Tenure-Track Professor Dr. Kathrin Blumenstein

Chair of Tree Pathology

Head of Chair and Spokesperson of the Institute of Forest Sciences

kathrin.blumenstein@forpath.uni-freiburg.de
+49 (0) 761 203-3659
Bertoldst. 17, 79098 Freiburg

GoogleScholar

ResearchGate

ORCiD

FreiDok plus

Campaign

Frau*schafft Wissen – a campaign of the University of Freiburg

The University of Freiburg is committed to gender equality and the advancement of women. That is why, with #frauSCHAFFTwissen // #womenSHAPINGknowledge, we present women from the University in 22 episodes: they come from different disciplines, fields of work, and career stages, and thus represent the diversity of career paths at a university. They all create knowledge: they teach, research, sort, organize, coordinate, collect, and at times also overcome obstacles in the process.
One of the featured scholars is Kathrin Blumenstein.

Campaign

More Women in Academia: Kathrin Blumenstein Selected for the “Margarete von Wrangell Program”

With the newly relaunched “Margarete von Wrangell Program,” the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg (MWK), together with the European Social Fund, supports exceptionally qualified female scholars in their transition from the postdoctoral phase to a permanent professorship.
This year, Junior Professor Dr. Kathrin Blumenstein is among the funded scholars. Over the next three years, she will be able to employ a newly qualified researcher to further develop her field of research. This postdoctoral position has been successfully filled by Dr. Blessing Durodola. Dr. Durodola receives a full-time position as well as the opportunity to qualify for a subsequent academic role, for example as the head of a junior research group or within a tenure-track or junior professorship.

Award

German Forest Science Award

The German Forest Science Award 2023 has been awarded to Junior Professor Kathrin Blumenstein for her outstanding research contributions to a better understanding of the interactions between host trees, pests, and microbiota.
“With her scientific work, Kathrin Blumenstein contributes to the development of targeted measures to strengthen the defense mechanisms of trees. In doing so, she makes a significant contribution both to increasing the resilience of trees and to the further development of the field of forest pathology,” the Board of Trustees stated in explaining its decision.
The German Forest Science Award, endowed with 50,000 euros, was presented to Junior Professor Kathrin Blumenstein.

Since 2022 Tenure-Track Professor and Chair of Tree Pathology, University of Freiburg
2021-2022 Junior Research Fellow in Forest Pathology, University of Göttingen
2018-2021 Postdoctoral researcher in the Forest Pathology Research Group, University of Göttingen
2016-2018 Maternity leave
2010-2015 PhD in Microbiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
PhD in Forestry, Bangor University, Wales, UK
(Double degree; incl. 1 year maternity leave)
2007-2010 Master’s degree in Biology, University of Kassel

Research interests

I am fascinated by the study of the interactions between microorganisms and their host plants. I investigate how fungi can live as endophytes in a tree and support the vitality of their host, while other fungi infect a tree as pathogens and cause disease symptoms.

What motivates fungi to invade new ecosystems, what strategies do invasive fungal species use to establish themselves in a new area, and what can we do to strengthen the defence mechanisms of trees? My research focuses on these questions.

Teaching

Winter Semester:

Module: Forest Sciences: Professional Approaches and Research Skills (MSc; Language: English)
Module: Biotic and Abiotic Challenges of Urban Trees and Forests (MSc; Language: English)
Module: Baumkrankheiten (BSc; Language: German)

Summer Semester:

Module: Diagnostic Methods of Tree Diseases (MSc; Language: English)
Module: Forest Pathology (MSc; Language: English)
Module: Waldschutz (BSc; Language: German)
Module: Flora und Fauna (BSc; Language: German)

