Our present research focuses on the specific features of plant signal perception, signal transduction and information integration with our main concentration on the processes which are unique for higher plants.

These include:

(i) The role of plant two-component systems in the perception, transduction and integration of exogenous and endogenous signals.

(ii) Target genes and the post-translational regulation of the Arabidopsis subclass C basic leucine-zipper (bZIP) transcription factors and the analysis of their function in plant growth and development.

(iii) The function of calcineurin B-like calcium sensors (CBL) and CBL-dependent kinases (CIPK) in calcium signalling (this research is carried out in collaboration with Prof. Dr. J. Kudla, Universitaet Muenster

(iv) The identification of regulatory gene networks using bioinformatic approaches.