Plant Developmental Genetics
Our research aims at understanding the genetic mechanisms that regulate flowering and flower production in plants, and how these developmental processes were shaped during crop domestication and breeding. More specifically, we study the development of inflorescences, the flower-bearing shoots, which arise when small groups of pluripotent stem cells at the growing tips cease the production of vegetative organs and transition to reproductive growth. The rate in which stem cells transition and differentiate finely balances vegetative and reproductive growth for optimized flower, fruit, and seed production.
Many genes and gene variants that affect stem cell development were selected during domestication and have potential in crop improvement. However, their effects often differ when introduced into disparate genetic backgrounds due to interactions with genetic modifiers. We use approaches in molecular genetics, genomics, and biochemistry to reveal and dissect signaling pathways and genetic interactions that regulate stem cell development in the model crop tomato, to advance our ability to fine-tune shoot and inflorescence architecture for optimized yields in tomato and other crops.
► Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ch/citations?hl=de&user=ZBG1oWAAAAAJ
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Soyk
University of Lausanne
Center for Integrative Genomics
1015 Lausanne
Tel: +41 (0)21 692 3919