We aim to define how oxygen landscapes emerge across root tissues in living plants. By integrating anatomical features, diffusion constraints, and soil context, we investigate how physical and biological factors shape internal oxygen availability. This objective includes the development and application of chemical and genetically encoded approaches to visualise oxygen dynamics in situ, enabling a spatially resolved view of root microenvironments. 

This objective focuses on understanding how reduced oxygen availability functions as an instructive signal during root development. We explore how hypoxic conditions influence cell division, elongation, and tissue organisation, and how oxygen-sensitive regulatory pathways are integrated into developmental decision-making. A key aspect is distinguishing hypoxia-associated developmental programmes from responses linked to stress or damage. 

Here, we investigate how roots adjust their physiology, metabolism, and growth to maintain function under low-oxygen conditions. We examine adaptive strategies that support root performance in heterogeneous and fluctuating soil environments, including metabolic flexibility and structural responses. This work aims to uncover general principles by which hypoxia-responsive mechanisms contribute to root resilience and environmental adaptation.