Durodola B, Blumenstein K, Terhonen E. 2023. Genetic variation of Picea abies in response to the artificial inoculation of Heterobasidion parviporum. Eur J Forest Reshttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-023-01534-3
Blumenstein K, Bußkamp J, Langer GJ and Terhonen E. 2022. Diplodia tip blight pathogen’s virulenceempowered through host switch. Front. Fungal Bio.3:939007. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffunb.2022.939007/full
Yeoh XH-Y, Durodola B, Blumenstein K, Terhonen E. 2021. Drought Stress Described by Transcriptional Responses of Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. under Pathogen Heterobasidion parviporum Attack. Forests. 2021; 12(10):1379. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12101379
Blumenstein K, Bußkamp J, Langer GJ, Langer EJ, Terhonen E. 2021. The Diplodia Tip Blight Pathogen Sphaeropsis sapinea is the Most Common Fungus in Scots Pines’ Mycobiome, Irrespective of Health Status—A Case Study from Germany. Journal of Fungi. 2021; 7(8):607. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7080607
Blumenstein, K., Bußkamp, J., Langer, G. J., Schlößer, R., Parra Rojas, N. M., Terhonen, E. 2021. Sphaeropsis sapinea and associated endophytes in Scots pine: interactions and effect on the host under variable water content. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 4, 55. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2021.655769
Bußkamp, J., Blumenstein, K., Terhonen, E., Langer, G. J. 2021. Differences in the virulence of Sphaeropsis sapinea strains originating from Scots pine and non-pine hosts. Forest Pathology, 00, 1– 4. https://doi.org/10.1111/efp.12712
Adamson K, Laas M, Blumenstein K, Busskamp J, Langer GJ, Klavina D, Kaur A, Maaten T, Mullett MS, Müller MM, Ondrušková E, Padari A, Pilt E, Riit T, Solheim H, Soonvald L, Tedersoo L, Terhonen E, Drenkhan R. 2021. Highly Clonal Structure and Abundance of One Haplotype Characterise the Diplodia sapinea Populations in Europe and Western Asia. Journal of Fungi. 2021; 7(8):634. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7080634
Terhonen, E. L., Babalola, J., Kasanen, R., Jalkanen, R., Blumenstein, K. 2021. Sphaeropsis sapinea found as symptomless endophyte in Finland. Silva Fennica, 55(1). https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.10420
Rigerte L, Blumenstein K, Terhonen E. 2019. New R-Based Methodology to Optimize the Identification of Root Endophytes against Heterobasidion parviporum. Mdpi Microorganisms 7 (102). https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7040102
Terhonen E, Langer GJ, Bußkamp J, Rascutoi D, Blumenstein K. 2019. Low Water Availability Increases Necrosis in Picea abies after Artificial Inoculation with Fungal Root Rot Pathogens Heterobasidion parviporum and Heterobasidion annosum. Forests 10(1):55. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10010055
Terhonen E, Blumenstein K, Kovalchuk A, Asiegbu FO. 2019. Forest Tree Microbiomes and Associated Fungal Endophytes: Functional Roles and Impact on Forest Health. Forests 2019, 10, 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10010042
Blumenstein K, Macaya-Sanz D, Martín JA, Albrectsen BR, Witzell J. 2015. Phenotype MicroArrays as a complementary tool to next generation sequencing for characterization of tree endophytes. Front. Microbiol. 6:1033. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01033
Blumenstein K, Albrectsen BR, Martín JA, Hultberg M, Sieber TN, Helander M, Witzell J. 2015. Nutritional niche overlap potentiates the use of endophytes in biocontrol of a tree disease. BioControl 60(5): 655-667.
https://link.springer.comarticle/10.1007/s10526-015-9668-1
Martín JA, Macaya-Sanz D, Witzell J, Blumenstein K, Gil L. 2015. Strong in vitro antagonism by elm xylemendophytes is not accompanied by temporally stable in planta protection against a vascular pathogen under field conditions. Eur J Plant Pathol. 42, 185-196. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10658-015-0602-2.
Martín JA, Witzell J, Blumenstein K, Rozpedowska E, Helander M, Sieber TN, Gil L. 2013. Resistance to Dutch elm disease reduces xylem endophytic fungi presence in elms (Ulmus spp.). PLoS ONE 8 (2):e56987 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0056987
Martín JA, Witzell J, Blumenstein K, Gil L. 2012. Antagonistic effect and reduction of Ulmus minor symptoms to Ophiostoma novo-ulmi by elm endophytes. J Agric Ext Rural Dev. 4(9): 239-240 DOI:10.5897/JAERD12.059

