How are tomato plants perceiving and signaling abiotic stress

Agricultural yields are maximized when the environmental conditions are optimal for plant production. In greenhouses these climate conditions are controlled as good as possible. Yet if not controlled properly, unfavorable conditions can lead to enormous yield losses. In this project we investigate how tomato plants signal and cope with abiotic stresses, focussing on hypoxia (flooding) and drought. We will investigate the molecular processes that perceive and signal abiotic stress, with a special interest in the volatile hormone ethylene. Understanding how plants deal with abiotic stress will allow us to breed or engineer stronger plants that can better cope with climate change and secure food production.