summer school in bioinformatics 2023 , Hinxton 2023-06-12 - 2023-12-16
2022
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PosterHäger, Wiebke; Bawin, Thomas Georges A; Krause, Kirsten; Hamann, Thorsten Klaus. (2022) Exploring the role of cell-wall-degrading polygalacturonases in host-parasite interactions. Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society Conference 2022 , Longyearbyen 2022-08-30 - 2022-09-02