About us

Our research into plant-environment interactions covers both biotic and abiotic factors, and encompasses responses at the whole-plant, cellular and molecular levels. In the area of abiotic interactions, we are interested in the mechanisms by which plants respond to changes in their physical environment, including drought, elevated carbon dioxide, temperature extremes, high rhizospheric calcium and ozone stress. The overarching aim of our research is to target improving plant resilience to environmental challenges as our climate becomes more stochastic, contributing to agricultural sustainability and food security.

In the area of biotic interactions, we study the regulation of plant-insect and plant-pathogen interactions, with the aim of developing alternative approaches to crop protection. Other areas of interest include plant volatile organic compounds as signalling molecules and the use of waste plant products as sources of defence-eliciting molecules for applications in crop protection. A major crosscutting focus of our research is priming; the long-term 'memory' of plant stress and its impacts on future stress responses, both within and between generations. Applications include novel seed priming techniques to enhance germination and biotic and abiotic stress resistance.