Grossniklaus Lab Profile

Research Focus: Epigenetic Regulation of Seed Development in Higher Plants

The embryo sac of flowering plants is a complex structure consisting of a definite number of cells which all have different identities and fates. Using genetic and molecular approaches, our lab has identified a number of genes required for plant reproduction in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Our research is aimed at a better understanding of both sexual and asexual reproduction with a focus on three major areas: i) embryo sac development and double fertilization, ii) the engineering of apomixis, and iii) the maternal control of early embryogenesis, which is largely mediated through epigenetic effects. Both genomic imprinting and Polycomb group-mediated repression play an important role in regulating seed development.