Lea Atanasova
Mag.rer.nat. Dr.rer.nat. Lea Atanasova
Institute of Microbial Genetics
Location Konrad Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430 Tulln an der Donau
Email lea.atanasova@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-94493
Molecular biology Genetics Genomics Microbiology Mycology Enzyme technology
Research Focus
My research explores the molecular genetics and ecological genomics of plant–fungal interactions, with a central focus on the mechanisms that enable mycoparasitic fungi to transition between mutualistic, saprotrophic, and antagonistic lifestyles. Using multiomic approaches—combining transcriptomics, proteomics, and comparative genomics—I investigate the signaling networks and adaptive strategies that govern fungal development, mycoparasitism, and plant colonization. I am particularly interested in how oxidative enzymes and other carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) contribute both to the saprotrophic decay of plant biomass and to biological functions in virulence, plant-growth promotion, and live plant colonization.
In my work with model organisms such as Trichoderma and Clonostachys, I integrate high-throughput phenotyping with functional genomics and evolutionary analyses to dissect the molecular basis of fungal lifestyle plasticity. This also includes barcoding and comparative genomic analyses of newly isolated fungi to uncover the diversity and evolutionary origins of mycoparasitic and plant-associated traits. By linking gene function, enzyme activity, and ecological performance, my research aims to reveal how fungi coordinate lifestyle transitions and adapt to dynamic environments.
Through this mechanistic and evolutionary framework, I seek to advance a holistic understanding of fungal ecology—from the molecular orchestration of antagonism and mutualism to the enzymatic strategies driving biomass degradation and host interaction. Ultimately, this knowledge may contribute to sustainable solutions for plant health and crop protection and the broader understanding of fungal evolution and functional diversity.
Career
- 2025 Head of Fungal Bioactive Metabolites and Systems Biology Group
- 2025 Senior researcher and Principal Investigator (PI), Department of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Microbial Genetics, Tulln, Austria (BOKU University)
- 2018 - 2025 Principal Investigator (PI), Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, BOKU University, Vienna, Austria
- 2018 - 2022 Maternity leaves from July 2018 - Nov 2019 and June 2021 - Nov 2022
- 2017 - 2018 PostDoc, TU Wien · Institute of Applied Physics, Vienna, Austria
- 2016 - 2018 PostDoc, University of Innsbruck · Institute of Microbiology, Innsbruck, Austria
- 2015 - 2015 PostDoc, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) · Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala, Sweden
- 2013 - 2016 PostDoc, TU Wien · Institute of Chemical Technology, Environmental Technology and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- 2013 PhD thesis (Dr. rer. nat.) - TU Wien · Institute of Chemical Technology, Environmental Technology and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- 2009 - 2009 Research Assistant, Graz University of Technology · Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
- 2008 Diploma thesis (Mag. rer. nat.), University of Vienna · Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Vienna, Austria
Awards
- Year: 2015 Awards: Carl Trygger scholarship for research at SLU (Uppsala, Sweden)
- Year: 2013 Awards: GSA fungal meeting award, Genetics Society of America (Asilomar, CA, United States)
- Year: 2011 Awards: FEMS Young Scientist Meeting Grant, Federation of European Microbiological Societies (Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain)
- Year: 2009 Awards: Price Award for best Master-/Diploma research, Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GFÖ) (Bayreuth, Germany)
- Year: 2008 Awards: Austria National Park Research Award, Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (Vienna, Austria)
- Year: 2006 Awards: Ad Futura Special Achievements Fellowship for studies abroad, Slovene human resources development and scholarship fund (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
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