Improvement of the resilience of Brassica crops to the changing climate through UV-B priming
Supervisors:
Dr Wei Liu, School of Molecular Biosciences
Prof Michael Blatt, School of Molecular Biosciences
Dr Graham Hamilton, MVLS Shared Research Facilities
Summary:
This project will investigate the possibility of improving the resilience of Brassica crops to the changing climate through UV-B priming. The project will focus on the abiotic stresses of high temperature and drought stress and the involvement of the UV-B photoreceptor UVR8. Diverse phenotypes and stomatal physiology will be examined to identify the relevant signalling pathways. The cutting-edge HIFI sequencing technique and bioinformatic analysis will be used to identify regulatory components and examine the possible role of UV-B/UVR8 in modulation of alternative splicing. This project provides a unique opportunity to explore a sustainable solution to improve Brassica crop resilience and an excellent training opportunity in interdisciplinary scientific skills.