Our Current Research
Plant Dormancy in a Changing Climate
We use Solanum tuberosum (potato) as a model to study bud dormancy and vegetative growth. Unlike traditional plant models, potato tubers can be studied year-round under varying temperature and light conditions, offering valuable insight into dormancy regulation amid climate change.
Sugar Metabolism and Abiotic Stress Tolerance
We found that CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of the vacuolar invertase gene in potato activates alternative stress-response pathways, reducing oxidative stress and enhancing antioxidant and osmoprotectant activity. This sugar metabolism shift improves tolerance to abiotic stresses.
The Role of PCD in Apical Dominance
We study how programmed cell death (PCD) influences apical dominance and plant architecture under abiotic stress, using potato tubers as a model. Our goal is to identify genes that impact the yield of vegetative propagation material.
