Prof. Dr. Dirk Inzé

Research interests

The growth of plants and plant organs is highly controlled by both intrinsic development programs and environmental cues. The long-term goal of my research is to obtain a holistic understanding of plant growth.  To this end, a systems biology approach has been used in which many tools ranging from quantitative image analysis towards mathematical modeling have been integrated.  Most of our research has been focusing on leaf growth and the understanding of the signaling networks that determine final leaf size. Interestingly, molecular mechanisms that regulated leaf size in Arabidopsis are to some extent conserved in maize.  By using the experimental advantages of both model systems tremendous progress has been made in understanding plant growth. We anticipated that this knowledge will have a significant impact on our ability to select novel high yielding and climate adapted crops.

Education

Appointments

Selected Publications

• Nelissen H, Sun XH, Rymen B, Jikumaru Y, Kojima M, Takebayashi Y, Abbeloos R, Demuynck K, Storme V, Vuylsteke M, De Block J, Herman D, Coppens F, Maere S, Kamiya Y, Sakakibara H, Beemster GTS, Inzé D. (2017) The reduction in maize leaf growth under mild drought affects the transition between cell division and cell expansion and cannot be restored by elevated gibberellic acid levels. Plant Biotechnol J. 2017 Jul 21. doi: 10.1111/pbi.12801.
• Sun X, Cahill J, Van Hautegem T, Feys K, Whipple C, Novák O, Delbare S, Versteele C, Demuynck K, De Block J, Storme V, Claeys H, Van Lijsebettens M, Coussens G, Ljung K, De Vliegher A, Muszynski M, Inzé D, Nelissen H. (2017) Altered expression of maize PLASTOCHRON1 enhances biomass and seed yield by extending cell division duration. Nat Commun. 8:14752.
• Vanhaeren H, Nam YJ, De Milde L, Chae E, Storme V, Weigel D, Gonzalez N, Inzé D. (2017) Forever Young: The Role of Ubiquitin Receptor DA1 and E3 Ligase BIG BROTHER in Controlling Leaf Growth and Development. Plant Physiol. 173(2):1269-1282.
• Van Dingenen J, Blomme J, Gonzalez N, Inzé D. (2016) Plants grow with a little help from their organelle friends. J Exp Bot. 67(22):6267-6281.
• Clauw P, Coppens F, Korte A, Herman D, Slabbinck B, Dhondt S, Van Daele T, De Milde L, Vermeersch M, Maleux K, Maere S, Gonzalez N, Inzé D. (2016) Leaf Growth Response to Mild Drought: Natural Variation in Arabidopsis Sheds Light on Trait Architecture. Plant Cell. 28(10):2417-2434.
• Nelissen H, Gonzalez N, Inzé D. (2016) Leaf growth in dicots and monocots: so different yet so alike. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 33:72-76.
• Stützel H, Brüggemann N, Inzé D. (2016) The Future of Field Trials in Europe: Establishing a Network Beyond Boundaries. Trends Plant Sci. 21(2):92-5.
• Baute J, Herman D, Coppens F, De Block J, Slabbinck B, Dell'Acqua M, Pè ME, Maere S, Nelissen H, Inzé D. (2016) Combined Large-Scale Phenotyping and Transcriptomics in Maize Reveals a Robust Growth Regulatory Network. Plant Physiol. 170(3):1848-67.
• Gonzalez N, Pauwels L, Baekelandt A, De Milde L, Van Leene J, Besbrugge N, Heyndrickx KS, Cuéllar Pérez A, Durand AN, De Clercq R, Van De Slijke E, Vanden Bossche R, Eeckhout D, Gevaert K, Vandepoele K, De Jaeger G, Goossens A, Inzé D. (2015) A Repressor Protein Complex Regulates Leaf Growth in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 27(8):2273-87.
• Nelissen H, Eeckhout D, Demuynck K, Persiau G, Walton A, van Bel M, Vervoort M, Candaele J, De Block J, Aesaert S, Van Lijsebettens M, Goormachtig S,Vandepoele K, Van Leene J, Muszynski M, Gevaert K, Inzé D, De Jaeger G. (2015) Dynamic Changes in ANGUSTIFOLIA3 Complex Composition Reveal a Growth Regulatory Mechanism in the Maize Leaf. Plant Cell. 27(6):1605-19.

