SNSF Starting Grant for Heike Lindner
Heike Lindner, a postdoc with the Plant Genetics and Development group, has received a prestigious SNSF Starting Grant for the CAMatomy project. Heike will start her research group at the Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) in spring 2026. In the CAMatomy project, she and her team will investigate the connection between anatomical and physiological water-saving strategies that succulent plants have evolved to survive prolonged drought periods. "For this, we have established Kalanchoë laxiflora as the first experimentally accessible leaf succulent model system", explains Heike.
Kalanchoë laxiflora, also known as the Milky Widow's Thrill, is a hardy succulent shrub, native to Madagascar.
Heike's team will utilize this new model system to decipher the developmental mechanisms that give rise to succulent leaf anatomy. The researchers will investigate whether this anatomy is essential for the specialized photosynthetic lifestyle of succulent plants. "These findings can have enormous translational potential", Heike says. "In an ever-warming climate, we need to explore a wide range of strategies to future-proof agriculturally important crop species that directly and indirectly supply nearly all calories humans eat."
