The evolution of the alternation of generations in land plants

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This project aims to investigate how a genetic system, comprised of a homeodomain protein encoding gene family controlling the haploid to diploid transition, has evolved during land plant evolution. The project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the evolution of land plants from which our food and fibre are derived. The intended outcomes include an elucidation of how an ancestral genetic network was elaborated during the evolution of a multicelluar organism, including the retention of ancestral functions and the origins of new functions. An anticipated benefit is the ability to manipulate the the growth and development of plants based on fundamental principles, which has broad agricultural implications.