Research in the areas of microbiology and plant biology involves systems-level investigations into the genetics, biochemistry and physiology of plants, bacteria and fungi. Our studies take advantage of technological advances in genome sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, and address fundamental questions related to infectious disease (both human and plant), stress tolerance, and symbiotic relationships. The labs in this area provide outstanding training opportunities for motivated post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates.
We study an extremophyte, Eutrema salsugineum, a plant closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana but one far more tolerant of extremes in temperature, water deficits, soil salinity, and nutrient deficiencies. We use comparative genomics, physiology, and biochemical approaches to identify traits that allow E. salsugineum to thrive under extreme environmental conditions. Our approach involves comparing plants collected in the challenging field conditions of its native habitat in the Yukon, Canada, with plants subjected to controlled stress treatments in growth cabinets. Identifying stress tolerance traits will enable us to improve our crop species and help us stabilize yields that are already adversely impacted by climate change.
Bioinformatics & Functional Genomics; Microbiology & Plant Biology
