His very active research program includes projects to increase calcium concentrations in fruits and vegetables; metabolic engineering of flavonoids in fruits and vegetables; studying plant adaptation to stresses such as salinity, cold, and drought tolerance; engineering ornamental plants for phytoremediation; and molecular breeding for biofuels.
Dr. Park’s research interests include both fundamental studies to address unique questions in the role of Ca2+ in vegetable/fruit cell physiology and applied studies to enhance production and nutritional quality of horticultural crops using genomic and plant biotechnology tools.
Currently, he is focusing on plant growth and adaptation mechanisms to abiotic stresses (salinity, freezing and drought), manipulating the expression levels and substrate specificity of ion transporters, development of blossom-end rot tolerant and longer shelf life horticultural crops, Phytoremediation and metabolic engineering of flavonoids for health and nutritional benefits.
Area of Specialization:
Research: Horticulture – Studies metabolic engineering of flavonoids to prevent cancer
