BROWSE, John A. – INTERIM DIRECTOR
Lipid and membrane biochemistry; pathways and regulation of lipid synthesis and membrane formation in higher plants; jasmonate hormone; chilling and freezing tolerance in plants.
CROTEAU, Rodney B. (retired April 2012)
Terpenoid natural products chemistry; pathways and enzymes of terpenoid biosynthesis and catabolism in plants.
Use and development of metabolomic, proteomic and transcriptomic (next-generation sequencing) tools to investigate the structure, regulation and control of metabolism in individual cell types such as trichomes and specialized organs such as plant rhizomes; evolution of metabolism; development of rhizomes; medicinal plants, such as ginger, turmeric, Huperziaceae and Lamiaceae.
Nitrogen fixation; interactions between plant and bacterial metabolism to support symbiotic nitrogen fixation.
Molecular architecture of photosynthetic membranes and its significance for the function, regulation, adaptation and biogenesis of the photosynthetic machinery; role of protein pattern formation and its dynamics for lateral membrane transport processes and light harvesting functions.
Biosynthesis of plant natural products (with an emphasis on terpenoids) using functional genomics and systems biology approaches. Particular interest in understanding metabolism in specialized plant cell types (such as secretory glandular trichomes and resin ducts) that are responsible for the synthesis of many important essential oils, oleoresins, and pharmaceutically relevant natural products.
Biochemistry of natural and medicinal products in plants; biochemistry of plant cell-wall synthesis and unique plant constituents; effects of gravity on metabolic pathways in plants.
Biochemistry of starch synthesis and protein localization; metabolic genetic engineering of plants for increased productivity; mRNA localization and the role of the cytoskeleton and endoplasmic reticulum.
Metabolism of tetrahydrofolate-bound one-carbon units in plastids; biosynthesis of riboflavin in plants.
The role of cellular architecture in the regulation of life and death processes in plants.
Assistant Research Professors
Starch biosynthesis related enzymes, structural modeling and biochemical assessment, improvement of plant biomass via metabolic engineering.