In the beginning...
Plants, just like animals, start life as a single cell. This cell and its daughters then need to lay down the reference points required for realizing a complex body plan. We would like to understand the molecular mechanics of this process.
Which cues do plant embryos read-out and how do they interpret them to derive basic positional values, such as top/bottom, surface/interior?
We are working towards solving these questions for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana using a variety of experimental approaches, including genetics, targeted manipulations, and imaging.