You are here : Home > Research > Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Biophysics

Laboratory


LGBP

Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Biophysics

Published on 28 May 2015

 ​                                                                       
Photosynthetic organisms are at the origin of most other life forms due to their unique capacity to transform atmospheric carbon into the molecules of life using light energy. Today photosynthetic organisms are essential to the survival of humanity because they provide all our food supplies, a large proportion of our medicines, our energy in the form of fossil fuels, and they also fulfil key ecosystem services that promote our well-being on a planetary scale.  In the near future it is likely that more photosynthetic organisms will be further domesticated by man to allow the production of carbon neutral biofuels and other valuable green products..

Due to their sessile nature plants are continuously exposed to harmful conditions of abiotic or biotic origin that are sensed and relayed through signalling mechanisms that lead to adaptation and optimisation of fitness. The integration of multiple signals (for example excess light with nutrient deprivation and pathogen attack) at the level of the organism is still poorly understood. Improving this knowledge and translating it into better-adapted organisms is likely to have strong impacts on agricultural and bio-energy production.

In our laboratory we are developing a continuum of interrelated projects that go from studying light energy capture and protection of the photosystems to stress signaling in and out of the chloroplast and ultimately to light dependent growth control. Our main model organisms are the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the moss Physcomitrella patens and the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

ReportThe LGBP in pictures
  • A member of the LGBP at work
    Picture copyright: Marie-Hélène MONTANE/ CEA
    A member of the LGBP at workView in full screen
  • Proteins gel
    Picture copyright: Stefano CAFFARI/AMU
    Proteins gelView in full screen
  • Moss protonema
    Picture copyright: Benoit MENAND/ CNRS
    Moss protonemaView in full screen
  • Tomato
    Picture copyright: Stefano CAFFARI/ AMU
    TomatoView in full screen
  • Physcomitrella patens
    Picture copyright: Benoït MENAND/ CNRS
    Physcomitrella patensView in full screen
  • A member of the LGBP at work
  • Proteins gel
  • Moss protonema
  • Tomato
  • Physcomitrella patens
  

The Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Biophysics is part of the research unit UMR7265« Environmental Plant Biology and Microbiology » governed by the CEA, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University. It is located on the Luminy Campus of the University of Aix-Marseille in Marseille