Department of Plant Developmental Genetics  

Head: Roman Hobza

 

Our Department is mainly focused on plant genome evolution in the context of various modes of reproduction. We analyze gene structure and regulation to answer basic questions concerning sex chromosome evolution such as degeneration of sex chromosomes, dosage compensation and switches in heterogamety during evolution. We also study structural features, genomic proportions, activity, regulation and epigenetic silencing of dominant genome components, mainly transposable elements.

In 2021, as part of the Food for the Future AV21 Strategy program, we opened the Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology in Agriculture