Jim Tokuhisa, Ph.D.
Horticulture Department
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Arabidopsis thaliana |
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Laboratory Mission Statement The Tokuhisa lab is dedicated to discovery and translational research on the acclimation of plants to the environment with an emphasis on the formation and function of plant natural products. Graduates of the lab will acquire familiarity with the methodology, and skills of reasoning and communication required for scientific discovery, develop the adaptive expertise to make scientific discoveries, and gain advanced knowledge and technical capabilities in biochemistry and molecular genetics. The laboratory environment is collaborative, multidisciplinary and respectful of the human diversity in culture, genetics and intellect. Research Introduction Plants are autotrophic organisms that can survive on the resources of the physical environment. However, diverse organisms including microbes, animals, humans and even other plants will prey on plants as sources of food. To defend themselves against these predators, plants produce specialized chemical constituents that have important roles in their survival against predators. The focal point of the lab is glucosinolates, the predominant defense compounds found in crucifer (Brassicales) plants, and steroidal glycoalkaloids, which are made by some solanaceous and liliaceous plant species. The Tokuhisa lab is interested in how these defense compounds are made by the plant and what are the structural features that contribute to the defense potential of the plant. We are interested in the influence of the physical and biotic environment on the defense potential of the plant and the mechanisms plants have to accommodate these typically cytotoxic molecules. The lab uses the model system plant Arabidopsis thaliana and the wild potato Solanum chacoense and cutting-edge molecular and biochemical techniques to do fundamental research with the ultimate goal of advancing agriculture. |
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