Weather-proofing plants


This PhD project provides opportunities to develop cutting edge molecular genetics skills and to work alongside theoreticians on fundamental science that addresses the global challenge of food security.

The security of our future food supply will depend on an improved understanding of how plants regulate photosynthesis and biomass in response to climate change. This project aims to determine how the external environment regulates the molecular pathways that control plant biomass and photosynthetic capacity.

Building on recent findings in the model plant Arabidopsis, the study will elucidate the molecular mechanisms in cells that protect the plant from the day-to-day changes in the weather. Data generated will be used to inform the development of models that predict how plants respond to different environmental conditions.

This new knowledge will allow us to develop strategies to produce crops that are more weather proof or tolerate a wider temperature range. It will also help us to understand how climate change affects our natural habitats.