Epigenetics and Development

Plant Scientists at UoE study how plant development is controlled by the external environment, nutrient availability, and mechanical stimuli. How these external factors influence a plant genetic make-up is a rapidly evolving field. There is a growing focus on the role of epigenetic and RNA silencing in the developmental regulation

• Peter Doerner examines how plant growth is controlled in response to nutrient availability

• Andrew Hudson analyses genes that underpin plant growth, form and fitness under different environmental conditions.

• Justin Goodrich is dissecting the epigenetic controls of development and endosperm-embryo interaction during seed development.

• Attila Molnar studies the role of RNA silencing in plant development.

• Stephen Fry studies various aspects of plant primary cell walls

• Karl Oparka focuses on plasmodesmata, the small pores that interconnect plant cells