In collaboration with other plant biologists, he has decoded a set of genes used by plants such as members of the pea family to develop root nodules to host nitrogen fixing Rhizobium bacteria. His current research focuses on the evolution of this symbiotic signalling network. The research conducted by René Geurts is interdisciplinary in nature. The line of research he has set up integrates molecular biology, genetics, physiology and cell biology. Geurts' work, including three articles published in Science magazine, has earned him international renown.
