Research in the Department of Plant Biology investigates the fundamental processes that shape how plants grow, function, and adapt. Key areas of study include plant molecular and cellular biology, genetics and genomics, physiology and biophysics, development and morphogenesis, evolution and diversity, and interactions between plants and their environments. Faculty examine how genes, cells, and tissues coordinate to build plant form; how plants sense and respond to stress; and how evolutionary forces generate the remarkable variety of plant life. Using advanced tools in molecular biology, biochemistry, imaging, computational biology, and ecological and evolutionary approaches, researchers uncover the principles that govern plant systems and generate insights that support agriculture, environmental sustainability, and biotechnology.
Department Research Areas
Department Research Areas
Plant Developmental Biology
How plants form and grow by examining the genetic, cellular, and structural mechanisms that shape tissues, organs, and whole organisms.
Plant–Environment Interactions
How plants sense, respond to, and adapt to environmental conditions—including light, temperature, water, and stress factors.
Plant–Microbe/Microbiome Interactions
How plants interact with microbes in and around them, exploring beneficial partnerships, immune responses, and microbiome dynamics.
Plant Biochemistry, Metabolism and Signaling
How plants produce, convert, and regulate molecules that control energy, growth, defense, and communication, including hormone signaling pathways that coordinate plant development and responses to the environment.
Plant Biotechnology
How plant processes can be used to develop molecular and genetic tools for crop breeding and engineering, as well as the production of plant-based bioproducts.
Teaching Pedagogy and Educational Research
How evidence-based teaching practices enhance learning, improve STEM education, and promote inclusive and equitable classrooms.