Plant physiology and biochemistry make up the backbone of successful horticultural production, and our plant physiology/biochemistry research programs cover a range of areas from whole-plant physiology to plant metabolism and enzymology. Collaborations with faculty in several departments university-wide showcase integrated research projects that address important issues in plant physiology and biochemistry.

Find out more about our research programs in plant physiology and biochemistry below:

• Gilles J. Basset - Systems biology, metabolic biochemistry, biological networks
• Elias Bassil - Functional genomics; stress physiology, ion homeostasis, endomembrane trafficking
• Rebecca L. Darnell - Woody plant physiology, nitrogen/iron uptake and assimilation
• Kevin M. Folta - Functional genomics of small fruit crops; plant transformation, photomorphogenesis and flowering
• L. Curtis Hannah - Maize molecular genetics and physiology; emphasis on the starch biosynthetic pathway
• Andrew D. Hanson - Metabolic biochemistry and comparative genomics
• Jeongim Kim - Plant metabolism and stress physiology
• Harry J. Klee - Genetics of fruit ripening and quality
• Karen E. Koch - Physiology and genetics of sugar metabolism, sensing, and partitioning
• Donald R. McCarty - Maize genetics
• Bala Rathinasabapathi - Arsenic hyperaccumulation in ferns; metabolic engineering for stress tolerance; stress in biofuel algae
• Bruce Schaffer - Ecophysiology of subtropical and tropical horticultural crops with emphasis on fruit crops; increasing compatibility between agricultural and natural ecosystems
• C. Eduardo Vallejos - Bean genetics and genomics