Prof. Grundler has been researching plant-parasitic nematodes for 40 years, starting with his doctorate, continuing with his habilitation and ending with professorships at the universities in Vienna and Bonn. He has succeeded in combining the various fields of nematology with cell biology, plant physiology and molecular biology issues, thereby further developing the state of research and linking the fields.
His chair is the only one in Germany that deals with plant-parasitic nematodes and his graduates are highly recognized both nationally and internationally and find employment in industry and research.
The particular focus of his work is on cyst nematodes, which are distributed worldwide and enter into a long-lasting and intensive interaction with the host plant. Certain tissues in the root are modified in such a way that they only serve to feed the nematodes. This causes the entire plant to become diseased, resulting in considerable yield losses for agriculture.
A milestone of Prof. Grundler's earlier work is the establishment of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana for the field of nematology and the continuous further development of this versatile model system. Among other things, it allows the analysis of plant susceptibility and defense processes and the analysis of elicitors and effectors of nematodes. It is also used to elucidate the mechanisms of action of chemical compounds and organisms to combat nematodes. Many research groups around the world have adopted this system established by him and his working group.
Prof. Grundler succeeded in establishing numerous collaborations with other universities, research institutions, the chemical industry and plant breeders in Germany and abroad with the aim of developing urgently needed new environmentally friendly control measures against nematodes in the near future.