This project will contribute to solutions for major societal challenges of the 21^st century by unraveling mechanisms by which plants respond to stresses imposed by global climate change, and their impact on nutritional security.

1. Identify molecular players in multifactorial stress conditions and determining the role of the plant hormone ethylene in the induction of such ‘stress gene core’ (Work Package 1);
2. Identify elusive genes in the metabolism of the ethylene precursor ACC (a ‘holy grail’ in plant ethylene biology) and unravel their role in responses to flooding, a major stress condition issuing from global climate change, as well as other stresses (Work Package 2);
3. Assessing the effect of enhanced CO₂ levels on the nutritional quality of wheat, in particular on B-vitamin content in grains (Work Package 3).