PLANT SIGNAL RESEARCH GROUP
The focus of our research is to understand the interactions between plants and environment on a molecular level.
We develop state-of-the art systems for plant phenotyping.
See what we are doing outside the lab
Meet The Team
Hannes Kollist
Professor of molecular plant biology
I am fascinated in researching mechanisms by which guard cells integrate information from outside as well as inside the leaf to adjust plant gas exchange. I am also excited in developing technologies that allow studying plant behavior in various growth conditions.
Ebe Merilo
Senior research fellow
My research focus is on stomatal regulation of model plants and crops. The interplay between water loss and leaf cooling which both depend on stomatal conductance is risingly important in terms of grain yield as well.
I have headed the construction of over 10 unique gas-exchange systems for the study of physiological and biochemical processes in higher plants. Within past 11 years, my research interests include the study of the mechanisms of biochemical regulation of photosynthesis and secondary metabolism.
Bahtjor Rasulov
Senior research fellow
Pirko Jalakas
Research fellow
Maris Nuhkat
Junior research fellow
I am interested in the responses of plant membranes to abiotic environmental stimuli, specifically the effect of tropospheric ozone and variations in carbon dioxide concentration on the workings of proton pumps and anion channels, as well as calcium signalling.
Olena Zamora
PhD-student
I am involved in the project that is aimed at the identification of new components in O3/ROS-induced stomatal closure. In addition, I am interested in studying roles of plant hormones in adaptation of stomatal aperture to environmental conditions.
Koit Aasumets
PhD student
I am studying the mechanisms of human mitochondrial genome (nucleoids) maintenance in dynamic mitochondrial network. This includes studying the physical connections between ER-mitochondria that seem to an important role in these processes.
Chung-Yueh Yeh
PhD student
I enjoy doing everything with plants.
Kaspar Koolmeister
Junior researcher
PhD student
I am studying plant stomatal reactions in response to light at different wavelengths.
Helen Parik
Junior researcher
PhD student
Jaanika Unt
Junior researcher
I love nature and research.
Triinu Arjus
Junior researcher
I love nature and research.
Egon Meigas
Specialist
Plants are fundamental to the existence of complex life on earth, and I also happen to enjoy studying them.
Roman Leinus
Engineer
I have a long-term experience in the development of the scientific instrumentation. To me is a big challenge to find solutions, and get accurate measurement data in all conditions.
Mikk Välbe
Lab assistant
I assist. I have the best job in the lab, because I am involved in almost everything happening in the lab and I enjoy that versatility.
I have over 30 year experience in designing and construction of instruments used for measuring plant gas exchange and photosynthesis.
Heikko Rämma
Engineer
Irina Rasulova
Lab assistant
I take care that all plants would be happy and dishes + glassware would shine.
ALUMNI
Liina Jakobson
I work at the Estonian Crop Research Institute as a researcher in plant genetics. My favourite topics are marker-assisted selection in crop breeding and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing of crop plants. Among many other species our institute works with cereals such as wheat and barley, Solanum plants such as potato and tomato and also with legumes and rapeseed.
Karin SL Johansson
Hanna Hõrak was awarded a start-up grant by the Estonian Research Council and currently leads the Molecular Plant Physiology Lab in the Institute of Technology at University of Tartu.
Hanna Hõrak
My research is focused on plant water economy and the effects of global climate change on plants on different scales, from the molecular to the ecosystem level. Particularly, I am interested in plant responses to elevated CO2 concentration. Recently I have also become interested in the genetic regulation of cuticle formation, which is an important process for drought resistance in plants.
Yuh-Shuh Wang
Senior researcher
I’m interested in studying gene functions underlying particular phenotypes. I enjoy designing and assembling gene constructs for plant transformation, including those for plastid transformation and genome editing.
Dmitry Yarmolinsky
Senior research fellow
I have done a long way from my PhD studies of thyroid cancer, research of plant sulfur metabolism to our current project on identification of new stomatal regulators. I am interested in roles of stomatal signaling in plant adaptation to ever-changing environmental conditions.
I hope that gaining a better understanding of how plants work will help make the world a better place.
Jenni Katri Pedor
I am studying the regulation of proton pumps involved in stomatal signaling.
Priit Prechter
I love nature and research.
Ove Lindgren
I love nature and research.
Joachim is now leading a team in biotechnology company Icosagen
Kadri Tõldsepp
Kadri took a position in Biotech company Solis Biodyne
Joachim M. Gerhold
Ashutosh Pandey
Ashutosh is working as Assistant professor in School of Agriculture Science, at Sharda University.
Ingmar Tulva
Ingmar started a PhD at Molecular Plant Physiology Lab
Kristiina Laanemets
Kristiina is now leading Biotechnology department at the Estonian Crop Research Institute.