Francesco Licausi
Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology
Biography
Francesco's research looks at the molecular oxygen essential for aerobic organisms, including plants.
Oxygen availability fluctuates, due to variations in metabolic needs and the environment. He studies the mechanisms that allow plant cells to sense oxygen levels and initiate signalling cascades towards developmental trajectories and metabolic adjustments. He also uses synthetic biology approaches to exploit oxygen sensing mechanisms across kingdoms and investigate the evolution of aerobic metabolism, multicellularity and oxygen homeostasis.