Evolution and development of fundamental reproductive structures: sporangia

Barbara Ambrose

Plant reproductive structures come in many forms from fertile leaves to cones to flowers. The one commonality amongst all of these reproductive structures is the sporangium where the genetic material is halved. The transition to sporangium initiation and its subsequent development are essential for the production of plant genetic diversity, the completion of the plant life cycle, and the production of seeds. The evolution and development of sporangia are key to the success of land plants. Although the molecular genetics of sporangium development have been well studied in flowering plants, there is little comparative data across land plants. This project will investigate the molecular genetics of sporangium development in the model fern Ceratopteris. This research will allow us to understand the evolution of sporangia across plants and will fill a gap in our knowledge about plant reproduction. Furthermore, this knowledge may provide new insight in crop improvement as seed and fruit production is a major aspect of agriculture. This interdisciplinary collaborative project will train participants from high school students to postdoctoral fellows.