Integration of environmental signals in plants

植物在其生命周期中利用来自环境的各种信号来做出决定。该项目将重点了解如何整合来自环境的多种信号来控制种子休眠。这种特性决定了植物生长的地点和时间，并使它们能够在时间和空间中移动。在它们发育之后，种子在土壤中休眠。在这里，它们从环境中获得各种各样的线索，包括光照温度和营养物质，这些线索被用来决定何时发芽。这代表了一个系统，其中多个输入（光、温度、营养）汇聚成一个输出（休眠/发芽）。这个过程与学生决定从事这个项目没有什么不同，在做出一个是/否的决定之前，要考虑多个因素（巴塞尔（2016）植物科学趋势）。理解植物中这种复杂的逻辑仍然是个谜。这个博士项目将确定种子用来整合来自环境的信号的分子途径。学生将通过分析全基因组网络模型（Bassel et al., 2011 PNAS; Bassel et al., 2011, Plant Cell）和靶向分子筛选（Bassel et al., 2012, Plant Cell）来识别和表征直接调节这些靶点的分子因子。该项目的最后阶段将使用确定的信号集成因素和合成生物学方法来重新设计种子对环境的反应。这些通路将被“重新连接”，从而以有针对性的方式改变它们的行为。考虑到气候快速变化期间对粮食安全的需求，这项技术的发展至关重要。

Plants use a diversity of signals from the environment to make decisions during their life cycle. This project will focus on understanding how multiple signals from the environment are integrated to control seed dormancy. This trait determines where and when plants are established, and enabling their movement through time and space.Following their development, seeds remain dormant in the soil. Here they receive a variety of cues from their environment, including light temperature and nutrients, which are used to inform their decision when to germinate. This represents a system where multiple inputs (light, temperature, nutrients) converge into a single output (dormancy/germination). This process is not unlike the decision of a student to pursue this project, whereby multiple factors are considered before making a single yes/no decision (Bassel (2016) Trends in Plant Science). Understanding this complex logic in plants remains enigmatic.This PhD project will identify molecular pathways used by seeds to integrate signals from the environment. The student will identify and characterize the molecular factors which directly regulate these targets through the analysis of both genome-wide network models (Bassel et al, 2011 PNAS; Bassel et al. 2011, Plant Cell) and targeted molecular screens (Bassel et al, 2012, Plant Cell).The final phase of the project will use identified signal integration factors and a synthetic biology approach to re-engineer seed responses to the environment. These pathways will be "rewired" such that their behaviour is altered in targeted ways. The development of this technology is of critical importance in light of the need for food security during rapid climate change.