Projects

How plants grow from a small seed to their final stature appeals to the imagination of many people.
Plants are indispensable for our daily needs, therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms
that drive plant growth and identify molecular links between genes that enhance final organ size. In
this project, we will study the central growth regulator DA2. DA2 limits leaf and seed size in
Arabidopsis and rice and its ...

Breeding has been extremely instrumental to increase maize yield over the past years, and the
studies focusing on quantitative traits have identified genomic regions associated with many
agronomical traits. However, breeders do not have the state of the art tools at hand to study the
function of the identified genes or to increase the gene space surrounding these genes. Plant
biotechnologists, on the other hand, resolve in ...

The success of plant tissue culture technology stems from the remarkable competence of specific
cell types to initiate cell divisions and form primordia (immature meristems) that generate organs
such as roots and shoots. De novo shoot organogenesis occurs upon administering the appropriate
sequence and dose of the hormones auxin and cytokinin. The interplay and opposing functions of
auxin and cytokinin has been enigmatic ...

Plants suffer from all kinds of biotic and abiotic stress conditions, which are often regulated by the plant hormone ethylene. One of the most enigmatic abiotic stress responses is epinasty, which is the downwards bending of the leaves. Leaf epinasty is observed in many important crops including tomato, and is often the result of root hypoxia and/or salinity stress. Our preliminary results have showed that epinasty is developmentally ...

It is increasingly recognized that the functioning of rural ecosystems is threatened by farmland biodiversity loss. The reinforcement of functional agro-biodiversity (FAB) and related services require measures on the landscape scale, which is nowadays no common practice and in need of scientific support at the landscape scale. The overall objective of this project is to deliver quantitative support for an improved spatial implementation of ...

Nitrogen (N) is required for plant growth in large quantities, yet it is typically deficient in tropical soils. Unlike other elements that must be replenished by mineral fertilisers, plant-usable N can be supplied by legumes that perform Biological N2-fixation (BNF) in association with rhizobia bacteria. This is particularly important in Northeast Thailand where most smallholding farmers cannot afford sufficient fertiliser inputs. There, the ...

The permanency of most living organisms on earth has been made possible thanks to the capacity of plants to conduct photosynthesis. This process uses sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to create sugars for the host and releases precious oxygen. The regulation of plant photosynthesis is controlled by many environmental factors such as light, temperature, CO2… However, photosynthesis is also controlled by endogenous factors such as plant ...

Industrial chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var. sativum) and witloof (Cichorium intybus L. var.
foliosum) are economically important crops in Flanders. Industrial chicory is mainly produced for
inulin, while witloof is a well-known vegetable. However, today the bitter taste of these crops
limits their use. Reducing the bitterness will create new economic opportunities. Industrial chicory
can then be used as a flour for the ...

Drought stress, as an important consequence of global climate change, is a major factor limiting
crop productivity causing large agricultural losses. The purpose of this research project is to gain a
better understanding of plant growth and development of maize, in particular how these relate to
water availability. The VIB-UGent Department of Plant Systems Biology, a world-leading institute in
plant sciences, operates a ...

In flanders, lettuce farmers create a yearly turnover of 37 million euro, making it the regions
second most grown vegetable. Lettuce growth is optimal at temperatures ranging between 20°C
and 25°C, making it possible for farmers to grow it up to a consumable size in six weeks during
spring and summer. During the winter time on the other hand, this process takes up to four
months. A promising discipline to promote plant ...