Plant physiology (how plants work), plant biology for non-biologists, measurement of plant-environment interactions.
Because most plants cannot move to a new location, they must often endure
hostile conditions for long periods. I am interested in how legumes (such as
bean plants) can move their leaves to adjust their energy and water balances,
staying cooler and saving water under conditions of high light, high temperature
and drought. In my laboratory we investigate the signals (such as light and
drought) that the plant uses to regulate leaf orientation, and the processes
inside the cells that link the signal with the actual movement.
A second area of interest is the interaction between plants and the
environment at the leaf surface. The characteristics of the waxy cuticle that
covers the epidermis affect energy absorption, water retention (on the inside),
wettability (critical for pathogen growth) and the permeability of substances
such as acid rain. Our laboratory has established the critical role of
multivalent cations (especially calcium) in greatly slowing the penetration of
acid rain, effectively protecting much of the world's vegetation.