Congratulations to Dr. Lukas Schulz on his PhD Defence
Plant-PATH warmly congratulates Lukas Schulz on the successful defence of his PhD at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Freising, Germany, on 20 July 2026.
Lukas has been a member of Plant-PATH since the centre was established in 2025 as part of Professor Ulrich Hammes' research group. We are delighted to celebrate this important academic milestone with him.
His doctoral thesis, Substrate Recognition in Auxin Transporters of Arabidopsis thaliana, investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying auxin transport. This research advances our understanding of one of the key signalling pathways that regulate plant growth and development and contributes valuable insights into the function of plant hormone transporters.
The examination committee consisted of Professor Ulrich Hammes (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg), Professor Franz Hagn (Technical University of Munich), and Professor Jürgen Kleine-Vehn (University of Freiburg), who participated remotely. The defence was chaired by Professor Kay Schneitz (Technical University of Munich).
Lukas successfully defended his thesis and was awarded the highest possible distinction, summa cum laude, earning the degree Dr. rer. nat. (Doctor of Natural Sciences).
The day concluded with a celebration attended by family, friends, colleagues and members of the examination committee. Among those celebrating was Lukas' 88-year-old grandmother, making the occasion an especially memorable one for him and his family.
Everyone at Plant-PATH extends their heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Lukas Schulz on this outstanding achievement and wishes him every success in the next stage of his scientific career.