Research programmes focus on the genetic control of seed germination and seedling establishment, and genomic and post-genomic approaches to understand and manipulate plant development. Emphasis is placed on the transfer of molecular genetic information from studies in model species, to address important agricultural problems. Current projects include the analysis of the genetics of the embryo-seedling transition in Arabidopsis thaliana, system biology approaches to understand root growth, functional genomics approaches in arabidopsis and wheat to define new genes of agricultural importance, molecular genetic and physiological analysis of seed development in wheat, including the agriculturally important disorder pre-harvest sprouting, and analysis of the genetics of germination in barley.