The group "Plant Material Adaptation“ is interested in adaptation mechanisms and strategies to optimize interactions with a particular environment. We focus on the “material” which forms the plant. The plant is hierarchically structured – composed of different tissues with specific functions. The building blocks of the tissue are “cells” which can differ considerably in form and function. In contrast to animal cells, plant cells are encased by a cell wall. The mechanical properties of the walls are controlled by their chemical composition and the structural arrangement of the particular (macro)molecules.
The research activities can be assigned to the following 3 areas:
- Strategies of plants to adapt to extreme places
- Growth and adaptation within a plant (focus on cell walls)
- Modification of plant material with the aim to adapt material properties for applications or technological processes (eg. wood, sugar cane)
The aim is to reveal interesting adaptation and optimization strategies, to understand them and to use them as input parameters for the development of new materials. In any case a deeper understanding of plant based material is essential for sustainable and targeted use of this resource.
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