Genes regulating plant reproductive development

Supervisors: Dr Steve Swain (03 5051 3100)
Location: Merbein, VIC
Financial support: To be determined

The project will be part of research into the role of the plant hormone GA in fertilization and seed set. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing a pea cDNA (Ps2ox2), encoding a GA-degrading enzyme, have been used to demonstrate a physiologically important role for GAs in pollen tube elongation and seed set in vivo [Plant Cell, 14: 3133-47 (2002)].

Using these transgenic plants a number of molecular-genetic approaches will be employed to identify Arabidopsis genes involved in plant fertilization that act either in growing pollen tubes or in female flower tissues. This studentship will involve research into the control of plant reproductive development by the hormone gibberellin (GA).

The position will form part of a larger team studying plant physiology using a range of molecular biology and genetic techniques with several plant species including the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and the horticultural crops citrus and grapevines.