The evolution of the alternation of generations in land plants

该项目旨在研究在陆地植物进化过程中，由编码同源结构域蛋白的基因家族控制单倍体到二倍体转变的遗传系统是如何进化的。 该项目预计将产生有关陆地植物进化的新知识，我们的食物和纤维都是从陆地植物中获得的。 预期的成果包括阐明在多细胞生物体的进化过程中如何详细阐述祖先遗传网络，包括保留祖先功能和新功能的起源。 一个预期的好处是能够根据基本原则操纵植物的生长和发育，这具有广泛的农业影响。

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.