Research Interest

Perennial trees serve a crucial part in the Earth's ecosystem. In tree stems, secondary growth occurs when vascular cambium proliferates, resulting in thicker stems through the annual accumulation of wood. Tree wood is a valuable resource in human society. It is used for pulping, construction, lignocellulosic biofuels, and other wood-based products. Our primary research focus has been on understanding the molecular mechanism underlying wood formation, as well as genetic technology innovation that will aid in the development of high-quality, fast-growing trees with desirable characteristics.

The specific questions we aim to address are: What are the signaling pathways that govern cell proliferation and differentiation in the vascular cambium?  What are the regulatory networks that govern the cell wall biosynthesis during wood formation? How can we use our understanding of wood formation to improve trees?