We are interested in the development and evolution of floral organs. Cis regulatory variation accessed by transcription factors underlies much of the phenotypic variation observed between species. Many of the main regulators of floral organ development have been identified, however, their molecular functions are poorly understood. In addition, it is unclear how the variation in the floral organ form and function relates to the genetic information that is hard-wired in plant genomes.
We use a combination of techniques to understand how transcription factors control floral organ development and to understand how their functions varies between species. We are also particularly interested in understanding more about the significance and control of floral organ photosynthesis, which is an important source of photoassimilates for the developing fruits and seeds.
If one or more of these topics interest you then please contact us.
Floral organ development
We are interested in the specification, differentiation, and growth of floral organs. In particular, we are interested in understanding how transcription factors coordinate these processes. Arabidopsis thaliana is our main workhorse but we are also establishing several other plant species to use in comparative approaches.
Floral organ photosynthesis
Floral organs are crucial for reproduction but they also perform important roles in generating energy for the developing seeds through photosynthesis. Most of our knowledge relating to photosynthesis is derived from research on leaves. We aim to characterize floral organ photosynthesis in many species and to dissect the molecular mechanisms that control it.
Transcription factor function
Although floral organ development is of special interest to us, we are also fascinated by transcription factor function. Most of the work we do revolves around characterising and understanding transcription factor activity using protein and sequence-centered approaches.
Comparative Developmental Genetics 
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