Plant developmental modeling
Systems Biology
Our research uses mathematical and computer simulation techniques to investigate questions in plant development. Working in close collaboration with experimental biologists, we develop cellular-level simulation models of hormone signaling and patterning in plant tissue. These models involve a biochemical aspect, genes, proteins, hormones, combined with growing, changing geometry as cells divide and tissues grow. We are interested in the interaction between these two processes. How genes control physical properties of cells resulting in growth, and how this resulting change in geometry and forces feeds back on signaling and gene regulation. With this in mind, we are researching methods to quantify physical properties in plant tissues, to facilitate the construction of biophysically-based simulation models of plant growth.
Research topics
Hormone transport-feedback models of plant patterning
Computer simulation models of phyllotaxis
Force sensing in plant tissue using MEMS
Physically-based models of plant tissues and growth
Confocal image processing
Parallel processing in biological systems
Interdisciplinary
Our work combines techniques from Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, and Biology.
