All energy that we draw from our food originates from the sun. Plants provide the vital link by acting as energy converters.
Similar to man-made power stations, the energy conversion that occurs in the organelles of plant cells requires tight surveillance and dynamic adjustment to meet demands, maintain efficiency and avoid dysfunction. The frequent and often dramatic changes in the environment of plants, such as the day-night transitions or temperature fluctuations makes tailored control mechanisms particularly important. Nevertheless it is poorly understood how regulation of energy conversion works in plants.
We address this question through our research. We focus on mitochondria, which supply a bulk amount of usable cellular energy by respiration and determine photosynthetic efficiency. To dissect the dynamics of mitochondrial function, physiology and signalling in the living plant we develop the use protein sensors and functional imaging techniques that we integrate into hypothesis-driven genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches.
Our aim is to understand and engineer subcellular energy control mechanisms determining plant performance, stress tolerance and food security.