Lund University Plant Sciences

Applied Plant Research

Plants do not only provide the food, feed, shelter, and energy to sustain our growing global population, they are also fascinating objects for basic research aimed at understanding the principles of life.

We aim to understand genetic and metabolic processes of plants, and to develop bioinformatics approaches that will assist in developing crop plants to meet the growing resource needs of our society. The genomics era is in full swing, and there is great genetic potential available to tailor plants to perform optimally in diverse and changing environments. Unravelling the genetic mechanisms of a plant’s drought tolerance or pest resistance is no trivial task.

Fundamental knowledge of plant genetics and collaboration between industry and academia are required to apply such knowledge in plant breeding, product development and benefits to our environment. To date, genetic and metabolic variation has not been fully explored, even for crops with long-established cultivation practices. Using genomic resources and our knowledge of metabolic and physiological processes we are tapping into this genetic potential.

We are passionate about understanding plants from a biological perspective so this knowledge can be applied towards improved agricultural traits and development of smarter and greener products for society. Put simply, we explore the potential of plants to improve the quality of life.

Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

Plants are dominating components of virtually every ecosystem on Earth and show tremendous adaptations to withstand even the harshest environments.

We study the nature and scale of plant evolution, and the process by which natural selection diversifies species and adapts plant populations to the local abiotic environment and to interactions with the local community of plant competitors, pollinators, and herbivores.

Our research systems include everything from mosses and algae to trees, and our foci of study involve topics like plant conservation, systematics, community ecology, evolution, and speciation.

Molecular Biology and Genomics

Plants are incredible versatile organisms with intricate developmental programs and metabolic activities. They are also able to adjust their growth at a physiological and cellular level in response to the ever-changing environment.

Our research encompasses a wide array of organisms, ranging from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to commercially important cereals such as sugar beet, barley and oats, and many other organisms that interact with plants. Lund University Plant Sciences studies plants at the molecular level, using e.g., genetics, microscopy, metabolomics, proteomics, structural biology, genomics, and next-generation sequencing approaches.

LUPS Seminars

LUPS arranges monthly meetings where researchers in the LUPS network hold seminars and common issues and news are discussed.