Our present understanding of how plants develop and grow is still very limited and this shortage becomes examplary when the subterranean part of the plant is considered. Roots however serve a multitude of functions that are essential for a normal growth and development of the plant. Within this network, 5 Belgian Laboratories assisted by an eminent European partner will combine efforts to tackle major aspects of root growth and development in a well-focused stratgy by concentrating one species, Arabidopsis thaliana that turned out to be an ideal model system for root developmental research.