Lab research focus

Current research in the lab explores themes in plant evolutionary ecophysiology with a focus on the influence of phenotypic plasticity in response to water availability and temperature on plant response to climate change. We have projects running in the Alps as well as in arid and coastal NSW.

Greatest achievement

The question of how important phenotypic plasticity will be in determining response to climate change is one that¹s becoming common in a broad literature. I¹m really pleased with how we are engaging with that discussion and trying to help clarify what plasticity is and what the potential and limits for plasticity to contribute to climate change response will be.

Next big thing

Great inroads are being made to understand the links between phenotypic responses to environment, genetic (or epigenetic) control thereof, and the evolution of these responses. It¹s going to exciting to see how these continue to come together in the near future.

What other projects do you have underway?

I¹ve been developing a new field course to be offered first in December 2015: Field Studies in Functional Ecology. This field course will be offered off site and will explore traditional ecophysiology content in both plants and animals and will be targeted at undergrad students just completing first year. There will be opportunities for RSB academics, post-docs and PhD students to get involved as faculty in the course for short periods of time. Anyone interested please let me know.

• This profile originally appeared in the RSB newsletter, issue 55, June 2014
• Nicotra Lab - Plant physiological ecology, plant evolutionary biology, reproductive ecology