Current research
"Ja Kalzium, das ist alles!"
O. Loewy, 1959
Plants live and evolve in an environment characterized by daily cycles of temperature and light and dark due to the rotation of the earth. An essential adaptation has been the evolution of a circadian clock that allows the plant to measure time, anticipate the daily cycles of light and temperature and measure seasonal changes in day length to control flowering. We are investigating how the circadian clock controls cell physiology and what benefits this provides to the plant. The plant circadian clock is thought to be present in every cell and consists of a number of genes acting in a negative feedback loop.
We are particularly interested in the role of cytosolic free ([Ca2+]cyt) in the circadian signalling network. We measure oscillations of [Ca2+]cyt in both day night cycles and constant light using automated photon counting imaging of aequorin bioluminescence. We use molecular genetic and pharmacological tools to investigate how circadian oscillations of [Ca2+]cyt are generated and their function in the plant.
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Oscillations of CA.
We are taking a systems approach to further understand the circadian signalling network. This couples transcriptomic analysis of the circadian control of signalling with metadata analysis and mathematical modelling of signalling networks.
To study how the Arabidopsis circadian clock benefits the plant we use automated physiological apparatus developed in our laboratory to measure a range of physiological parameters including, growth, photosynthesis and the movements of stomata and leaves.
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gas exchange.