| Citation | Enrico Coen has made an outstanding contribution to the understanding of flower development. Early exemplary studies revealed the molecular basis of diversity in flower colour patterns. Pioneering work on homeotic mutations led to a now accepted model for the genetic control of the floral ground plan which provided a new paradigm for research. A major breakthrough in understanding the earliest steps in morphogenesis came from the identification and analysis of key plant genes that switch meristems from making shoots to making flowers. The production of chimaeras expressing developmental genes in different germ layers and the new insights into the molecular basis of dorsiventral flower symmetry are remarkable achievements that open up new and exciting avenues of research. |