Jianhua Zhu
Landplantsarefrequentlychallengedbythechangingphysicalenvironment,whichoftengeneratesvariousbioticandabioticstressesincludingsalinity,drought,andtemperatureextremes.AccordingtoreportsfromtheFAO(FoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations),96.5%ofglobalrurallandareaisundertheinfluenceofabioticstresses.Theseabioticstressesadverselyaffecttheproductivityandqualityofcropsworldwide.Myresearchinterestistounderstandthemolecularmechanismsthatplantshaveevolvedtocopewithabioticstresses.Mostofmyefforthasbeenconcentratingontheidentificationofkeycomponentsinsignaltransductionpathwaysforplantresponsestoabioticstresses,withthelong-termgoalofdevelopingrationalstrategiestoimprovecropproductivityandagriculturalandenvironmentalsustainability.Inmylab,weuseacombinationofforwardandreversegeneticsinArabidopsisthaliana,tomato,andothercropplantstostudytherolesofproteinsandnon-proteinencodingregulatorysmallRNAsinplantabioticstressresponses.