Selected Patent

• Inzé D., Dhondt S. (2016). Netwell assay plate system. GB 1614116.0
• Inzé D., Van Dingenen J., Antoniou C., Fotopoulos V. (2015). Means and methods to increase plant yield. EP 15186304.0, EP 16190088.1
• Inzé D., Nelissen H., Dubois M. (2014). Mutant alleles for yield increase. EP 14187614.4
• Inzé D., Pauwels L., Goossens A., Gonzalez N. (2014). Means and methods to increase plant yield. EP 14176109.8
• Inzé D., Nelissen H., Sun X., Claeys H. (2013). Means and methods for yield performance in plants. PCT/EP2014/061438
• Skirycs A., Inzé D., Dubois M. (2012). Methods and means to produce abiotic stress tolerant plants. WO/2013/037959
• Inzé D., Gonzalez N., De Bodt S., Saeys Y. (2012). Means and methods for the determination of prediction models associated with a phenotype. WO/2012/175736
• Skirycs A., Inzé D., Claeys H., Coppens F. (2012). Methods and means to produce abiotic stress tolerant plants. EP2699683, WO/2012/143545
• Abeel T., Vandepoele K., Inzé D., Verkest A. and De Jaeger G. (2012). Tandem chromatin affinity purification in plant cell suspension cultures for identification of transcription factor target genes. EP 12179185,09  PCT/EP2013/065695, WO/2014/019928 A1
• Spartz A., Inzé D., Gonzalez N., Gray W. (2011). Growth promoting fusion proteins. EP 2569329A1, WO/2011/141499, US-2013-0117891-A1

Synergistic Activities

Translation to Industry: After discovering the major players of the plant cell cycle and realizing the potential for crop growth and yield improvement, founded the spin-off company CropDesign in 1998, with the help of the Tech Transfer Offices of Ghent University and VIB. Major driving force in presenting the business plan to venture capital investors and in guiding the company in its early life. CropDesign was very successful and identified many genes with pivotal roles in crop yield. In 2006, the 87-employee spin-off was sold to BASF.

Leadership: In 2002, appointed Science Director of the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology (PSB). Under this directorship, PSB transformed to one of the world-leading centers working on various aspects of plant development and responses to abiotic stresses, employing ~300 people. The scientific excellence of PSB is reflected in the fact that 7 of the 18 group leaders, including myself, belong to the 1% most cited authors in their field worldwide (ISI highly-cited scientists). Furthermore, the center combines first-rate research with outstanding technology transfer, resulting in large-scale win-win collaborations with over 15 companies from Europe and North- and South-America.

‘Lab to Field to Lab’: Strongly promote the ‘Lab to Field to Lab’ concept, encouraging scientists on one hand to test their concepts/findings in the field, and, on the other hand, to use the field as a source of material to better understand growth and development processes in the lab. With maize as a model system, my lab explores this interface by carrying out highly successful field trials with transgenic maize plants in Belgium and the US.

Collaboration and Partnerships: PSB strives to and succeeds in setting up numerous partnerships both with academic as well as with industry partners, in order to validate and complement our research. For instance, to have more swift access to field experimentation and expertise, two major collaboration agreements concluded, one with an agricultural field station in Belgium (ILVO), and the other one with the Agricultural Faculty of North Carolina State University (NCSU) in the US. Several collaborations between PSB and both large and small companies are running successfully as well.

Education: Remain passionately involved in teaching in Plant Physiology, Plant Molecular Biology and Plant Yield; an activity that I continue to do with an enormous drive. Wrote the cell cycle chapter for the globally used student textbook “Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants” (Ed. Buchanan, Gruissem, Jones). I serve on numerous scientific committees, editorial boards, international science advisory boards and am a member of four academies.