Monday, April 18

Anthony Bishopp

Centre for Integrative Plant Biology, University of Nottingham, UK

Anthony Bishopp is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at Nottingham University where he works on root development in the model plant Arabidopsis, and more recently, also in rice.  He has a keen interest in systems biology and understanding how order can emerge from simple regulatory interactions.

From molecules to tissue structure: organisation of root vascular pattern

A central question in developmental biology is how multicellular organisms are a patterned, so that a seemingly homogenous initial population of cells can give rise to the complex patterns of differentiated cells observed. New organs can be patterned either de-novo through symmetry breaking or by propagation of existing patterns in other tissues.
In my group we use the patterning of root vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) as a model for pattern formation in plants. The xylem and phloem form a vital transport network and it is essential that these cells differentiate in the correct position to form a single continuous network connecting organs. In this talk I will discuss our experimental research and modeling approaches to investigate the genetic network controlling vascular patterning. I will also discuss whether this network is sufficient to generate pattern de-novo or whether other inputs are required.

Read more about Anthony Bishopps research

Host: Annelie Carlsbecker