This research topic focuses on understanding the mechanisms of adaptation of higher plants. Primarily, investigate the responses of crops (wheat, rice, barley, etc.) and model plants (Arabidopsis, Setaria, Spartina, etc.) to abiotic stresses using physiology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, genetics, and epigenetic research fields. The combination of various research areas permits us to better decipher and comprehend the mechanisms of plants’ adaptation to challenging environmental conditions. We are also interested in photosynthesis and synthetic biology. Thus, combining these two research areas may lead to genes and/or chemical compounds discovered from the plant’s leaf, such as tobacco, that can be used to treat certain diseases, including cancer.
The problem that we seek to tackle is identifying specific genes associated with certain physiological and/or photosynthetic traits using sophisticated and advanced technologies such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and gene editing based on the CRISPR-CAS9 approach. This method may easily help identify the crucial gene(s) that can control some physiological and/or photosynthetic traits in the plant. By editing and manipulating the genes in question, (knock-out, over-expression or Near Isogenic Lines, NILs, creation) with some other molecular biology validation experiments such as q-RT-PCR and ELISA, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling, etc., we can improve the plant yield through breeding programs using these well understood and investigated genes and thus ameliorate the plant capacity (adaptation or acclimatization) to cope with severe surrounding conditions (biotic or abiotic).
Our focus also lies in investigating the molecular mechanism of the plant cell memory of the abiotic stress during the next generation. This means the epigenetic regulation of the stress memory by the plant cell (root, leaf, or flower) during the next generation of culture may happen through DNA methylation and/or histone modifications. Therefore, one of the possible yet unexplored ways to improve stress tolerance in crop plants may be to enhance the stress memory of plants by targeted modification of the epigenome.
We welcome submissions including, but not limited to, the following:
- Photosynthesis and biophysics
- Plant physiology and biochemistry
- Plant molecular biology and genetics
- Abiotic and biotic stresses response
- Epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in plants
- Synthetic biology
This research topic focuses on understanding the mechanisms of adaptation of higher plants. Primarily, investigate the responses of crops (wheat, rice, barley, etc.) and model plants (Arabidopsis, Setaria, Spartina, etc.) to abiotic stresses using physiology, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, genetics, and epigenetic research fields. The combination of various research areas permits us to better decipher and comprehend the mechanisms of plants’ adaptation to challenging environmental conditions. We are also interested in photosynthesis and synthetic biology. Thus, combining these two research areas may lead to genes and/or chemical compounds discovered from the plant’s leaf, such as tobacco, that can be used to treat certain diseases, including cancer.
The problem that we seek to tackle is identifying specific genes associated with certain physiological and/or photosynthetic traits using sophisticated and advanced technologies such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and gene editing based on the CRISPR-CAS9 approach. This method may easily help identify the crucial gene(s) that can control some physiological and/or photosynthetic traits in the plant. By editing and manipulating the genes in question, (knock-out, over-expression or Near Isogenic Lines, NILs, creation) with some other molecular biology validation experiments such as q-RT-PCR and ELISA, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling, etc., we can improve the plant yield through breeding programs using these well understood and investigated genes and thus ameliorate the plant capacity (adaptation or acclimatization) to cope with severe surrounding conditions (biotic or abiotic).
Our focus also lies in investigating the molecular mechanism of the plant cell memory of the abiotic stress during the next generation. This means the epigenetic regulation of the stress memory by the plant cell (root, leaf, or flower) during the next generation of culture may happen through DNA methylation and/or histone modifications. Therefore, one of the possible yet unexplored ways to improve stress tolerance in crop plants may be to enhance the stress memory of plants by targeted modification of the epigenome.
We welcome submissions including, but not limited to, the following:
- Photosynthesis and biophysics
- Plant physiology and biochemistry
- Plant molecular biology and genetics
- Abiotic and biotic stresses response
- Epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in plants
- Synthetic biology