My laboratory uses biochemistry and molecular genetics to characterize molecular mechanisms by which plants respond and adapt to environmental stresses such as cold and drought conditions.
We focus on Arabidopsis, cultivated strawberry, and soybean. Some plants are able to develop stress tolerance (to cold, drought, salt, etc.) but many, including most crop plants are unable to adapt. Dehydrins are proteins whose expression is associated with embryonic and vegetative developmental pathways that involve osmotic, water, and salt stress.