Living under press. How guard cells cope with high inflation

Guard cells undergo massive and repeated changed in pressure as they open and close the micropores (stomata) upon which plants depend to balance lost of water against gain of CO2 for photosynthesis. The walls of these cells must have very special mechanical properties and in previous work we identified some of the molecular components of the wall involved (e.g. Current Biology (2022) 32, 3170-3179). Current Biology (2017) 27, 2974-2983). In this project you will take the next step forward to understand the nanoscale how these wall components act to control the mechanical properties of the Arabidopsis guard cell. Combining Atomic Force Microscopy with molecular genetic and enzymatic techniques to alter the wall, you will test the mechanistic link between wall structure and guard cell function.