Prof. Dr. Andreas Holzinger, Institute for Botany, University of Innsbruck, Austria
Monday, June 20, 2016 at 5.15 Uhr in room SR 275 (General Botany, ground floor, Johannes-von-Müller-Weg 6)
Life is relying on water. When water gets sparse, cells desiccate and beyond a certain threshold, death is unavoidable. However, there are a few specialists that tolerate desiccation in their vegetative state, making them unique systems to study tolerance mechanisms. In streptophytic green algae, several members live in water - land transition zones. Conjugating green algae are considered closest living relatives to land plants, which have inherited adaptation strategies, not only to desiccation but also to enhanced UV radiation, going along with their aeroterrestrial habitats. The adaptation mechanisms were studied at different levels – physiological, ultrastructural and molecular.
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