Genomics of temperature response in plants

Higher temperatures associated with climate change will have negative impacts on agriculture. Although temperature affects several aspects of plant growth and development, virtually nothing was known about the molecular mechanisms underlying this process. Recent studies suggest alternative splicing and chromatin remodelling to be important in plant response to temperature. In this proposal, I take a genomic approach to build on and compliment our ongoing work on temperature responses through genomic analysis of transcriptomes by deep sequencing technologies. This proposal will significantly advance our understanding of thermal response in plants and provide ways to desing crops that are tolerant to higher temperatures.