Research

Iron is a metal nutrient essential for nearly all organisms and plays vital roles in fundamental metabolic processes. Paradoxically, the chemical properties that make iron beneficial can cause toxic effects if iron is present in excess or improperly localized. Therefore, iron is tightly regulated at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels.

Research in the lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate iron in plants. A major global challenge is to sustainably feed the growing population. While caloric malnutrition has significantly decreased, malnutrition of micronutrients, especially iron, affects near half of world’s population and is the most deleterious among deficiencies of essential micronutrients. Plants are the primary dietary source of iron worldwide, but plants, especially staple crops, are not rich in iron. Understanding how iron is regulated in plants will provide insights for biofortification, which could serve as a sustainable solution to malnutrition. Meanwhile, iron is one of the most limiting nutrients for plant growth. Therefore, elucidating iron homeostasis in plants is key to improving plant growth, crop yields, and human nutrition.