Research project at the University of Bonn

About the project

The Foundation supports the research work in the group of Prof. Dr. František Baluška, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany, University of Bonn, through a four-year scholarship for the Brazilian PhD student Felipe Yamashita de Oliveira on the topic:
The plant glutamate receptor GLR3.7 in cell-cell and long-distance communication in plants, anesthesia and Boquila trifoliolata.
This is a dissertation project on signal transduction in plants, which is very similar to that of animals. The project contributes to a better understanding of plants and their communication and thus promotes environmental and nature conservation considerations by taking plants out of the position of a mere "biorobot".

The study is divided into two parts, the first of which focuses on the investigation of glutamate receptors. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that occurs in humans and was discovered in plants about 25 years ago. We will therefore analyze how cell-to-cell communication takes place via these receptors and use anesthetic substances to block this communication. The second topic deals with a South American plant called Boquila trifoliolata, which has the incredible ability to adapt the shape of its leaf to the shape of neighboring plants (see video). Understanding this process at the cellular level is part of the study.

With the data from this research work by a Brazilian doctoral student, Peter Wohlleben can hope to substantiate and expand his thesis on the cognitive abilities of trees. This study is unique in the world and is being driven forward by a small group of professors.

The first part of this research project is concerned with investigating glutamate-like receptors. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that occurs in humans and has also been found in plants for about 25 years. In humans, glutamate receptors are responsible for cell-cell signaling and communication and function as calcium channels. In plants, glutamate channels also function as calcium channels involved in cell-cell communication and long-range signaling. In this project, anesthetics are used to inhibit plant signaling and long-distance communication with plant-specific action potentials.

In the second part, we are investigating a unique South American climbing plant called Boquila trifoliolata. This plant has the ability to adapt its leaf shape to the neighboring plants. But why and how does it copy the leaf shape of other plants? That is a question that needs to be answered. The most incredible thing about this plant is that it not only copies the leaf shape of host plants, but also plastic leaves and leaf shapes, which are presented as pictures in wooden boxes.

The Stiftung Zukunft jetzt! is supporting this project with a scholarship for the doctoral student. The scholarship was originally limited to 3 years and was recently extended by 1 year. So far, 4 scientific papers and 1 book chapter have been published, 2 more scientific papers are in the review process and should be published this year. In addition, 4 press releases and 1 YouTube video have been published.