AUSTRALIA—GERMANY WORKSHOP ON BIODIVERSITY
The Shine Dome, 13-17 March 2006
Functional genomics of environmental stress
by Barry Pogson, ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Australian National University
Stresses such as excess light and drought reduce plant yield and can be lethal. We are identifying the mechanisms by which plants perceive and respond to drought and excess light. The approach utilises cutting-edge genomic technologies, such as DNA chip arrays and high throughput screening of promoter-reporter gene fusions to identify novel genes and signalling pathways in the model plant, Arabidopsis, and the alga Chlamydomonas. These include responses to excess light and gain-of-function mutants that withstand drought and oxidative stress. Ultimately, an understanding of these mechanisms will be incorporated into traditional plant breeding programs as a means to improving crop yield.
