ORCID: 0000-0002-5649-7795
Twitter: @SamarSheat
LinkedIn: Samar Sheat
ResearchGate: Samar Sheat
Positions
2020-2024: Postdoctoral researcher at Leibniz Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbHPlant Virus Department
Lead scientist in RTB foods ONE CGIAR project: Elucidation the mechanism of virus resistance in cassava; developing molecular markers for resistance selection and modernize virus resistance breeding with advanced screening methods in the field.
Research scientist in Accelerated breeding initiative (ABI, CIAT): Identification of new disease agents and resolving the etiology of cassava witche’s broom disease in South East Asia
Lead scientist in the Bill&Melinda Gates “NextGen” Cassava project: Advancing virus resistance breeding in Africa; Identifying and characterizing new sources of virus resistance using, developing new infection tools and workflows for high precision phenotyping in cassava
2010-2013: Scientific assistant, Aleppo University, Department of Biotechnology Engineering Aleppo/Syria, teaching and practical in molecular biology, biotechnology, gene therapy, immunology, antibody engineering, biological control and bio-safety
Degrees
Dr. rer. nat. Faculty of Life Sciences, Biotechnology (TU Braunschweig , Germany)
B.Sc. Biotechnology engineering (Aleppo University, Syria)
Grants and Scholarship
DFG project- African German Scientific Exchange in the Field of Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture 09/2023-08/2024
RTB breeding project 01/2024-12/2024
DAAD scholarship
Teaching
MB09 practical section in TU Braunschweig with Prof. Boas Pucker 13-17/11/2023
MB09 practical section in TU Braunschweig with Prof. Boas Pucker 22-26/04/2024
Scientific assistant (lecturer) in Aleppo university from 11/2010-03/2013
Membership in Scientific Societies
American Phytopathological Society, African section (APS)
Community Network for African Vector-Borne Plant Viruses (CONNECTED)
Association of applied biologists (AAB)
Overview on my research
In the dynamic field of cassava research, my work centers on exploring the vast and diverse world of cassava viruses and diseases. Based on an extensive collection of virus samples from South America, Africa, Brazil, and Asia maintained at the Plant Virus Department of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ, our research team conducts groundbreaking investigations across several key areas:
Pathogen Identification and Discovery: We delve into both well-known and elusive pathogens, uncovering their causal agents to understand better their impact on cassava crops like cassava root rot, cassava witches broom diseases and cassava frog skin diseases
Pathogenesis and Gene-Protein Interactions: Focusing on cassava brown streak and cassava mosaic viruses, which cause the most devastating diseases, our multifaceted research explores the intricate interactions between viruses and their hosts, employing advanced tools like confocal microscopy to gain a deeper understanding of the spatial and temporal events leading to disease.
High-Throughput Screening for Virus Resistance: We utilize cutting-edge screening tools to identify cassava germplasm lines with specific resistance to pathogens, and we follow the durability of this resistance under field conditions.
Characterization of Resistance: We use the most advanced omics tools and high-resolution imaging to search for a mechanistic explanation of the immune responses of cassava lines against cassava brown streak and mosaic viruses.
Virus Elimination and Exclusion: Our translational research seeks to find practical solutions for virus elimination, developing strategies to exclude viruses from plants and novel strategies for virus control.
One of our notable successes is the combat against the devastating Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) in Eastern and Central Africa, expanding to the continent and threatening the cassava crop, the most significant food source for millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa. We discovered virus resistance in South America, cassava’s center of origin/ diversity. We characterized the resistant cassava lines, defined resistance patterns, and deployed the new sources of resistance to the epicenters of the disease. We continue our strive to improve cassava virus resistance, broadening the basis with additional resistance traits and enhancing resilience against adverse environments. We are proud to provide a contribution to safeguard the livelihood of the people relying on cassava as a main source of food.
Publication
Gil-Ordóñez, A., Pardo, J. M., Sheat, S., Xaiyavong, K., Leiva, A. M., Arinaitwe, W., ... & Cuellar, W. J. (2024). Isolation, genome analysis and tissue localization of Ceratobasidium theobromae, a new encounter pathogen of cassava in Southeast Asia. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 18139
Sheat, S.; Mushi, E.; Gwandu, F.; Sikirou, M.; Baleke, P.; Kayondo, S.I.; Kulembeka, H.; Adetoro, N.; Winter, S. Cut, Root, and Grow: Simplifying Cassava Propagation to Scale. Plants 2024, 13, 471. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants1304047
Nandudu, L., S. Sheat, S. Winter, A. Ogbonna, R. Kawuki and J.-L. Jannink,2024. "Genetic complexity of cassava brown streak disease: insights from qPCR-based viral titer analysis and genome-wide association studies." Frontiers in Plant Science 15
Sheat, S and Winter, S (2023) Developing broad-spectrum resistance in cassava against viruses causing the cassava mosaic and the cassava brown streak diseases. Front. Plant Sci. 14:1042701.
Sheat, S., Zhang, X.F., Winter, S., 2022. High-Throughput Virus Screening in Crosses of South American and African Cassava Germplasm Reveals Broad-Spectrum Resistance against Viruses Causing Cassava Brown Streak Disease and Cassava Mosaic Virus Disease. Agronomy-Basel 12, 1-13.
Sheat, S.; Margaria, P.,Winter, S. 2021.Differential Tropism in Roots and Shoots of Resistant and Susceptible Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Infected by Cassava Brown Streak Viruses. Cells 2021, 10, (5)
Sheat, S., Winter, S. Margaria, P. 2020. Duplex In Situ Hybridization of Virus Nucleic Acids in Plant Tissues Using RNAscope®. Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol. 2148, 203-2015.
Sheat, S., Fuerholzner, B., Stein, B., Winter, S., 2019. Resistance Against Cassava Brown Streak Viruses From Africa in Cassava Germplasm From South America. Frontiers in plant science 10.
Munganyinka, E., Margaria, P., Sheat, S., Ateka, E.M., Tairo, F., Ndunguru, J., Winter, S., 2018. Localization of cassava brown streak virus in Nicotiana rustica and cassava Manihot esculenta (Crantz) using RNAscope® in situ hybridization. Virol J 15.
Mbewe, W., Tairo, F., Sseruwagi, P., Ndunguru, J., Duffy, S., Mukasa, S., Benesi, I., Sheat, S., Koerbler, M., Winter, S., 2017. Variability in P1 gene redefines phylogenetic relationships among cassava brown streak viruses. Virol J 14, 118