Roots are the source of uptake of macro-nutrients and water. A healthy root system in plants leads towards happy and productive plants.

Research Interests

Root Developmental Patterns in Tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana

The direction a plant's root grows is determined both genetically and by the environment. Some plants likely evolved to grow roots at an angle against gravity for adapting to their soil and enviroment. This has been show in a wild tomato species, Solanum pennellii which has root that grows at an angle of about 60 degrees. Yet in domesticated tomato species, Solanum lycopersicum it's root grows only at a 12 degree angle. However it is not yet know why some species of plants have different predetermined root growth strategies. I am currently working to understand the genetic reasons of different root growth behind these two species of tomatoes. This work also uses Arabidopsis thaliana which some mutants have appeared to also show an increased root angle.

Plant Root Adaptation to Nutrient Stress

Nitrogen and phosphorus are two of the most expensive and limiting nutrients in plant growth. With limited supply of either of these two nutrients plants struggle to grow to their full potential leaving farmers with little yield. Understanding the process of how these plants respond to the stress may allow researchers to develop a next generation of crops requiring far less fertilizers. Currently I am working to understand a brassinosteroid transcription factor in Tomato plants that has been shown in Arabidopsis to prevent a phosphate starvation response. Previously I have worked to understand a Mexican landrace of maize which grew in nitrogen deficient soil.