J (Judit) Nadal Bigas MSc

The art of flowering time genes and their relation with seed dormancy

Have you ever wondered how important is to adapt to a new job, a new country, a new environment? Not only for humans but also for plants adaptation is the key to success.

The life cycle of annual plants can be divided in different phases that include vegetative growth, reproductive adult phase, seed set and senescence. Since plants are organisms that cannot migrate when the external conditions are not favourable, the transition between the different life phases needs to be strictly controlled. From all the external variables, temperature is one of the strongest signals that plants sense and adapt to. 
 

In my project we aim to study two temperature-regulated traits, flowering time and seed dormancy, that have been separately researched for several years but that have been recently proposed to be interconnected. Both traits are fundamental for the reproductive success and survival of any plant specie. Therefore, knowledge of plant plasticity and adaptation to temperature fluctuations is vital for a sustainable global food security.

Would you like to join me in this fascinating adventure? Would you like to know more details about my research? Do not hesitate to send me an email at  judit.nadalbigas@wur.nl. We can discuss different ideas and possibilities for your project (BSc, MSc thesis or internship). I am looking forward to work with you!