Lecture will be held in English

Hosted by

Helene Robert Boisivon

About the lecture

Light as Architect: How Plants Read Their Environment to Build Their Bodies

Plants are constantly faced with variability in their growth conditions - day length, temperature, light quality, competition for resources, and, despite their sessile nature, must make sound decisions about resource allocation to survive. Plants cannot move as animals do, but they can substitute growth for movement, generating new organs and body parts as needed. Post-embryonically, they adjust their body plan in response to the environment, and light has a profound impact on this process. Cryptochrome blue light sensors, common to both plants and animals, play a significant role in interpreting the light environment, controlling circadian rhythms across organisms as well as plant growth and flowering time. In this seminar, I will explore how cryptochromes interpret light quality and quantity to fine-tune plant architecture and development, not merely by switching genes on or off, but by directing chromatin remodelers to specific genes.

Registration for lunch with the speaker /for Ph.D. students/

The sponsored lunch usually takes place in the Campus River restaurant. Please meet the speaker and other students at 12:45 at the reception desk at the main entrance (building B22, see the map below).