A PhD student Aparna Sreeprakash from India recently joined our team to work on the HeatDDRproject, which focuses on studying the effects of heat stress on plant growth through the DNA Damage Response (DDR). The research is conducted in collaboration with Labdeers, which provides advanced technological infrastructure and support for interdisciplinary studies of plants under heat stress.
Europe is facing increasing challenges in food security due to climate change. More frequent heat waves threaten crop yields, as heat stress slows plant growth and affects their metabolism. Research suggests that one of the key mechanisms enabling plants to survive high temperatures is the DNA Damage Response (DDR). This cellular process repairs damaged DNA and maintains genome integrity, which is essential for plant viability.
The HeatDDR project aims to clarify the link between DDR and growth inhibition under heat stress. Activation of DDR can slow plant growth by causing cell cycle arrest, triggering cell death, and impairing stem cell function. The goal of theresearch is todeeply understand these cellular processesso that plants can withstandstresswithout compromising growth and yield.
Collaboration with Labdeers allows the PhD student to utilize advanced technologies for plant phenotyping, molecular analysis, and computational biology, gaining valuable practical experience across disciplines. Her involvement in the HeatDDR brings an international perspective and new ideas, strengthening the team’s interdisciplinary approach.
HeatDDR project includes the training of nine international PhD students, who will gain hands-on experience in biochemistry; molecular and cell biology; genetics; computational biology; and plant phenotyping. Aparna will contribute during her PhD study on both the international collaboration between academia and industry, which is crucial for addressing the challenges of climate change and sustainable agriculture.
Her arrival highlights the importance of international talent and interdisciplinary collaboration for advanced research. Linking the academic and industrial environment is essential to expand our understanding of how plants survive extreme conditions without compromising growth or productivity.
We wish Aparna all the best results and nice stay at Czech republic. This project is funded by EU, program MSCA DN.
