Vetenskapsrådet decided to fund the research projects of Rishikesh P. Bhalerao, Stefan Jansson, Stéphanie Robert and Åsa Strand, all researchers at the Umeå Plant Science Center (UPSC). They will receive about three million SEK each for their research projects over four years. In total, Vetenskapsrådet has granted 340 from 1767 applications in the field of natural and engineering sciences.
Photo: Anne Honsel The four granted projects cover different research areas within plant science. Rishikesh P. Bhalerao will analyse how aspen trees reactivate their growth in spring. Two different temperature signals are necessary for this. First low temperatures in winter are needed to break the dormancy whereas subsequent warm temperatures in spring induce bud burst after dormancy has been released. Rishikesh Bhalerao will focus in his project on elucidating the molecular basis of temperature mediated dormancy break and bud burst.The aim of Stefan Jansson’s project is to understand how trees survive the winter. He plans to compare deciduous trees like aspen with evergreen needle trees like spruce. Deciduous trees degrade and recycle their photosynthetic components in autumn before they shed their leaves. Evergreen trees in contrast keep their photosynthetic machinery during the winter and stay green. Stefan Jansson wants to analyse how these different strategies to survive the winter are regulated.
Stéphanie Robert will examine how cell shapes are determined. Cell walls have been suggested to be heterogeneous in their mechanical and chemical properties. These properties determine the stiffness and elasticity of the cell wall, which control cell growth and overall cell shape. Stéphanie Robert will analyse which cell wall components are influencing the properties of the cell wall and how these properties control the shape of the cell.
Åsa Strand will investigate which regulatory mechanisms control the development of chloroplasts, the photosynthetic centre of the plant cell. Photosynthetic activity is established during chloroplast development and as a consequence this leads to drastic changes in the metabolism of the cell. Åsa Strand wants to understand how these metabolic changes interconnected to chloroplast development are communicated within the cell. The focus of her project will be on the communication between the chloroplast and the nucleus.
If you like to have more information, please contact:
Project: Molecular analysis of dormancy and bud burst in hybrid aspen
Rishikesh P. Bhalerao
Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
+46 (0)90 786 8488
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Rishikesh P. Bhalerao
Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
+46 (0)90 786 8488
Project: Molecular mechanisms regulating shape acquisition in plants
Stéphanie Robert
Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
+46 (0)90 786 8609
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Stéphanie Robert
Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
+46 (0)90 786 8609
Project: Control of cellular energy metabolism: a tale of many genomes
Åsa Strand
Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University
+46 (0)90 786 9314
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Åsa Strand
Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University
+46 (0)90 786 9314