When: Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:00 – 15:30 BST

The International Barley Hub is pleased to announce the next in the 2024 series of seminars: ‘Genetic control of the barley root angle’ Presented by Gwendolyn Kirschner (Horizon Europe MSCA fellow, The James Hutton Institute)

Speakers bio:

Gwendolyn Kirschner

Gwendolyn Kirschner completed her PhD studies at the University of Düsseldorf, Germany. Then she worked at the University of Bonn, Germany, and at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi-Arabia, for her post-doctoral research. Her research focused on studying the molecular mechanisms guiding root development in model plants and cereals, such as barley, maize and rice. Now she is working as Horizon Europe MSCA fellow at The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, UK, where she analyses the mechanisms controlling the root growth angle in barley, and the application in agriculture.

Summary:

The root angle is crucial for shaping root system architecture and therefore access to soil resources. Throughout their life, roots maintain a specific angle in relation to the gravity vector, which depends on the root type, its developmental stage, as well as the environmental conditions. To date, we know how plants sense gravity, but it is largely unknown how they orient their root angle according to it. I am using a transcriptomics approach to reveal key factors for root angle maintenance in barley seminal roots, and analyse the signalling network of the ENHANCED GRAVITROPISM2 gene that is involved in the anti-gravitropic offset mechanism. Understanding how the root angle setpoint in roots will allow us to precisely engineer a root system adapted to specific, otherwise unfavourable soil environments, and therefore support a more sustainable agriculture.