Genetic reconfigurations en route to a holoparasitic lifestyle in plants

The broomrape family (Orobanchaceae) is considered the most aggressive agricultural pests among parasitic plants as the they deprive many crops of water and nutrient resources by attacking them at their roots. This project investigates the adaptive and non-adaptive genetic changes associated with the transition to a parasitic lifestyle within the Orobanchaceae. To this end, qualitative and quantitative RNA and DNA sequencing will be used to compare gene sets and their expression in different species. Probabilistic models will be used to fuse genotypic with phenotypic information in a unified analytical framework. This project will thus be able to analyze how modifications of the genetic profile interact and drive macroevolutionary change in parasitic plants - and vice versa.