Barbara Ludwig Navarro, B., Blumenstein, K., Nordzieke, D.E. (2022). Peroxiporins in plant-microbial interactions. In Bienert, Ferdandez, Sitia (eds.). Peroxiporins: Redox Signal Mediators In and Between Cells. Taylor & Francis Group (accepted)
Blumenstein, K., Terhonen, E., Sun, H., Asiegbu, F. O. (2021). Methods for studying the forest tree microbiome. In Forest Microbiology (pp. 35-58). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822542-4.00016-4
Langer, G. J., Bußkamp, J., Terhonen, E., Blumenstein, K. (2021). Fungi inhabiting woody tree tissues. In Forest Microbiology (pp. 175-205). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822542-4.00012-7
Witzell J., Martín J.A., Blumenstein K. 2014. Ecological aspects of endophyte-based biocontrol of forest diseases. In: Verma, V.C. & Gange, A.C. (eds) Advances in endophytic research. Berlin: Springer, pp. 321-333. DOI: 10.1007/978-81-322-1575-2_17

Blumenstein K., 2015. Endophytic fungi in elms: implications for the integrated management of Dutch elm disease. PhD thesis. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden and Bangor University, Wales, UK. 84 p. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/endophytic-fungi-in-elmsimplications-for-the-integrated-management-of-dutch-elm-disease(3265a1c5-9910-4ed1-9d1e-c569b68d709d).html
Blumenstein K. 2010. Characterization of endophytic fungi in the genus Ulmus: putative agents for the biocontrol of Dutch Elm Disease (DED). Diploma thesis, University of Kassel, 114 p.

Honours and awards

Functions, offices and memberships

Spokesperson of the Institute of Forest Sciences
at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg
Head of the Working Group “Information: Transparent and Rapid Communication, Dissemination, and Knowledge Exchange” within the COST Action “Urban Tree Guard – Protecting European Urban Trees and Forests through Enhanced Biosafety (UB3Guard)” (COST Action UB3Guard)
Member of the Steering Committee
in the FitForest Project of the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) under the Strategic Partnership Program
Member of the Organizing Committee for the Forest Science Conference (FoWita) in Freiburg, September 2025
Initiator, Organizer, Host, and Chair of the symposium “Emerging Needle Diseases in Europe” – three-day event in Freiburg, ~45 participants
UB3Guard Makeathon “Interactive Map of Pests and Pathogens in Europe” – two-day event in Freiburg, Germany, with 15 international experts – Initiator, Organizer, Host
UB3Guard Working Group 1 Meeting – one-day event in Freiburg with 15 international participants – Host, Participant
GFÖ (Ecological Society of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) Virtual Conference – Session Chair: “Biological Interactions under Climate and Global Change”
Dorothea-Schlözer Program “Career Development Program for Female Postdocs,” University of Göttingen – Participant
Organizer, Host, and Chair of the “Mini-Symposium on Forest Pathology” with selected topics; ~25 participants; presentations by international and national guests from multiple research institutes and universities, including field excursions to forest sites
Chair of the “Women’s Competence Group” at the Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, Sweden

In the media

Kastaniensterben, alpha-nachgehakt, ARD alpha
TT-Prof. Kathrin Blumenstein im Gespräch mit Moderator Tilman Seiler über das Kastaniensterben in Deutschland durch Bakterien, Pilze und Miniermotten, sowie die Forschung zu möglichen Gegenmaßnahmen.
Zum TV-Beitrag
Opportunistische Pilze machen Bäumen zu schaffen (dpa, u.a. in ZEIT, Handelsblatt, FAZ und weiteren Zeitungen)
Kathrin Blumenstein erforscht als Deutschlands erste Professorin für Baumpathologie Pilze und deren Einfluss auf die Gesundheit der Bäume im Kontext des Klimawandels.
Baumpathologie an der Universität Freiburg
DE: https://uni-freiburg.de/wie-kranke-baeume-den-weg-zu-resilienteren-waeldern-aufzeigen/
ENG:https://videoportal.uni-freiburg.de/category/video/tree-pathology-at-the-university-of-freiburg-kathrin- blumenstein/611585d59a6bb00a9642b887a4117ad0/61
Guardians of Urban Trees: Meet COST Action CA20132 (interview with me as Leader of Working Group 4) Producer, Script producer, Coordinator, Participant of the Video( https://youtu.be/ASXZFe2DOGI?feature=shared)
TV-Bericht über das steigende Risiko von Baumkrankheiten in Städten und das Forschungsgebiet der Baumpathologie (SWR – auf Deutsch) https://www.ardmediathek.de/embed/Y3JpZDovL3N3ci5kZS9hZXgvbzE3NDA5OT c?startTime=292.00&endTime=453.00