Unravelling the molecular mechanisms of time in plants, from dawn bursts to seasonal shifts.
Plant chronobiology is the study of how plants measure time to anticipate predictable changes in their environment and coordinate development with seasonanal change. Plants have evolved a sophisticated internal timekeeper, the circadian clock, to synchronize their biology with the day-night cycle. The plant circadian clock primes plants to respond quickly to minute-by-minute changes in abiotic (e.g. temperature, light, humidity), biotic (e.g. herbivory, spore release from a pathogenic fungi), and internal (e.g. hormonal, metabolic) conditions. The circadian clock also coordinates longer-term developmental decision-making, such as coordinating seasonal growth and flowering patterns.
The Plant Chronobiology Hub brings together a collection of world-leading laboratories focused on dissecting the mechanisms of biological timing. Our approach is inherently interdisciplinary, bridging the gap between wet-lab experimentation and computational theory.
We investigate diverse aspects of chronobiology, ranging from molecular genetics and transcriptional networks to mathematical modelling. Our research spans across model organisms, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, and critical crop species, ensuring our discoveries translate from the bench to the field.
Affiliation:
We are proud members of the Department of Biology at the University of York, a center for excellence in biological research.