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What we do
Our research explores plant diversity across biological scales. We integrate plant anatomy, developmental biology, molecular biology, phylogenetics, and ecology to place plant traits within an evolutionary and environmental context (Fig. 1). Using fieldwork, wet-lab and collection-based approaches, and computational biology, we link phenotypic variation to its genetic basis to understand how plants have modified their growth and development across time and space.
How do plants grow thick?
At the Plant Growth Lab, we concentrate on studying plant vascular biology, which governs radial growth and much of plant biomass (Fig. 2).
In particular, we investigate vascular variants, which are alternative patterns of vascular development found in both wild and cultivated plants. Because these patterns evolved repeatedly during the evolution of seed plants, they provide a powerful system for elucidating fundamental principles in plant biology. Check the Vascular Biology page for more.
Fig. 1. Our research intgrates multiples disciplines and approaches.
Fig. 2. Most of a plant's biomass is stored in the wood and bark.
Applying New Technologies to Study Plant Vascular Biology
To further our understanding of plant structure, we pioneered the use of Laser Ablation Tomography (LATscan) in woody plants (Cunha Neto et al., 2023; New Phytol.). In this study, we applied LATscan to multiple woody vines, including some with vascular variants.
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