Identifying new components of developmental pathways impacting stomata and plant health
Supervisors:
Dr Rucha Karnik, School of Molecular Biosciences
Dr Richard Burchmore, School of Infection & Immunity
Prof Mike Blatt, School of Molecular Biosciences
Prof Catherine Kidner, Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh
Summary:
Stomata of plants are microscopic pores driving plant gas and water exchanges with the environment that influence the water and carbon cycles of the world. Stomata are crucial for plant defense against microbial pathogens. Thus, stomatal efficiency underpins plant health, agricultural productivity and water-use.
The Begonia species of plants possess the ability to grow in tropical montane ecosystems attributed largely to their stomatal traits. Begonias express stomata as clusters that associate with increased efficiency and the ability of this plant species to thrive in diverse and challenging environmental conditions such as in tropical montane ecosystems. Stomatal clustering patterns are absent in most plants including the Arabidopsis thaliana model and crops. Molecular components driving stomatal clustering are unknown.
This PhD programme is to identify novel components of the developmental pathways that underpin stomatal clustering. The study will evaluate how stomatal clustering impacts the efficiency of plant growth, water-use and pathogen immunity. The project work will integrate training and research combining cross-disciplinary expertise in genetics, molecular plant pathology, advanced proteomics and stomatal physiology. Knowledge of the fundamental rules of life is anticipated. It will support future crop engineering to mitigate the imminent crisis for agricultural food and freshwater availability and efforts to increased threat for pathogens due to global warming and climate change.