Biography

Research Interests

• Cellular machinery for lipid droplet biogenesis and modulation

Lipid droplets are subcellular organelles that store neutral lipids, serving as an energy reservoir in seeds and playing an important role in plant development and adaptation to stress conditions. Despite their importance, the cellular mechanisms governing lipid droplet biogenesis and modulation remain unresolved. My lab utilizes cutting-edge technologies (e.g., high-resolution ultrastructural imaging, comparative proteomics, protein-protein interaction assays, etc.) to elucidate the cellular machinery for lipid compartmentalization in plant cells.

• Functions of lipid droplets in plant development and stress responses

Emerging evidence from recent studies indicates that lipid droplets in non-seed plant tissues (i.e., leaves, roots, and stems) are highly dynamic in response to stress conditions, supporting a critical role of lipid droplets in various plant physiological processes. My research studies molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of lipid droplets in plant development and stress responses.

• Metabolic engineering in plants

The knowledge gained from my research will be applied to the engineering of valuable bioproducts in plants.

Publications:

• Google Scholar
• ORCID