Introduction

SYSFLO is a Marie Curie Initial Training Network, training early stage researchers in the emerging discipline of systems biology. Our researchers will be applying this approach to study the genetic regulation of flower development in the model plant Arabidopsis.

The formation of a flower is an exquisitely controlled process and is of huge economic significance, as it is vital to crop breeding and agricultural productivity. A good proportion of the master genetic regulators involved in flowering have already been characterised. However, there are large gaps in our knowledge of what happens between these regulators and the outcome of their actions. SYSFLO seeks to address this gap, with each researcher’s project within the network focusing on a different aspect which, together, will give us a more complete picture overall.

The SYSFLO network draws together partners with expertise in laboratory techniques and partners with strengths in bioinformatics and computer modelling. At the end of the project, the early stage researchers will be able to take forward the interdisciplinary skills they have developed within the network to address the complex biological questions of the future.