The investigation of the iron homeostasis of plants stays in the focus of my research work. Iron is an essential transition metal for all living playing an important role both in the biomass production and crop yield of plants as well as having a particular importance in human nutrition. The regulation of plant iron homeostasis is in an interaction to multiple developmental processes such as the final developmental stage, senescence. Since chloroplasts have the highest need for iron in plants, their role in both the allocation and signalling processes has a prime importance. The focus of my research  work is thus especially on the understanding of the iron homeostasis of chloroplasts including transport mechanisms.

The investigations focus on the mechanisms of desiccation tolerance and physiological restoration upon rewatering of the temperate climate resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis. Drought is a severe environmental challange in the life of plants that limit plant biomass production and survival. Only fwe members of angiosperm plants able to tolerate the complete restriction of water. Thus, revealing the tolerance mechanisms has a key importance in the understanding of the possibilities to enhance plant drought and desiccation tolerance.