My research team focuses on establishing innovative systems and methods – such as inducible pluripotent cell cultures, domesticating plant species, or chemical imaging methods – to understand the cell and development biology of plant vascular system and its role in climate change resilience.

To do so, we combine genetic engineering in both whole plants and single cells (in various plant species both model such as Arabidopsis thaliana or poplar, agricultural such as sorghum,… as well as wild plant species) with morphological, biochemical and biophysical imaging methods for plants/cells submitted to environmental challenges such as the ones due to climate change (drought, waterlogging, wind,…). We can thus decipher what are the properties in their cell wall biochemical composition, cell type morphology and tissue organisation that improve plant resilience to climate change without affecting growth rate or yield.

Altogether, we aim to establish biological alternatives for producing plant cell wall biomass capable of sustaining climate change as well as enabling our society’s transition from fossil to biological resources for a green circular and sustainable bioeconomy.

Group Members

Dr. Maria de la Paz Celorio (research engineer)
Dr. André Gündel (post-doctoral researcher)
Dr. Erik Gobbo (post-doctoral researcher)
Ms. Marije Nillessen (PhD student)