Groups under investigation by the above techniques include the Apiaceae, Compositae, Droseraceae, Fabaceae, Nepenthaceae, Gramineae, Orchidaceae and Sarraceniaceae. We have a strong phytochemical unit which works in close collaboration with taxonomists and ecologists. Angiosperm groups are surveyed for their secondary constituents and a major study of flavonoid profiles in monocotyledonous families is in progress. This includes a study of thegenus Iris in collaboration with scientists at the University of La Sapienza, Rome. The active principles of medicinal plants belonging to the Compositae are being investigated along with the distribution of different disease resistance mechanisms, especially with regard to the phytoalexin response.
Protein molecules are among the primary effectors of physiological and biochemical processes.
Among the proteins being examined are oxalate oxidase, cysteine proteinases and pectinmethylesterase. Much of this work is being carried out with industrial and European Union sponsorship. Developmental Plant Anatomy Research in this area concentrates on the formation and structure of wood, focusing in particular on the activity of the vascular cambium and the way in which differentiation processes are controlled. The award of major European funding has enabled a project to be carried out into the effect of altered levels of endogenase auxin on wood structure and fundamental cell processes during differentiation. A study is also under way to examine the properties of birch fibres and how these can be improved for the pulp industry.