Project R-14359

Dissecting plant responses to combined heat stress and salinity (Research)

Abiotic stresses, such as cold, drought, salinity and heat stress form major threats to crop productivity worldwide. Currently, most studies in plant abiotic stress research focus primarily on plant responses to single stresses. However, in nature, plants often face multiple stresses simultaneously. As recent work has revealed that responses of plants to a combination of abiotic stresses cannot be predicted from their responses to each of the individual stress conditions, it is crucial to specifically study how plants cope with combinatorial stress. Therefore, the main aim of this project is to perform an in-depth characterization of plant responses to heat stress, salinity and their combination using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism. To this end, genetically encoded biosensors are used as tools to dynamically monitor stressrelated physiological parameters. Additionally, a combination of genetic and phenotypic approaches is used to study the effects of combined heat stress and salinity on plant growth as well as redox and phytohormone signalling. In the long term, the obtained knowledge will contribute to the development of strategies to enhance plant growth under combined stress conditions.

01 October 2023 - 30 September 2027