Lenny obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. (2020) in the department of Biochemistry at the University of Geneva, where he focused on molecular genetics and structural biology. He joined Robbie Loewith’s lab in 2019, for his master thesis, where he focused his work on TORC1 and its regulation by the Ego Complex in S.cerevisiae. Following M. oryzae craze/infection in the lab, Lenny, an eager mycologist, has now started his PhD trying to decipher TOR and other essential signaling nodes in the plant pathogen, using molecular genetics and CryoEM.

Ming obtained his B.Sc. in Biochemical Science and Technology from National Taiwan University (Taiwan) and M.Sc. in Chemical Biology through a joint program between the University of Geneva and EPFL, affiliated with the SNE Chemical Biology. He is currently pursuing his doctoral research at the University of Geneva under the supervision of Prof. Robbie Loewith and co-supervision of Dr. Regine Kahmann (Emeritus Professor, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology). His research focuses on elucidating the structure and regulation of STP complexes in Ustilago maydis, combining genetic engineering with cryo-electron microscopy and tomography to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying fungal infection and the broader strategies by which eukaryotic pathogens exploit novel protein complexes to invade their hosts.

Kerstin obtained her BSc degree as a joint student at the Johannes Kepler University of Linz in Austria and the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic in 2018. In the context of the NCCR Chemical Biology master’s program she studied both at the University of Geneva and EPFL Lausanne. For her master’s thesis she was working in the Lab of Paul Guichard and Virginie Hamel as well as in the Lab of Robbie Loewith at the University of Geneva. During this time, she adapted expansion microscopy for the application in S. cerevisiae (see Gallery). For her PhD she fully moved to the Loewith lab, to focus her work on TORC2 signaling and its interaction with the plasma membrane.

Yvonne obtained her Master’s degree in Molecular Biology of the Cell from the University of Milan in 2024. With a background in structural and computational biology, she is now pursuing research in fungal genetics and the mechanisms of tension generation in Magnaporthe oryzae. Beyond the lab, she is passionate about science communication and visualization, and actively creates visual content as part of the PhD student association Phage. 

Maria obtained her BSc and MSc (2021) in Molecular Medicine at the Medical University of Innsbruck. While working on the sphingolipid synthesis pathway under the supervision of Oliver Schmidt and David Teis, she developed a strong interest in biological lipid membranes. This ultimately led to her joining Robbie Loewith’s and Aurelien Roux’s labs as a shared PhD student to try and solve some mysteries surrounding plasma membrane monitoring by TOR signalling. 

Maria studies how the plasma membrane (PM) is sensed and kept in balance through signalling by TORC2. Using a combination of yeast genetics, molecular and chemical biology, and advanced light microscopy. She investigates how PM stress is sensed by TORC2, with a special focus on the eisosomal PM domain. This mechanosensitive fungal membrane compartment, through its functional connection to TORC2 regulation, may hold key insights into how TORC2 senses and responds to changes at the PM.

When she’s not torturing yeast cells in the lab, you might find her preparing food or roaming some forest.

Yiqiang received his M.S. from Tianjin University, China, in 2018, where he investigated post-translational modifications, focusing on the role of 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation in bacterial antibiotic resistance and the development of a protein evolution platform. He then worked as a research assistant at the Southern University of Science and Technology, studying amino acid sensors in mammals. In 2023, he joined the Robbie Lab as a Ph.D. student, where his research centers on the mechanisms of acute amino acid sensing in yeast.