Summary of the science
Arabidopsis thaliana is a common plant used in labs to model how plants live and behave, because it has a a short life span, small amount of DNA and is easy to grow and maintain. DNA contains all the genetic information needed for an organism's growth, development, and functioning. DNA is used as a 'blueprint' by our cells - they read the instructions and use this to build proteins. Small changes in the DNA itself or changes to how the DNA is read can lead to differences in plant traits and characteristics. Epigenetic variations are changes in the way subsections of our DNA (genes) are expressed or "turned on" or "off" without altering the underlying DNA sequence. These variations can be influenced by factors like the environment and can have long-lasting effects on how our genes function, potentially impacting our health and development.
About the research
The Weigel lab focuses on understanding the evolutionary processes of mutation, selection, and adaptation that give rise to new genetic variants. They employ advanced genome assembly methods to investigate how plant genomes and populations have changed over time in response to climate and pathogen pressures, and study the impact of microbial interactions on plant immune system genes. Their interdisciplinary approach combines genomics, bioinformatics, and laboratory/field experiments to unravel the complexities of genetic diversity and evolution, primary using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism.
About the illustration
We decided to centre the Arabidopsis thaliana in the background as it is the model organism used, but have the genome be the centre point of the image. We represented the DNA at the level of histones, as this is where the epigenetic changes occur. The DNA originates from the roots of the plant to emphasise that the plant is built on genetic instructions.