The Schulman lab functions as a joint endeavor of the HiLife Institute of Biotechnology and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). We apply genomics, genetics, physiology and cell biology to understand the processes of plant genome dynamics, and exploit genome structural knowledge to develop tools and know-how for plant breeding. We are particularly interested in the role of retrotransposons in genome structure and evolution and in their epigenetic interaction with genes. We identify and characterize genes for stress and disease resistance and resilience, as well as for end-use quality.