Project properties
Title Investigate the diversity of woodiness patterns in tomato stems
Group Plant Breeding, Laboratory of
Project type thesis
Credits 24-36
Supervisor(s) Wenyan Zhang, Prof. Dr. Luisa Trindade
Examiner(s) Prof.dr. Luisa Trindade
Contact info luisa.trindade@wur.nl, wenyan.zhang@wur.nl
Begin date 2023/11/21
End date 2024/04/30
Description As an important horticultural crop, tomato has been subjected to intense study on its commercial traits. However, its potential as a valuable resource for biobased material is not fully explored.
In this project, we will focus on lignin, which is mainly deposited in the secondary cell wall and induces woodiness in the plant. It is critical for plant development, and can be valorized for substituting fossil energy and chemicals in many ways. In order to understand the genetic background of lignification in tomato, the diversity of phenotypic patterns in tomato germplasms needs to be evaluated. The tomato stem sections will be obtained and patterns of lignin deposition in the stems will be analyzed by histology methods. The diversity of patterns in contrasting genotypes will be quantified by image analysis tools. The output will serve further population-level studies of lignification in tomato.
Used skills Microscopy, image analysis, programming, statistical analysis
Requirements MSc in Plant Biotechnology or Plant Science. Experience in microscopy will be a plus