Dr. Macho studied Biology and did his PhD at the University of Málaga (Spain). During his PhD he used genetic approaches to characterise Type III effector proteins in Pseudomonas syringae, under the supervision of Prof. Carmen R. Beuzón. In February 2011 he joined the group of Prof. Cyril Zipfel, at The Sainsbury Laboratory, in Norwich (United Kingdom), where he studied the molecular mechanisms underlying the activation of PAMP-triggered immunity in plants. Since January 2015 he leads the group of Molecular Plant-Bacteria Interactions at the Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology. Research in the Macho laboratory focuses on deciphering the molecular basis of biotic stress caused by bacterial pathogens, and the mechanisms of plant disease resistance, using Ralstonia solanacearum as a model pathogen. The group is interested in understanding alterations in plant signaling, metabolism, hormonal balances, and proteomic changes, underlying both immune responses and bacterial virulence activities. Dr. Macho has published more than 60 scientific articles, and his group has quickly become a reference in the study of R. solanacearum-plant interaction.