Research Group: Plant Development

• MicroProteins: We have uncovered the regulation of protein activity by small proteins, known as microProteins. These microProteins establish feedback loops and we can use genome-engineering to rewire signaling pathways.
• Light-regulated development: We work on transcription factors and microProteins that control light-dependent growth responses.
• Biotechnology: How can we use our findings in model plants to improve the growth of crop plants? This is a central theme in our group and we have recently shown that we can use microProteins to manipulate the growth of crop plants.

• Novo Nordisk Biotechnology Based Synthesis Project Grant ‘Increasing folate levels in crop plants by microProtein-engineering’: We have identified novel microProteins in crops that are related to metabolic enzymes. Goal of the project is to rewire the production of folate.
• Novo Nordisk Foundation Exploratory Interdisciplinary Synergy grant ‘QuantumBioengineering - Developing a next-generation magneto-sensitive optogenetic system’: Together with researchers from DTU Physics and Sorbonne University, Paris, France we are aiming to develop a magneto-sensitive optogenetic switch.
• NovoCrops - Accelerated domestication of resilient climate-change friendly plant species: In this project we will use genome-engineering to improve growth and development of alfalfa using genome-engineering.
• Novo Nordisk Foundation Ascending Investigator grant ' MORE – MicroProtein-engineering to Optimize plant development to increase REsources': In this project we will employ CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering to modify microProtein pathways in crop plants.
• The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation ' UnZIPping tomato fruit production': This project aims to manipulate the LITTLE ZIPPER microProteins in tomato

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Hong SY, Sun B, Straub D, Blaakmeer A, Mineri L, Koch J, Brinch-Pedersen H, Holme IB, Burow M, Jørgensen HJL, Albà MM and Wenkel S.
Heterologous microProtein expression identifies LITTLE NINJA, a dominant regulator of jasmonic acid signaling
PNAS 117(42):26197-26205, 2020

Bhati KK, Kruusvee V, Straub D, Chandran AKN, Jung KH and Wenkel S.
Global analysis of cereal microProteins suggests diverse roles in crop development and environmental adaptation
G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics 10(10):3709-3717, 2020

Hong SY, Botterweg-Paredes E, Doll J, Eguen T, Blaakmeer A, Xie Y, Matton, SEA, Lunding BS, Zentgraf U, Guan C, Jiao Y and Wenkel S.
Multi-level analysis of the interactions between REVOLUTA and MORE AXILLARY BRANCHES2 in controlling plant development reveals parallel, independent and antagonistic functions.
Development 147(10):dev183681, 2020

Botterweg-Paredes E, Blaakmeer A, Hong SY, Sun B, Mineri L, Kruusvee V, Xie Y, Straub D, Menard D, Pesquet E and Wenkel S
Light affects tissue patterning of the hypocotyl in the shade-avoidance response.
PLoS Genetics 6(3):e1008678, 2020

DeHann L, Larson S, Lopez-Marquez RL, Wenkel S, Gao X and Palmgren M.
Roadmap for accelerated domestication of a future perennial grain crop.
Trends in Plant Science 25(6):525-537, 2020

Eguen T, Gomez Ariza J, Bhati K, Sun B, Fornara F and Wenkel S.
Control of flowering in rice through synthetic microProteins.
Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 62(6):730-736, 2020

Dolde U, Rodrigues V, Straub D, Bhati K, Choi S, Yang SW, Wenkel S.
Synthetic microProteins – versatile tools for post-translational regulation of target proteins.
Plant Physiology 176(4):3136-3145, 2018

Full publication list, please see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=wenkel+s&sort=date