Plant species, being immobile organisms and yet having the ability to expand their distribution in such challenging habitats, harbor a great potential for studying mechanisms that lead to trait evolution and to functional and phylogenetic diversity. My main research aim is to shed light to the evolutionary processes behind this naturally and sometimes artificially occurring variation by studying the genetic basis of adaptations in various environments. For this purpose, I conduct comparative studies both within and between species by integrating experimental, physiological and next-generation sequencing techniques in an ecological and evolutionary genomics context. Understanding how environmental changes affect genes and traits will fill gaps in the evolutionary theory while helping us to make better predictions on organisms’ responses to our changing world. My research focuses mainly on the plant adaptations evolved as a response to abiotic stresses related to drought, submergence and temperature changes.
