Our research aims to gain a better understanding of the behaviour of plant metabolic systems and their interactions. The group uses computational approaches that are centered around the analysis of large-scale metabolic networks and works closely with experimental labs. Key topics include developing flux-balance methods to study plant metabolism at the cell type-, tissue- and whole-plant level as well as plant-environment interactions. We have also started to develop multi-scale models to better account for genetic, physical, and environmental influences on plant metabolism. On the technical side, we are developing open-source software packages for coherent and reproducible metabolic network curation. The gained knowledge will guide metabolic engineering strategies for improved crop plant productivity and quality.
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We are part of the Excellence Cluster on Plant Sciences – CEPLAS and embedded in Research Area 4.