Research

Advance our current understanding of lignin and plant cell wall biosynthesis

Develop approaches for sustainable biomass utilization and crop improvement

Lignin is vital for plant structural integrity, water transport, and defense against pathogens. However, its resistance to degradation presents a major challenge to the efficient production of biochemicals, bioproducts, and biomaterials. Our research focuses on untangling the biochemical pathways and genetic regulation of lignin biosynthesis in various plant species, including grasses and woody plants. Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, we generate targeted knockouts to study these pathways. By studying the roles of key enzymes in lignin metabolism, we aim to understand how lignin and other plant phenolic compounds are synthesized and how they can be modified to improve the efficiency of biomass conversion into renewable chemicals.

Our research integrates proteomics, metabolomics, and genomics to study plant metabolism. By leveraging multi-omic data and metabolic flux analyses, we aim to uncover the regulatory mechanisms that coordinate these processes and identify novel targets for engineering plants with enhanced biomass yield and stress tolerance. We are currently collaborating with EMSL scientists to use advanced single-cell proteomic and metabolomic tools, combined with stable isotope labeling experiments and mass spectrometry imaging, to investigate and trace these metabolic pathways with precise spatial resolution.

CO2 sequestration in plant biomass offers a promising approach to mitigating climate change by capturing and storing atmospheric carbon. Through photosynthesis, plants naturally sequester CO2, incorporating carbon into their cell walls. Our research focuses on optimizing plant biomass utilization to produce valuable bioproducts and enhance atmospheric carbon sequestration. We study the physiological and genetic mechanisms that improve carbon capture across different plant parts, such as the the roots of major crops like corn and soybeans, and stems of fast-growing trees like poplars. By exploring how biomass can be genetically engineered and efficiently processed, we aim to create sustainable methods for converting plant lignocellulosic biomass into renewable chemicals and materials, and enhance its CO2 storage potential, thereby reducing our overall carbon footprint.