Climate resilience & stress biology

Our research concentrates on the genetic architecture and regulatory networks that drive tolerance to abiotic stresses. Using genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics, we dissect how drought and salinity responses are encoded in plant genomes and how these responses are activated under stress. Genetic populations and well-characterised genotypes are investigated to pinpoint genes, pathways and molecular markers that govern resilience.

Model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana are frequently used to uncover general principles of stress biology. Insights from these systems help us identify the conserved mechanisms that regulate stress signalling, hormonal control and developmental adaptation, which subsequently guide research in major crop species.

A key focus is on the hormonal and transcriptional networks that orchestrate stress responses. Recent studies have shown that salinity rapidly triggers changes in DNA regulation and can cause cellular damage within hours of exposure. These effects are strongly influenced by the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA), revealing that salt stress is not merely an osmotic challenge but also an ion-specific threat requiring specialised regulatory pathways.

We also explore the behaviour of stress-induced transcription factors. Work in rice, for example, has demonstrated how homeobox transcription factors respond to drought, salinity and ABA signalling. Altering the activity of such factors significantly changes seedling performance under stress, underscoring how gene regulatory networks contribute to plant resilience.

For plants to be resilient to abiotic stresses like salt stress and drought, the root system is of vital importance. Roots are the primary organs that adapt their architecture and physiology to drought and salt stress and nutrients deficiency. Their performance is key to the ability of the whole plant to recruit nutrients and water. However, we have limited knowledge of how the root functions and this translates into a limited capability to control plant resilience to abiotic stress.

We aim to understand how crops like tomato and potato respond to salinity and drought stress. We investigate the role and importance of root architecture, in abiotic stress resilience and the interaction of plant roots with soil microbial communities and other organic biostimulants. Novel developments in biostimulants show that it is possible to affect root functioning and resilience towards abiotic stress such as salt and drought. However, despite the potential for agriculture, there is very limited knowledge on the mechanisms through which biostimulants act. 

Climate resilience is governed by interactions across multiple levels: genes, regulatory pathways, cellular responses and whole-plant physiology. By integrating molecular biology, developmental biology and crop physiology, our group develops a comprehensive understanding of how plants cope with environmental stress. This knowledge provides a scientific foundation for future breeding strategies, while remaining firmly rooted in fundamental biological research.