The Department of Plant Biology is the central hub on campus for pioneering research on plants. The department mission is to comprehensively understand fundamental plant biological processes and develop real-world applications in agriculture and biotechnology. The department specializes in three main research areas: plant developmental biology and physiology, plant-environment and inter-organismal interactions, and plant biochemistry and metabolism. Faculty explore diverse organisms, ranging from algae to higher plants including many major food and bioenergy crops. In addition to employing classical genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology, our faculty include experts in cutting-edge omics, systems and synthetic biology, imaging, X-ray crystallography and single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). We integrate these approaches to address various fundamental questions in plant biology and translate the knowledge to make advancements in crop improvement, natural product engineering, and other bio-based technologies. 

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