Development and Plasticity of the Root System
Root development is fascinating !
The Development and Plasticity of the Root System team (Plasticity), based at IPSiM – CNRS in Montpellier, France, investigates the mechanisms that shape root development and enable plants to adapt to their environment.
Our research explores how local and systemic signals regulate root architecture, organ formation and cellular organization in response to nutrient availability. By combining genetics, molecular and cell biology, advanced imaging and root phenotyping, we aim to understand how developmental plasticity emerges across biological scales and plant species.
We study white lupin
What is our research goal ?
Our research focuses on four interconnected questions:
• How do systemic nutrient signals coordinate root development and specialized organ formation?
• How do cell wall properties and cellular dynamics contribute to root morphogenesis?
• How have root developmental mechanisms diversified across plant species?
• How does natural genetic diversity shape root system architecture and environmental adaptation?
We address these questions using complementary molecular, cellular, genetic and phenotyping approaches.
Come join us !
Which plants do we study ?
Our research primarily focuses on white lupin (Lupinus albus), a remarkable model for studying root developmental plasticity and nutrient acquisition, particularly through the formation of cluster roots.
We also investigate Brachypodium distachyon, a model grass species, to explore the diversity and conservation of root developmental mechanisms across flowering plants.
RESEARCH
From nutrient signaling to cell wall dynamics, we investigate the mechanisms underlying root development and environmental adaptation.
TEAM
Meet our team of scientists exploring root developmental plasticity through complementary experimental approaches.
LUPIN
Discover white lupin, a fascinating crop species with unique root adaptations to nutrient-poor soils.