Unraveling the molecular pathways responsible for plant response to air drought

Anno
2021
Proponente Giovanna Serino - Professore Associato
Sottosettore ERC del proponente del progetto
LS1_5
Componenti gruppo di ricerca
Componente Categoria
Soyanni Holness Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca
Componente Qualifica Struttura Categoria
Giovanni Mele primo ricercatore CNR-ISB Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca
Abstract

Drought is the leading cause of a world-wide reduction in crop yields and poses a major threat to the global food supply. The effect of soil drought on crop fitness and yield has been well taken into consideration in crop management and biotechnology approaches. However, there is increasing evidence that addressing soil drought alone may not be enough to prevent plant stress. Indeed, a changing climate is making evident that air drought -due for example to hot dry winds- is highly detrimental for plant function, survival, growth, and productivity.

This research project aims at closing the gaps in our understanding of the specific role of air drought as a key component of drought stress by characterizing and identifying the physiological and molecular traits specifically linked to air drought, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system.

This research will shed the basis for a full understanding of the gene networks controlling plant responses to air drought.
In addition, it will establish the role of a neglected yet increasingly critical factor of climatic impacts on plant growth, and generate data that will foster the development of crops resistant to a drier and hotter future with increasing demand for water.

ERC
LS1_10, LS3_10, LS9_4
Keywords:
BIOLOGIA MOLECOLARE E INTERAZIONI, METABOLISMO DELLE PROTEINE, FISIOLOGIA VEGETALE, CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICI, ASPETTI AMBIENTALI DELL¿AGRICOLTURA

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