Research focus

​Strigolactones (SLs) are plant hormones that influence diverse aspects of plant growth and the interaction with the environment. For example, through fine-tuning of shoot branching, SLs impact plant yield and persistence. Additionally, they aid to overcome phosphorous deprivation by controlling arbuscular mycorrhization.

Agronomical implications

Strigolacotones induce parasitic weed germination and are indirectly implicated in world-wide crop losses. The molecular basis of SL perception and signaling is an undiscovered field that is anticipated to have important agronomical implications.

Signalling networks

Our group at the VIB Department for Plant Systems Biology aims at resolving SL signaling networks, for which we make use of the expertise of the lab. Tandem affinity purification is used to discover new components of the SL signaling mechanism. Subsequently, extended functional analyses will specify the processes in which the newly identified components are involved.

Economic relevant models and crops

In a next step, we intend to translate the new knowledge to economically relevant models and crops. As an example, the information gained in Arabidopsis will be transferred to the legume Medicago truncatula, because this model is close to important crop legumes and because it will enable us to study the importance of SLs in arbuscular mycorrhization and nodulation, two interactions of legume plants by which the plants easily gain access to respectively phosphorous and nitrogen compounds.

We also plan to broaden the array of applications in which SLs might be of use. SLs might be involved in many more adaptive growth responses of the plant. Especially its functions in the root is still undiscovered.