In plants, some cells serve as primary producers (source), whereas others depend on nutrient supply (sink). The source-to-sink translocation of photoassimilates, amino acids, and transport of hormones, RNAs, and proteins are mediated via the phloem. Therefore, the phloem is essential for distributing energy, nutrients, molecular building blocks, and signals in plants.
Our research topic is focused on identifying factors involved in the function of the phloem. We use a wide range of approaches including single-cell RNA sequencing, translational profiling, CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing, and transport assays in heterologous expression systems to understand the transport processes and development of the phloem cells.