Plant development and evolutionary genetics
My long-term interest is the molecular mechanism of phyllotaxis, the regular arrangements of leaves and flowers around the stem. We could show that the plant hormone auxin sets the phyllotactic angles through a positive feedback loop with its transporter. More recently I have become interested in the genetic basis of the adaptation of flowers to different pollinators.
Keywords
Phyllotaxis / auxin / mechanisms of evolution / pollination syndrome / speciation