Plant Systems Biology
1. Plant reponses to environmental stress in Arabidopsis (PRESTA)
(Funding includes approx. £5m SABR grant, led by Beynon)
Aims:
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to build a mathematical model of how the plant leaf switches between alternative responses during environmental challenges
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elucidate the network of transcriptional pathways and underlying regulatory mechanisms controlling plant stress responses; and
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develop and apply novel mathematical/statistical tools aimed at inferring global networks, modelling, parameterising local networks and predicting the optimal subsequent experiments.
People
WSB Staff: Beynon, Buchanan-Wollaston, Denby, Ott, Rand, Wild.
Collaborators: B Finkenstädt (Warwick Statistics), M Grant (Exeter), N Smirnoff (Exeter), P Mullineaux (Essex), Niel Baker (Essex)
2. AGRON-OMICS
€12m Framework VI SB project (Warwick PI Vicky Buchanan-Wollaston)
Aims:
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study the growth of the leaf following initiation to the end of cell expansion analyse leaf development at the phenotypic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic level; and
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assess the role of different genetic components in altering leaf growth characteristics.
People
WSB Staff: Beynon, Buchanan-Wollaston, Rand.
Collaborators:P Hilson (Ghent)
3. Regulation of biological signalling by temperature (ROBUST)
(Funding includes approx. £5m SABR grant, led by Karen Halliday (Edin.))
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for Arabidopsis, understand the biological basis of network robustness, sensitivity and plasticity of molecular network comprising the phytochrome photoreceptor, circadian clock and cold acclimation pathways with respect to temperature changes in the range from 4 to 27 degrees C
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provide the first detailed understanding of temperature responses across any complex biological signalling network.
People
WSB Staff: Rand
Collaborators: B Finkenstädt (Warwick Statistics). (Edinburgh) K Halliday, A Millar, I Goryanin, M Williams; (York) I Graham, S Penfield; (Liverpool) A Hall, M White