Research Leader: Professor Peter Hedden

Scientific objectives and approaches:

The aim of this programme is to understand the nature, regulation and integration of plant hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways that mediate responses to environmental and endogenous cues, and influence the development of plants throughout their life cycle. This understanding forms the basis for strategies for crop improvement, in terms of yield, architecture and quality. There is particular emphasis on gibberellin biosynthesis and signal transduction. The programme integrates disciplines of synthetic and analytical chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology. Model species, such as Arabidopsis and tobacco, and crop species, such as wheat, sugar beet and ornamental species, are employed, particularly in relation to the control of plant stature.

Wheat plants, cv, Canon, over-expressing a GA 2-oxidase gene, which encodes a gibberellin-catabolising enzyme, in comparison with wild-type (on the left).