UMAydis@IPMB
Research Field
Lay-Sun Ma is an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology (IPMB), Academia Sinica, Taiwan, where she has been actively engaged in advanced research since beginning her Ph.D. studies there in 2006, which provided her with a strong academic foundation. Her professional journey spans prestigious institutions globally, including post-doctoral fellowships at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany (2014–2018) and Academia Sinica (2011–2014), as well as a visiting scientist role at Imperial College London in 2012.
In 2018, she established a UMAydis@IPMB research group dedicated to exploring plant-microbe interactions, using the maize-Ustilago maydis pathosystem as a model. Her team studies the functions of extracellular effector proteins in the smut fungus Ustilago maydis and their impact on fungal pathogenicity, while also probing the apoplastic defense strategies of maize.
The UMAydis@IPMB research laboratory brings together a diverse team of scientists from Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan. It currently consists of one postdoctoral researcher, three Ph.D. students, one Master's student, and two research assistants. We warmly welcome self-motivated individuals—whether undergraduate or graduate students, interns, or postdoctoral fellows—with a deep passion for science to join us in unraveling the complexities of pathogenic biotrophs. Driven by a shared mission to safeguard and sustain the global food supply, our work seeks to understand how these organisms threaten crop production.
Our research interests
To uncover the invasion strategies of U. maydis and prevent the onset of initial infection, we focus on studying effectors located at the interaction interface of maize-U. maydis, aiming to reveal the following mechanisms:
- Sensing and adaptation mechanisms
- Effector regulatory mechanisms
- Mechanisms by which fungal cells suppress apoplastic immunity
- Maize defense mechanisms
- National Science and Technology Council Talented Scholar Fellowship (2018 - 2021)
- Max Planck Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014 - 2018)
- Travel Award and Outstanding Poster Award, IS-MPMI Conference (2014)
- Academia Sinica Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012 - 2014)
EDUCATION
Ph.D., TIGP-MBAS program, Academia Sinica and National Chung-Hsing University (2011)
B.Sc and M.Sc. in Biology, Department of Biology, St. Cloud State University, USA
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2024-now : Associate Research Fellow at Academia Sinica, IPMB, Taiwan
2018-2023: Assistant Research Fellow at Academia Sinica, IPMB, Taiwan
2014-2018: Postdoc at Max-Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany; Investigated the role of a wall-associated effector in U. maydis.
2012-2014: Postdoc at the IPMB, Academia Sinica; Investigated the role of T6SS effectors in bacterial competition.
2006-2011: Ph.D. at the IPMB, Academia Sinica; Investigated the roles of two membrane components in T6SS machinery assembly.
Job Description
Exploring the fungal virulence and plant defense mechanisms.
Preferred Intern Education Level
- Master’s degree holders or current master’s students
- Senior undergraduate students (final-year bachelor’s students)
Skill sets or Qualities
Requirements:
- Should have completed a molecular biology course and have research experience in related fields.
- Proficient in English (reading, writing, and oral communication).
- Strong motivation to learn.
- Any of the following would be a plus: bioinformatics skills or programming experience.