Past projects
A04: Genetic basis and ecological importance of adaptive myxospermic strategies to drought stress in the Camelineae tribe and the Brassicaceae family
The ability of seeds to survive and germinate under varying environmental conditions is crucial for the survival of plant populations. This project will evaluate the ecological role of seed mucilage composition, and link the trait to seed quality and germination in Camelina sativa, a species adapted to semiarid environments and frequently described as a competing weed. We will compare the role of mucilage synthesis and regulation genes in seed germination ability under adverse conditions in C. sativa and ruderal A. thaliana with the aim to identify and compare adaptive gene effects across these related species with different ecologies.
A06: Ecological importance of multi-trait regulation by a gene regulatory network
Evolutionary adaptation to environmental change often involves complex coordinated biological responses, such as the co-regulation of genes underpinning stress adaptation of multiple traits. This project assesses the ecological importance of the MBW (MYB, bHLH, WD40) pathway, a genetic network coregulating five traits that are relevant for abiotic stress resistance at different stages of a plant's life cycle. We aim to understand how genes in the network integrate responses to different environmental stresses and thus modulate phenotypic adaptation to fluctuating environments during the life time of the plant.
A11: Ecological importance and genetic basis of plant-microbe associations in Brassicaceae and Hordeum species exposed to environmental challenges
Beneficial microbes can increase plant growth in nutrient poor environments and improve their resistance to pathogens. However, plants may also vary in their capacity to benefit from their growth-promoting effects. We will investigate how plant genetic variation impacts on the root associated microbial community, the microbe-mediated growth promotion and stress resistance in ecologically diverse Brassicaceae and Hordeum species grown under nutrient and water limitations. This work will advance our understanding of how beneficial microbes support environmental adaptation in plants and to what extent this is mediated by host genes conserved across species.
B03: Adaptation to the afroalpine environment in Brassicaceae species with contrasting ecological strategies
The alpine sky islands of Eastern Africa offer a unique opportunity to study convergent adaptation across multiple species and mountain ranges. Populations of the stress-tolerant A. alpina and the ruderal A. thaliana co-occur in these mountain ranges. We will investigate the demographic history of these populations, compare their variation for traits exposed to selective pressures that vary with elevation and examine their genetic architecture. This project will shed light on the history of convergent adaptation in two ecologically different species exposed to the same challenging environment.