Introduction of Laboratory

     We utilize DNA analyses to answer interesting questions in the fields of physiology, ecology, and evolution of plants, especially on plant-microbe interactions.

Research Aims

1. Root-associated microbiome and stress adaptation:

      Plant health is closely related to soil microorganisms. These microbes usually play important roles to promote plant growth, including production of plant hormones, acquisition of mineral nutrients, and inhibition of pathogens. By using metagenomic approaches and statistical analyses, we are able to identify the microbial specialists in different habitats and to understand how plants regulate microbial dynamics in response to different environmental stresses. The information would be useful for the application of agricultural microorganisms.

2. The mechanisms of plant rapid movements:

     The plants can move are fascinating to biologists. They interact with the environments by specialized motor organs, although most plants are not able to freely move their body. Plant movements are classified into two types, the slow nyctinastic movement and the rapid seismonastic movement. The sensitive plant Mimosa pudica is a classic model as it possesses both types of plant movement. With reverse genetic approaches based on genome information, we are going to identify special ion channels involved in the electrical signaling mediating the rapid movement of M. pudica.

Journal and Conference Papers

Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Project