Agroecology and Plant Interactions
The fundamental interactions between plants and the organisms that they interact with as well as the application of chemical ecology to solve problems in agriculture. By better understanding the evolution and interactions between plants, insects, microorganisms and the metabolites that connect them, we find potential sustainable strategies for pest management and agricultural practices.
Topics
- Plant-Herbivore interactions
- Insect Agroecology
- Insect Ecology
- Predator-Prey Interactions
- Mating Disruption
- Precision Agriculture
- Evolution of Chemical Defenses
Rudolf Schilder
Associate Professor of Entomology and Biology
Comparative & ecological physiology of insect and mammalian locomotion.
Ming Tien
Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Characterization and biochemical analysis of cellulose synthesis in a variety of organisms. Mechanism and regulation of fungal degradation of lignin. Dissimilatory Iron reduction.
Yinong Yang
Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology
Signal perception and transduction in rice-pathogen interactions. Molecular and genomic strategies for increasing disease resistance and drought tolerance in cereal crops.
Fang (Rose) Zhu
Assistant Professor of Entomology
Understanding the mechanisms and evolution of insects’ adaptation to chemical stresses in their environment.