World demand for food is growing and it has been estimated that a 50% increase in yield will be needed to meet the increasing demand due to the growing world population. This situation is further exacerbated by the changing climate and the competing demand for plants as biofuels. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use the energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere into carbohydrates and other chemical compounds, which are used for growth. Photosynthesis takes place in all green parts of the plants and although most research focuses on leaf photosynthesis, recent studies have shown that ear photosynthesis is important for graining yield, particularly when leaves maybe damaged or stressed. Furthermore, in order for leaf photosynthesis to take place CO2 must enter the leaf through adjustable stomatal pores and at the same time water is lost through these pores cooling the leaf down. It is important to maintain an optimal leaf temperature for photosynthesis, as high temperatures greatly reduce photosynthesis and crop yield. Stomata are continually adjusting to changing environmental conditions to balance CO2 uptake with water loss. The greater the speed at which stomata react to such changes in the dynamic environment the better they can coordinate CO2 and leaf temperature which leads to optimal photosynthesis and grain yield. The aim of this research proposal is to identify wheat lines and the genes behind enhanced stomatal dynamics for optimal leaf temperature and enhanced ear photosynthesis for breeders to use to increase wheat yields. Using a MAGIC wheat breeding population will allow us to identify specific DNA regions and deliver selected wheat parental lines for future breeding programmes. In the past new crop varieties have been produced by crossing together existing strains with traits of interest. This undirected approach did not always lead to the selections of strains displaying higher crop yields. Nowadays, genetic fingerprinting of varieties allows us to precisely identify good progeny. MAGIC wheat breeding populations work on this principle and rely on crossing several founder lines (or parents) to produce a diverse population with a genetic map. We will use a MAGIC population of wheat to find gene regions which lead to high ear photosynthesis and rapid stomatal movements which are beneficial traits for future breeding programmes aimed at increasing food productivity.

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/how-we-fund-studentships/. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/how-we-fund-studentships/. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.

Climate change and a growing world population are expected to lead to water scarcity and food shortage in the near future. There is an urgent need to increase yield, water usage efficiency and stress tolerance of food crops. We propose to achieve this through controlled manipulation of plant sensitivity to the 'stress' hormone abscisic acid (ABA). The project builds on our recent discovery of a novel gene from Arabidopsis thaliana, which we called 'Histone de-acetylation complex 1' (HDC1). We found that over-expression of HDC1 led to decreased ABA-sensitivity of germinating seeds and to enhanced growth of mature plants, while deletion of HDC1 had the opposite effects. Thus HDC1 can be used as an adjustable 'hormostat'. This property makes HDC1 an attractive target for crop improvement. For example, in a drought-prone rain-fed field increasing ABA-sensitivity will aid plant recovery after dehydration whereas in an irrigated field decreasing ABA-sensitivity could be a means to sustain biomass production with reduced water input. The question is then; how does HDC1 change ABA-sensitivity? Ancestral precursors of HDC1 in yeast are members of large multi-protein complexes that biochemically modify (de-acetylate) histone proteins that are associated with DNA (chromatin). Histone de-acetylation (HD) determines the overall structure of the DNA which in turn exerts a hyper-level of control over gene activity. Our current hypothesis is that HDC1 'titrates' the stability of a chromatin complex thereby modifying accessibility of the DNA to ABA-dependent regulators and hence ABA-sensitivity. This is an exciting concept because it means that via HDC1 one could gain control over a whole suite of stress responses without the need to tinker with the underlying complex signalling network. However, to exploit the opportunities presented by HDC1 for crop improvement we need to understand exactly how HDC1 operates at the molecular level. For example, the composition of HD complexes and the precise functions of proteins therein are completely unknown in plants. The aim of this project is to investigate the molecular function of HDC1 in the model plant Arabidopsis. This research will run in parallel to a crop development programme carried out by the Industrial Partner. Reciprocal information flow between the two research programmes will ensure that fundamental discoveries made in the model species can immediately be translated into crop improvement. The work programme has three parts. In the first work package we will use an antibody against HDC1 to identify 'by association' other members of the HDC1-complex in plant protein extracts. We will obtain mutant lines for some of the identified associates and cross them with the HDC1mutant lines. This work will lead to a first understanding of HD complexes in plants, and to the identification of proteins that limit or enhance HDC1 function within the complex. The second work package addresses the question whether HDC1 itself is regulated and how. In particular, we will investigate whether HDC1 is a target for 'hijacking' of the ABA pathways by other hormones ('cross talk') or by pathogens. For this purpose we will measure HDC1 protein levels in plant extracts treated with hormones and pathogen elicitors. In the third work package we will investigate which genes cause the effects of HDC1 on seed germination and growth - the 'targets' of HDC1. In the first instance we will identify all genes that are differentially expressed in wildtype and HDC1 mutant plants using gene chips. To identify the DNA regions that are directly targeted by HDc1 we will pull-down HDC1-associated chromatin with the HDC1-antibody. Finally, we will measure acetylation levels of the chromatin with antibodies that recognize acetylated histone tails. The combined outcomes from this work will greatly enhance our understanding of gene regulation in plants and directly contribute to improving yield and water usage efficiency in crops.

Traditional chemical risk assessment relies on undertaking laboratory ecotoxicity studies, but can only assume what the population or ecosystem functioning consequences might be. We aim to move beyond these current limitations by interrogating wildlife population data (terrestrial, freshwater and marine) in the context of chemical exposure in a way that will progress the field. Our high-level aim is to identify which populations and environments are doing well under the current chemical regime and which are not. This will allow the UK to focus its research where the greatest wildlife declines are occurring and bring clarity to the issue of chemical risk in the environment that continues to cause great uncertainty. Only a few studies have exploited Britain's long-term wildlife population data with regards to the influence of chemical exposure. Chemical exposures we will examine will include pesticides in the terrestrial and freshwater environments, the chemical mixture in sewage effluent, metals and persistent organic pollutants. We will be looking at macroinvertebrates and fishes in our rivers, invertebrates and sparrowhawks on land and cetaceans (dolphins and killer whales) off our coasts. These environments and species represent current concerns across the natural environment for both diffuse and point source pollution. We will focus on species and taxa that are either core providers of ES or represent aspects of native biodiversity identified by the public as important to societal wellbeing. There are many stressors and compensating factors other than chemicals that can influence wildlife populations. We will incorporate such factors into our analyses to assess their role and significance and thus also address the research question: How important are chemical stressors in relation to other pressures in the environment? By comparing long-term and spatially explicit trends in natural populations, with the response predicted by classical ecotoxicity as reported in the literature, we will evaluate whether such tests are indicative of impacts in the wild. This is essential to assess to what extent traditional risk assessments, typical of those used in the Water Framework and similar Directives, are predictive of outcomes for wildlife populations in terrestrial, freshwater or marine environments.