Natalia Requena,Group Leader of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.Her area of specialisation:Plant–microorganism interactions, symbiotic and pathogenic fungi, mycorrhiza.Her research interests:All interactions between plants and microorganisms.Her distinctions and awards:German Research Foundation (DFG) funding for project "Analysis of secreted protein effectors from the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus G. intraradices" as part of the Priority Programme SPP 1212 (Microbial reprogramming of plant cell development), 2009;Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation of the Federal State of Brandenburg and the Free State of Thuringia, in cooperation with the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Grossbeeren, Germany, 2007 – 2010;DFG funding, 2005 – 2008;Heisenberg Fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG), 2005 – 2008;DFG funding within the framework of the Priority Programme "Molecular foundations of mycorrhiza symbiosis", 2004 – 2006;Maria Gr?fin von Linden Prize from the VBWW (Association of Women Scientists of Baden-Württemberg) for the presentation "Fungus, the life partner: A blessing for agriculture", 2003;DFG funding within the framework of the Priority Programme "Molecular foundations of mycorrhiza symbiosis", 2002 – 2004;Structural funding from the University of Tübingen, Germany, 2001 – 2002;DFG funding within the framework of the Priority Programme "Molecular foundations of mycorrhiza symbiosis", 2001 – 2002;Habilitation (postdoctoral) fellowship from the Margarete von Wrangell Programme of the German Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, 2001 – 2005;Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship from the EU (Biotechnology group of the "Training and Mobility of Researchers" Programme) at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany, 1997 – 1999;Postdoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Education & Culture for postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany, 1997;Postdoctoral fellowship within the framework of the EU project "Restoration of environmental diversity through efficient ecosystem monitoring", Granada, Spain, 1996.