Within the Molecular Plant Sciences specialization area, the Baier (Plant Physiology) and Wiermer (Biochemistry of Plant-Microbe Interactions) research groups closely interact with other groups focusing on plant sciences, microbiology, molecular and cellular biology, genetics and genomics. Major efforts of our groups aim at understanding and teaching the mechanisms that regulate the communication, acclimation and adaptation of plants to the biotic and abiotic environment at the molecular, cellular and organismal level.