Even small changes in ambient temperature considerably hampers growth and productivity of many plant species including crops. 

We investigate the molecular and (epi)genetic networks underlying trait acclimation along temperature gradients, with a focus on mild cold acclimation and particularly thigh ambient temperatures (thermomorphogenesis), to ultimately generate future crops that can withstand the impact of global change.

Our mission is to understand how physiological and developmental traits shape resilience and contribute to optimal performance under non-optimal temperatures at the whole plant level. We use quantitative genetics, comparative genomics and molecular biology approaches to identify and study molecular factors that control these resilience traits along temperature gradients, using species like Arabidopsis, lettuce, tomato, snowdrops and Amophlia arenaria (‘helmgras’), together with our many collaborators.