Department of Biological Sciences

Research Overview

24-h biological clocks (known as circadian clocks) enable organisms to fine-tune their physiology and behaviour in anticipation of the varying demands of the day/night cycle. These clocks make a significant contribution to fitness in the natural environment. There is for example evidence that plants with clocks that match the environmental light-dark cycles grow more rapidly and utilise water more efficiently that plants with abnormally slow or fast clocks. Circadian clock also mediate the perception of seasonal changes of day-length (or photoperiod), and allow plants and animals to initiate reproductive activity at the most favourable time of the year. Appropriate seasonal control of flowering is a major determinant of crop productivity, and may represent the most important impact of circadian rhythms on the world's economy.

Work in my laboratory aims to unravel the molecular mechanism of plant circadian clocks and photoperiodic responses. We use the small flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a genetic model system to identify genes that regulate circadian rhythms and floral responses to day-length.

Research interest groups:
Genes and Development; Plant Cell Biology;