Our methods

The group uses tools developed in the Usadel group to study the expression of genes stimulated by the stress applications in RNA sequencing experiments. This will help to understand the mechanisms of the stress response and also identify possible additional plant constituents stimulated by the stresses. Such gene expression studies will be used to elucidate corresponding biosynthetic pathway genes and their control.

Furthermore, photometric assays and LC-MS/MS analysis will be used to quantify the amounts of plant constituents of bioeconomic interest.

Techniques for non-invasive phenotyping are used to quantify stress responses of plants. On the one hand, the intensity of specifically applied stresses is to be examined, which should then trigger desired responses of the plants, and on the other hand, altered stress responses of pretreated plants or different genotypes are to be characterized. The resulting data sets of plant constituent data, gene expression and associated functions and processes, and quantitative information on plant phenotypes can then be correlated and analyzed in context.