Webb Group: Time-restricted photosynthesis to regulate growth
Supervisor
Professor Alex Webb
Overview
This research will investigate the basic systems by which circadian clocks regulate growth. This is an essential step in delivering improved crop yield through the practice of chronoculture.
Project Summary
Circadian clocks regulate almost aspects of the biology of plants. We and others have found that circadian clocks make plants grow bigger, and survive better. But we do not know how. A break through has been made in which it has been found that changing the time of photosymthesis can have profound effects on growth. We have found a correlation between the pace of the circadian oscillator and how they can time photosynthesis. These variations in the speed of internal oscillations might help plants to entrain better to and grow more efficiently in photoperiods characteristic of higher latitudes. They also give insight in to the basic mechanisms regulating growth. We have a panel of ecotypes, circadian mutants and plants in which we have engineered the circadian clock in different cell types. These will be used to identify what regulates the size of the plant. This work will shed light on how circadian clocks influence growth and development and will contribute to the growing field of chronoculture-inspired plant engineering to improve crop yields.
What will the successful applicant do?
The applicant will measure growth in a range of circadian mutants. They will use mutants we have identified to identify the process that are core to growth regulation. This will include transriptomic and biochemical studies to identify the pathways involved.