description
- Improving the photosynthetic efficiency of the plant is seen by many as the next frontier in crop breeding. We have characterised a novel trait with the potential for improving photosynthetic efficiency- the cellular architecture of the leaf. Using Arabidopsis and genetic tools to modify leaf structure, we have found that it is possible to increase the maximal rate of leaf photosynthesis by optimising the amount and pattern of airspace. In this project it will be investigated whether these findings in a model plant are applicable to a UK crop with a distinct leaf structure- wheat. Identifying a physical trait functionally related to photosynthetic performance would provide a new target for breeding improved crops. At the fundamental level we are interested in understanding how patterns of airspace within a leaf dictate or limit gas flux within the leaf. Using a combination of advanced imaging approaches (X-ray micro Computer Tomography and confocal microscopy) and physiology (gas exchange analysis) in the context of an understanding of leaf development, it will be possible to investigate the structure/function relationships of a range of available wheat genetic resources. The project will involve physiology and imaging and the application of these approaches to a fundamental problem in plant developmental biology of direct relevance to crop improvement. The project will require working as a member of an interdisciplinary team, collaborating with researchers with backgrounds in developmental biology, crop physiology and image analysis aiming to answer questions such as: What are the relationships between leaf structure and function? What is the optimal cellular architecture for a leaf? Can this architecture be selected to improve photosynthesis?