(AFS) Molecular mechanisms that control plant growth plasticity

植物天生就是可塑性有机体。它们的总体结构是由基因编码的，但植物的结构可以被修改以适应周围的环境。从这个意义上说，外部因素，如光线和温度，对植物的生长和发育有着深远的影响，最终影响植物的健康，抗病性和生产力1。生长可塑性在能够适应一系列特殊外部条件的叶子中特别明显。本计画将阐明控制细胞增殖、碳分配及叶结构之光与温度活化分子机制。这个博士项目的结果将与作物研究高度相关。例如，一个预期的成果是确定分子策略，以改善密集种植环境（通常会降低产量）中的植物结构。该项目还将具有广泛的影响力，因为它将加深我们对环境驱动的生长可塑性的理解，这是地球上植物非凡进化成功的基础。Halliday实验室最近的工作表明，光感受器信号的改变导致新陈代谢，碳资源分配和叶生物量的巨大变化。该项目将建立在这些发现的基础上，来自Halliday实验室的新数据已经确定了将感光细胞信号传导与细胞分裂相结合的分子成分。目的是：i）阐明分子连接机制，ii）使用克隆、基因编辑和/或转基因方法生成用于关键途径组分的分子功能分析的资源，iii）使用我们的3D成像平台来量化光感受器/信号传导途径突变体的动态生长，iv）量化叶片光合作用和碳代谢的相关变化，v）进行RNAseq和生物信息学分析，表征随时间变化的动态转录组响应，vi）与理论科学家合作，建模和预测不断变化的光照和资源可用性对生长的影响：这将有助于制定战略，以改善在植被丰富、不受光照的大田作物环境中的植物生长和生产力。

Plants are inherently plastic organisms. Their general body plan is genetically encoded, but plant architecture can be modified to adjust to the environment that surrounds it. In this sense, external cues, such as light and temperature, have a profound effect on the way a plant grows and develops, ultimately affecting a plant's fitness, disease resistance and productivity1. Growth plasticity is particularly pronounced in leaves that are able to adapt to an extraordinary array of external conditions. This project will elucidate the light and temperature- activated molecular mechanisms that control cell proliferation, carbon partitioning and leaf architecture. Results from this PhD project will be highly relevant for crop research. For instance, an expected outcome is the identification of molecular strategies to improve plant architecture in dense cropping environments (that normally reduce yield). The project will also have broad reach as it will deepen our understanding of environment-driven growth plasticity, a fundamental property that underlies the extraordinary evolutionary success of plants on earth. Recent work from the Halliday lab has shown that alterations photoreceptor signalling lead to dramatic changes in metabolism, carbon resource partitioning and leaf biomass2. This project will build on these findings new data form the Halliday lab that has identified molecular components that couple photoreceptor signalling to cell division. The aim will be to: i) elucidate the molecular connecting mechanism, ii) generate resources for molecular function analysis of key pathway components using cloning, gene editing and/or transgenic methods, iii) use our 3D imaging platform to quantify dynamic growth in photoreceptor / signalling pathway mutants, iv) quantify leaf photosynthesis and associated changes in carbon metabolism, v) conduct RNAseq and bioinformatics analysis that characterises the dynamical transciptome response through time, vi) work with theoretical scientists to model and predict the impacts of changing light and resource availability on growth: this will aid the development of strategies to improve plant growth and productivity in vegetation-rich field crop environments that exclude light.