Plants are constantly competing with their neighbours for access to light. Since flight is not an option, plants choose to fight. They try to outcompete their foes by growing faster and changing the position of their leaves, also known as shade avoidance responses. Upward movement of the leaves is called hyponasty, a differential growth response of the petiole to neighbour-derived light signals. This movement is induced by a low Red:Far Red ratio (R:FR). Plants detect low R:FR ratio at the leaf tip with the phytochrome B (PhyB) photoreceptor. A conformational change of PhyB results in a signalling cascade involving the plant hormone auxin.
I am investigating the regulation and effect of auxin distribution and diurnal movement on the hyponastic response. I'm always looking for enthuasistic students, for either a Bachelor or Master project. Feel free to send me an email to talk about an internship!