Area of Interest

Our laboratory is designed for the study of the physiological ecology of nutrient acquisition by terrestrial plants. We examine the role of nutrient ion fluxes at cellular, whole-organism, and ecosystem levels, focusing on several key areas: yield potential in cereals, forest succession, cellular ionic interactions, and drought and salt stresses. Our approach is multidisciplinary, ranging from mathematical modelling to radiotracing of ion fluxes and ecological analyses in the field. The techniques we use include the subcellular tracing of ion fluxes and compartmentation, the genetic manipulation of plant metabolism and nutrient acquisition, electrophysiology, gas exchange, ionic and metabolic profiling of tissues, and analyses of plant growth and yield. We strive to investigate the physiology of intact organisms, and develop methods to tackle the complexity associated with whole systems.

Keywords:

• ion transport
• nitrogen flux
• roots
• crop science
• rice

Current Research

We are presently in the process of establishing the Canadian Centre for World Hunger Research at the University of Toronto. Our laboratory is also a participant in Canada's national Green Crop Network, aimed at reducing Canada's emission of greenhouse gases via biological means. Our collaborative partners include the International Rice Research Institute, the EU project SUSTAIN, the University of California, and the US Department of Agriculture, as well as many partners within Canada, including the Canadian Association for Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, the Tri-University Meson Facility (TRIUMF) in Vancouver, and laboratories at the University of British Columbia, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Ottawa.

Teaching

• BIOC65H: Environmental Toxicology