Francesco Licausi

Professor Francesco Licausi is a faculty member at the University of Oxford, affiliated with Wadham College. He holds the position of Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology and leads the Licausi Lab (Synoxys Lab). His research focuses on oxygen sensing mechanisms in plants, plant development, evolutionary biology, and synthetic biology applications. Specifically, his work investigates how plants respond to fluctuating oxygen levels through signaling cascades and metabolic adjustments, leveraging synthetic biology to explore cross-kingdom applications.

Research interests include understanding the evolution of aerobic metabolism, multicellularity, and oxygen homeostasis. The lab employs synthetic biology tools to engineer orthogonal control systems and study hypoxia signaling pathways. Key projects involve dissecting the role of ERFVII transcription factors and oxygen-sensing enzymes like cysteine oxidases.

Recent publications highlight advancements in engineered hypoxia response systems, ROS-mediated signaling repurposing, and the impact of environmental factors like light pollution on plant physiology. The lab collaborates with institutions such as the Clarendon Scholarship program and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.

Students under his supervision include graduate researchers Monica Perri, Sophie Mason, Yuming He, and M Garrido Davies. Contact details include his email francesco.licausi@biology.ox.ac.uk and lab webpage via Oxford Mosaic. No specific scientific awards are mentioned in the provided information.

Licausi’s work bridges fundamental biology with applied synthetic approaches, contributing to both academic and translational plant science. His lab’s interdisciplinary focus integrates molecular genetics, biochemistry, and systems biology to address critical questions in plant resilience and metabolic regulation.