Diseases cause yield reductions and affects product quality in plant production. In order to control the pathogens behind these problems, it is essential to understand the exceedingly complex molecular mechanisms of plant-pathogen interactions. We primary focus is the powdery mildew, stripe rust
and speckled leaf blotch fungal pathogens of barley and wheat. We use bacterial pathogens and Arabidopsis as model instruments in our studies. We are interested in how defence is activated in plants after pathogen attack, how it is regulated and manifested, how the pathogens suppress the plant defence mechanisms by the help of effectors, and how induction of defence can be exploited for disease control.