Dr. Vajiheh Safavi Rizi, University of Leipzig

How plants integrate signals of flooding stress and nitrogen starvation into coherent adaptive responses remains one of the open questions in plant stress biology. Climate change is intensifying flooding events and disrupting the nitrogen cycle, while overfertilization in agricultural systems drives the release of nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas that further accelerates climate change. These feedbacks place nitrogen at the center of a vicious cycle linking agricultural practices, atmospheric chemistry, and plant stress, with direct consequences for food security and the long-term sustainability of agriculture.

My research addresses these challenges at two complementary scales. The first line of work investigates nitric oxide (NO) as a signaling molecule in responses to flooding stress. Under hypoxic conditions, nitrate reductase-dependent NO production is tightly coupled to nitrogen availability, positioning NO at the intersection of stress signaling and nitrogen metabolism. Using genetic, physiological, and molecular approaches in Arabidopsis and Medicago, my team examines how NO homeostasis is regulated during flooding and nitrogen deprivation, and how NO signaling shapes plant adaptation and plant–microbe interactions. A central methodological focus is the development and application of genetically encoded fluorescent NO sensors, which enable spatially and temporally resolved NO detection in living plant tissue—an essential tool for dissecting NO signaling dynamics in vivo.

The second line of work addresses the early detection of nitrogen deficiency in agricultural systems. As part of the BMFTR-funded NAIFM-ArtIFARM project, together with agricultural and industrial partners, my team and I integrate transcriptomic marker genes, soil parameters, environmental data, and drone-based phenotyping to detect nitrogen deficiency before visible symptoms appear. Collaborative machine learning approaches translate these multi-scale signals into actionable recommendations for precision fertilizer management, directly targeting the problem of overfertilization at its source and contributing to more sustainable food production systems.

Together, this work bridges fundamental research on NO signaling and plant stress physiology with applied strategies for climate-resilient and food-secure agriculture, demonstrating how molecular plant biology and data-driven technologies can jointly help break the cycle linking nitrogen overuse, greenhouse gas emissions, and plant stress under changing environmental conditions.