Michael Wittenberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Position: Researcher (PhD student)
Department: Crop Quantitative Genetics

Michael is a molecular biology researcher from the University of Cape Town with extensive experience in plant abiotic stress tolerance, particularly water deficit. His work has focused on applying metabolomics, metagenomics, plant physiology, and microbial isolation to understand drought-protective microbes and metabolic mechanisms in desiccation-tolerant plants. He has also contributed to projects assessing seaweed-based biostimulants for improving salt tolerance in maize and tomato.

During a research internship at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Michael expanded his expertise in secondary metabolites and lipidomics in desiccation-tolerant plants. He has co-supervised a Master’s student, participated in teaching activities, and presented his research at international conferences. Michael aims to enhance crop resilience to salinity stress through molecular and genetic approaches, ultimately contributing to sustainable food production.