The long-term goal of the Research Group is to contribute to breeding climate-change resilient crops. To do this we seek to identify the molecular basis of temperature perception, and to understand the underlying pathways by which these signals are integrated into plant growth and development.

In contrast to many other pathways in plants, such as light signalling, hormone perception and pathogen responses where the receptors and signalling pathways have been elucidated, the primary mechanisms of temperature perception are poorly understood. We use the model system Arabidopsis thaliana extensively to uncover fundamental mechanisms, and we aim to transfer this knowledge to other plants, including horticultural crops. We are using a combination of genetic, biochemical and bioinformatic approaches to identify key signalling components and the underlying transcriptional and translational regulatory networks of the temperature sensing pathways.