Supervisor(s): 

Dr Junli Liu and Professor Keith Lindsey

I’m interested in how plant root systems develop, in particular, the crosstalk between important plant hormones to determine patterns in cell division and expansion. I’m also interested in the development of cell architecture in the root tip and the effect different abiotic stresses have upon development. Understanding how abiotic stresses such as drought (osmotic stress) effect plant development is vital when considering the future of food security.

Regulation of root growth under osmotic stress: a systems study

In recent years there has been a rapid expansion in the systems modelling approach to studying root development. Systems modelling has formed an effective platform for integrating osmotic stress response into our understanding of hormonal crosstalk in plant root development.

Recently developed tools in microscopy and image analysis offer the potential to view hormone distribution and cell architecture in three-dimensions simultaneously. Using these techniques among others, I am attempting to further our understanding of hormonal crosstalk in root development, particularly under osmotic stress.