LABORATORY OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS

Arabidopsis Flowers
The Arabidopsis genome was the first plant genome
to be fully sequenced. This knowledge, together
with a large body of mutational data, tools for
genetic manipulation and access to closerelatives
with varied physiological traits, greatly speeds
fundamental research in the plant sciences.
Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae,
obtain their energy through photosynthesis,
making use of much the same pathways as plants.
It is thought that modern plants arose through
a symbiotic association with cyanobacteria,
which have since evolved to form the chloroplasts
of higher plants thus providing energy to the
host. For these reasons, cyanobacteria have long
been used as a model with which to study the
process of photosynthesis.
Begonia
Begonias represent one of the largest and most
diverse genera among the angiosperms. Several
Begonia species exhibit complex stomatal
patterning and variable stomatal clustering,
which may be important for their physiological
adaptation to extreme wet environments such as
around waterfalls, and is a focus of research
in the Laboratory.
Broad Bean
Vicia faba is familiar to us as the broad bean
or butterbean. It is a robust, upright annual
that grows well in cooler environments. It’s
rounded, segmented leaves are easy to dissect
by hand and have long been a favourite for
research on stomatal guard cells and their
control of gas exchange in plants. Data that
comes from studies of Vicia remains the gold
standard in the field of membrane transport
and its control.
Jungle Night
Amorphophallus Paeoniifolius is one of a number
of giant arums found in tropical central
Americas. Its close relative, Amorphophallus
titanium, produces the largest flower in the
world, which can grow to over 2 meters in
height. Like many giant arums, A. paeoniifolius
grows from an elongated tuber. The leaf
structure, stomatal organisation and venation,
visible here, are well-adapted for highly humid
environments.
Oilseed rape
Brassica napus is a major focus
for translational research building on work
from Arabidopsis. The leaves and stems are
commonly eaten in Southeast Asia and are often
found in asian groceries sold as tender greens.
Over 60% of its cultivation in the EU currently
goes into biodiesel production. Rapeseed demands
substantial water and N fertilization, although
newer varieties grown in Canada have been
reported to be more drought-tolerant.
Water Scarcity
Water scarcity and changes in the global
environment are the most serious threats to
global food security. Many parts of the USA,
Australia and Asia as well as the mediterranean
countries have seen substantial increases in
water deficits over the past decade. Even in the
UK, the demand for irrigation water has risen
almost 10-fold in the past 20 years. Recurrence
of the Dust Bowl phenomenon that devastated the
American wheat belt is a real concern.

Resources

We offer material resources of broad interest to the scientific community, including vectors and markers for plant and yeast transformation, as well as specialist seed lines. A small fee will be charged for each request to cover handling and postage. Contact us or click here for more information.