Research Projects

Unlike animals, which often have limited regenerative abilities confined to specific cell types, plants possess a remarkable regenerative capacity across their entire structure. This unique flexibility enables plants to repair wounds in any part of their body, transforming them into a powerful model for studying fundamental cellular behaviors and dynamics. One fascinating example is how plants respond to injuries in the mid-vein of leaves: when these veins are damaged, plant cells spring into action, regenerating and physically reconnecting separated vascular strands to their original parent veins. Remarkably, they achieve this despite plant cells being encased in rigid walls and specialized cells can not be recruited to the site of injury, unlike animal kingdoms where the specialized cells migrate and get recruited at wound sites. This extraordinary phenomenon of vein regeneration offers an unparalleled experimental framework for investigating how disconnected tissues in plants reunite and restore function. In this research proposal, I aim to delve deeper into the role of injury-induced stress fields and their impact on cortical microtubule dynamics, a process that seems to initiate the transformation of ground tissue cells into vascular cells. Interestingly, the formation and precise reconnection of new vascular strands are highly sensitive to changes in microtubule behavior within the outer epidermal cell layer. To decode this intricate process, I propose to develop a computational model to simulate how microtubule dynamics in epidermal cells drive the reprogramming of sub-epidermal cells toward a vascular identity. This model will serve as a critical tool to uncover the complex cellular mechanisms that underpin plant regeneration, shedding light on plant cell plasticity and adaptability. Ultimately, this research has the potential to deepen our understanding of plant biology and inspire new ways to harness plant resilience and regenerative capacity in agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and beyond.