All plant biomass on the planet is derived ultimately from the production of stem cells, populations of self-renewing cells that drive plant development in every tissue. The maintenance of plant stem cell populations depends on communication pathways between the stem cells and neighboring accessory cells. Determining how these communication pathways function is critical to understanding how plant stem cell function has been altered during domestication and evolution, and how it might be harnessed to drive further crop improvement. This project aims to understand the signaling pathways that control communication between stem cells and neighboring cells. It uses novel genetic systems and biochemical approaches to look at key regulators of receptors that control stem cell production in order to elucidate how they control receptor signaling. This project is also identifying critical signals that are involved after receptors in stem cell control.
Plant domestication and evolution are associated with changes in stem cell proliferation. Despite the importance of plant stem cells, there is little understanding of the signaling pathways that control plant stem cell proliferation. This research is helping fill that gap by identifying signaling components and target genes that regulate plant stem cell production in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. It is creating genome-wide datasets and identifying new loci that will help dissect how stem cell pathways have shaped plant form and function. Altering plant development, through the manipulation of stem cell activity, has the promise to boost crop and biofuel production. This research focuses directly on this target, by identifying key regulators of plant stem cell production that can ultimately be deployed to enhance crop growth and yield. In addition, the project is advancing scientific outreach by creating a high school learning program to educate students on the coming global food crisis, and about how scientists are using biotechnology and plant development to create solutions to this challenge. This project will also train a graduate student and multiple undergraduate students.
