식물-곤충 상호작용 및 생태학 연구실

All organisms face ever-changing biological (biotic) and environmental (abiotic) conditions across time and space. These variations often drive plants to develop flexible traits, or phenotypic plasticity, to survive. For plants to survive in such heterogeneous environments, they should developed adaptive responses to these challenges. My research questions are grounded in this knowledge, aiming to uncover the plants defenses to spatial, temporal, and ecological dynamics. In my group, we study how plants interact with their environment over time and across different spaces. I am particularly interested in identifying the key factors that enable plants to survive in diverse and ever-changing conditions. In terms of spatial dynamics, herbivores often specialize in feeding on specific plant tissues. According to optimal defense theory, plants may respond by developing tissue-specific defenses to maximize their overall survival and reproduction. Our current work focuses on uncovering tissue-specific defenses and understanding their impact on the plant’s fitness. In terms of temporal dynamics, plant life histories vary widely in nature. For instance, some plants flower early, while others flower later. This difference in timing may expose them to varying levels of herbivory pressure, potentially leading to the development of distinct defense strategies. Our research examines whether plant phenology influences these defense mechanisms. Finally, our group investigates how plants respond to different herbivore contexts, such as variations in feeding strategies (e.g., sap-feeding vs. chewing) and diet breadth (e.g., generalists vs. specialists). By exploring these dynamics, we aim to better understand the complexity of plant defense strategies across diverse ecological scenarios.