Plant Biology

Plant biology is the study of how plants grow, function and respond to their environments. Plant biologists address challenges like food security, climate change and sustainable agriculture. It’s no exaggeration to say that all life relies on plants. 

“Plants feed the world,” says Danielle Levi, my labmate in the Zerbe Lab and a third-year plant biology major. “Climate change is threatening global food security, and we need to find more sustainable ways to feed our growing population while minimizing environmental impacts.” 

Xiaosa Xu, assistant professor of plant biology in the College of Biological Sciences, has received a UC Office of the President Early Career Faculty Research Excellence Award. The award includes $50,000 to support his research on the evolution of maize.

Philipp Zerbe, a professor of plant biology whose research explores how plants use chemistry to communicate with and adapt to their environment, has been named associate dean for research and graduate studies for the College of Biological Sciences. He will begin serving in the role on September 1.

The College of Biological Sciences is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025-26 CBS Faculty Research and Teaching Awards. These annual honors recognize faculty members whose contributions exemplify the college's commitment to advancing discovery and providing outstanding educational experiences for students.

As wildflowers go, the mountain jewelflower is demure, clever and quietly unbreakable. It has spread across many of California’s iconic landscapes, from Sonoma wine country to the oak-dotted foothills, even over the Sierra Crest, where snow covers the ground during winter.

The genomics of peppermint are not as fresh as their flavor but scientists from the University of California, Davis, have found a way to breathe new genetic variation into the species.

Salicylic acid, the active molecule in aspirin and some acne medications, is a hormone in plants that is essential for immunity, but it’s a double-edged sword: too much can cause autoimmunity and stunt growth. In a new study published April 20 in Nature Communications, University of California, Davis, researchers discovered that plants use a surprising multi-layered system to regulate salicylic acid levels and keep their immune system in check.

Can the bend of a banana give us insight into cancer? What does the shape of a rice grain have to do with infertility? The proteins that give plants their shape and structure are also involved in human disease. A team led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, has mapped out the structure of a key player, augmin, in exhaustive detail.

Gene editing has enormous potential to help feed the world’s growing population, but it’s currently difficult, time-consuming, and only works in some plant species. A big part of the problem is CRISPR/Cas9’s size: it’s too large to be delivered into plant cells.

Venkatesan Sundaresan, a Distinguished Professor of plant biology and plant sciences at the University of California, Davis, has been awarded a Gates Foundation grant to develop self-cloning crops for Indian farmers.