Dr Monika Murcha
Murcha Lab
Our lab was founded to understand the components and underlying processes of plant mitochondrial biogenesis. Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles essential for cellular function responding to tissue and developmental demands in almost all eukaryotic cells.
As the majority of the mitochondrial proteome is nuclear encoded, proteins and macromolecules must first be imported and assembled correctly to function. The Murcha Group’s research focuses on these import pathways and the factors that regulate these processes throughout plant development and stress. The research utilises a variety of cutting edge molecular and biochemical techniques to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, underlying cellular activity, plant growth and responses to stress.
Dr Nic Taylor
Taylor Lab
Plants are able to adapt to extreme conditions, surviving vast fluctuations in temperature and in highly saline soils. Aside from being biologically fascinating, this has important implications for society.
Our lab research investigates the biological pathways within plant cells that enable them to respond to the external environment, investigating the molecular mechanisms of tolerance and acclimation to both temperature variation and salt in a model plant, Arabidopsis, and the crop plant wheat. Applying proteomic, lipidomics and metabolomic approaches, my team is revealing the role of an important organelle - the mitochondrion - in these adaptive processes.
Dr Mark Waters
Waters Lab
Our lab studies the molecular principles behind how plants grow, develop and reproduce, and how they perceive signals from the environment. In turn, we hope to translate these discoveries into benefits for the wider world. Our research topics include:
- Chemical Signaling
- Synthetic Biology
- Hormones and plant development
- Plant performance