About the department
This department is composed of researchers dedicated to deciphering the molecular mechanisms that regulate hormone action and development in plants. Its objective is to understand how hormonal signals coordinate growth and response to environmental stimuli, which are fundamental for agronomic performance. With this research, we aim to foster the development of innovative strategies that improve productivity and strengthen plant resilience to biotic and environmental challenges.
Research areas
1 – Molecular mechanisms of hormone action
This research department focuses on the hormonal regulation underlying the control of various processes in plant biology, such as plant growth, the transition between different developmental stages, and the interaction between plants and their environment.
Research is focused on understanding the specific role of hormones in various aspects of plant life, from early development to plant defense mechanisms, with special emphasis on the molecular mechanisms regulating hormone biosynthesis and signaling, and on the cross-regulation between different hormones (and between hormones and other environmental parameters).
Ultimately, a significant portion of research activity is aimed at applying basic knowledge to the modification of important agronomic traits in crops, which is reflected in at least two aspects: the choice of the biological problem to be studied, and the choice of experimental models other than Arabidopsis.
Research Groups
2 – Molecular mechanisms of development and morphogenesis
This line of research focuses on the genetic and signaling pathways that govern the patterns observed in different aspects of plant development.
The general objectives of this research subline are:
– To gain a detailed understanding of the genetic-molecular networks that govern the development of inflorescences, flowers, and fruits;
– To obtain models to explain how such networks operate and to understand how different species have evolved variations in these networks to generate diversity;
– To identify molecular targets for the manipulation of agronomically important traits; and
– To generate biotechnological tools to improve flowering in horticultural and crop species.
A strategic objective of the research in this subline is to apply our most recent basic knowledge of plant development to the modification of agronomically important traits in crop species. This is facilitated both by our selection of biological problems to study and by the use of experimental model crops other than Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula.
