Tuning plant growth mechanics

植物器官的大小和形状，如果实和茎，是在作物驯化和改良过程中被强烈选择的重要特征。然而，我们对基因如何控制植物形状的了解非常有限。填补这一空白对于利用新技术进行作物改良或快速重新驯化新物种将是重要的。本项目旨在了解在驯化和作物改良过程中引起植物器官形状变化的主要类型基因之一的作用机制，利用独特的拟南芥实验资源，结合先进的图像分析和组织生长的计算模型。

The size and shape of plant organs, such as fruits and stems, are important traits that have been strongly selected during crop domestication and improvement. However, our knowledge of how genes control plant shape is very limited. Filling this gap will be important to take advantage of new technologies for crop improvement or for rapid re-domestication of new species.This project aims to understand the mechanism of action of one of the major types of genes that have caused changes in plant organ shape during domestication and crop improvement, taking advantage of unique Arabidopsis experimental resources combined with advanced image analysis and computational modelling of tissue growth.