Research interests
1. Reveal the molecular and biochemical events involved in the degradation of thylakoid membranes in response to developmental and environmental signals.
Model plants: Arabidopsis
Research aims:
i. Identify chloroplast proteins degrade thylakoid membrane and their target substrates.
ii. Reveals the regulatory pathways in thylakoid membrane degradation.
iii. Study the roles of chloroplast in plants against abiotic stress.
Figure 1. Morphological change during chloroplast degradation in the mesophyll cell.
Figure 2. OsAkaGal is a thylakoid membrane degradation enzyme. Ectopic expression of OsAkaGal affacts thylakoid assembly in the chloroplast.
Figure 3. osakagal null mutant shows better growth under abiotic stress in rice.
2. Study the molecular mechanism of microbiome and orchid interaction on plant growth and production of phytochemicals.
Model plant: Gastrodia sp.
Figure 4. Different Gastrodia sp. during flowering and their underground tubers.
Research aims:
i. Identify core microbiome affect plant growth and bioactive compounds biosynthesis by comparative metagenomics.
ii. Idenfy small peptides play roles in plant growth and bioactive compounds biosynthesis during microbial and orchid interaction by comparative metatranscriotomics.
iii. Develop biotechnological tools for enhancing bioactive compounds biosynthesis during cultivation of Gastrodia tubers.
Figure 5. Cultivation of Gastrodia elata requires fungal innoculation.
Figure 6. Comparative metagenomics.as tool to study fungal diversity in different Gastrodia sp.
