Overview
We seek to explore the fascinating but obscure biology of seed-free plants (i.e., ferns, lycophytes, and bryophytes). Our scope is broad, ranging from biodiversity research, plant-microbe interaction, comparative genomics, molecular genetics, to protein biochemistry. The current thrust of our research activities centers on cyanobacteria symbiosis, CO2-concentrating mechanism, and sex chromosomes in hornworts, and the evolution of giant genomes in ferns and lycophytes.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Professor of Biology
·
2026 - Present
Biology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Scholarly Works
Hornwort pyrenoids: a terrestrial exception with engineering lessons.
Journal article Plant physiology · April 2026 Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) underpins nearly all primary production yet remains a slow, error-prone enzyme because it catalyzes both carboxylation and oxygenation, the latter initiating photorespiration and reducing net carbon ... Full text CiteAn unconventional Rubisco small subunit underpins the CO<sub>2</sub>-concentrating organelle in land plants.
Journal article Science (New York, N.Y.) · March 2026 In many algae, photosynthesis is boosted by biophysical CO2-concentrating mechanisms, which pack the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco into liquid-like organelles called pyrenoids. Engineering C3 crops with algal pyrenoids could in ... Full text CiteNitroxysomes as a Potential Solution for Engineering Biological Nitrogen Fixation.
Journal article ACS synthetic biology · February 2026 Nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of atmospheric nitrogen gas to ammonia, forming the foundation of biological nitrogen fixation in diazotrophic microbes. While functional nitrogenase can be assembled in non-native hosts, its activity is severely limited ... Full text CiteEducation
Duke University ·
2015
Ph.D.