Dr. Ueli Merz
Contact

Address until retirement
Plant Pathology/IBZ
Universitatstrasse 2/LFW B27
CH-8092 Zurich (Switzerland)
email ueli.merz at usys.ethz.ch

New Address
Erlenstrasse 11
CH-8408 Winterthur (Switzerland)
email  

Spongospora Home Page:
www.spongospora.net
CV

  • Education


  • Employment


  • Research
  • Publications, presentations

  • Refereed publications


  • Invited presentations


  • Posters & meeting presentations


  • Others
  • Symposia, workshops
     
  • Organisation of Symposia, Workshops

  • Consultancy

  • Training/Support of International Labs

  • Academic guests / "trainees"
     
  • International scientists


  • Link to Pathology Group
  • Pathology Home Page



  • Other Links
  • Pulverschorfseminar CH 4.9.98
  • First European Powdery Scab Workshop, July 2000
  • Powdery Scab Scoring Workshop, August 2002
  • International Powdery Scab Workshop, August 2004
  • Second European Powdery Scab Workshop, August 2007
  • Third European Powdery Scab Workshop, July 2011
  • Second International Powdery Scab Workshop, July 2014
  • Third International Powdery Scab Workshop, July 2016
  • 2nd International Spongospora Workshop, September 2019


  • CV

    Education
    1971 Radio and Television-Technician
    1971-1977 Employment and preparation for matura
    1977 Matura typus D
    1978-1983 Undergraduate student in agronomy (plant production) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich
    1983 Diploma in agronomy (plant production; Dipl. Ing. Agr. ETH): Diploma thesis at the Institute of Plant Sciences/Pathology: "Einfluss von Pflanzenextrakten und Fungiziden auf das Keimverhalten der Dauersporen von Spongospora subterranea, dem Erreger des Pulverschorfes der Kartoffel"
    1984 Postgraduate research practice at the Federal Research Station Zurich-Reckenholz, Section Virology
    1984-1985 Scientific assistance at the Institute of Plant Sciences/Pathology, ETH Zurich
    1985-1989 PhD at the Institute of Plant Sciences/Pathology, ETH (Supervisors: Profs. H. Kern, V. Delucchi, M.S. Wolfe, Dr. C. Gessler): "Spongospora subterranea, Erreger des Pulverschorfes der Kartoffel: Einfluss von biotischen und abiotischen Faktoren auf den Wurzelbefall von Fangpflanzen, sowie einige morphologische und kinetische Aspekte von Dauersporen und Zoosporen"
    1986 Certificate for teaching at Swiss agricultural colleges

    Employment
    1984-1985 Scientific assistant in the Pathology Group, Institute of Plant Sciences, ETH Zurich
    1989-2020

    Senior Scientist working as Plant Pathologist in the Pathology Group with teaching duties.

    2020-2021

    Advisor in the Plant Pathology Group


    Research
    1984 Polymyxa betae, vector of BNYV potyvirus: development of a bait plant test and investigation of the occurrence of the fungus in soil samples from regions, where mainly sugar beet were cropped.
    1985 Effect of different plant species used as green manure on the development of sugar beet plants and the disease situation in minimum tillage systems.
    1989-2016 Studies on biology and epidemiology of Spongospora subterranea, i.e. factors affecting resting spore germination, zoospore attraction and host-pathogen interaction in resistant and susceptible varieties, detection, environmental factors relevant for epidemics.

    1989-2000

    Variety mixtures of cereals, mainly barley: theoretical and practical aspects of disease epidemiology including on-farm field trials.
    1991-2005 The relationship between the fungi causing powdery scab of potato (Spongospora subterranea f.sp. subterranea) and crook root of watercress (Spongospora subterranea f.sp. nasturtii) and their serological detection. Collaboration with John Walsh, Warwick University, UK

    1992-2001

    Investigations on nature and cause of Pakistani "powdery scab": Consultancy and supervision of a PhD work.

    2013-2017

    Investigations on the possible contamination of peat substrate with Spongospora subterranea resting spores


    Refereed publications

    Invited Presentations

    Posters & other Presentations
    Other publications
    Organisation of Symposia, Workshops
    Consultancy
    International scientific guests / "trainees" in my lab