INTEGRATED ANALYSIS OF STEM CELL FUNCTION IN PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT (ERA-PG 059)

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Stem cells are essential to the growth and development of plants and provide the ultimate origin of all agriculture and forestry. Although some key genes required for the establishment and maintenance of stem cells are identified, we lack information on the networks governing cell differentiation and cell cycle of different stem cell populations, on how these mechanisms determine common and specific behaviors of the different stem cell groups and how they integrate stem cell activity with changing environmental conditions. This proposal integrates the work of world-leading labs that perform key research on stem cell populations of the shoot, root and vascular meristems, cell cycle control, growth modeling and image analysis. Europe has a global lead in plant stem cell research and cell division control, and this proposal will integrate the research of the different labs involved, creating new synergies and substantial added value. New tools and strategies combining genomics, reverse genetics, smart genetic screens, and novel cell biology will be exploited to address the key issue of how specification of stem cell regions by transcription factors translates to cellular mechanisms for division and differentiation and identify common and distinct regulatory networks in different stem cell populations.