Consequently, metabolic processes within organelles depend heavily on nuclear-encoded proteins that are subsequently targeted to these organelles. Nevertheless, organelles have retained compact genomes containing proteins and RNAs essential for their biological functions, requiring coordinated regulation of nuclear and organellar gene expression.Various processes governing transcriptional and post-transcriptional activities in organelles, including DNA replication, RNA transcription, RNA processing, RNA editing, RNA splicing and translation, rely on proteins encoded by the nuclear genome. This complex network of molecular interactions (protein–RNA, protein–protein and DNA–protein) is dynamic and takes place primarily within the nucleoid, a nucleoprotein complex that remains poorly characterised.

The SOGE team combines approaches involving protein complex biochemistry, molecular interaction analysis, reverse genetics, high-throughput transcriptomics and statistical modelling. These approaches are applied to the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and maize, as well as to non-model plant species. The team also hosts the POPS Scientific Core Facility.