Joseph Noel, PhD - Salk Institute for Biological Studies

当前研究

问题

Plants use a remarkable diversity of capabilities to respond to their environment—they can sense light, water, chemicals, and even wind flows, and, in turn, speak with other plants and organisms in their environment using the language of chemistry. Over millions of years, plants evolved to harness the energy of the sun, survive in a myriad of challenging environments, absorb carbon dioxide (which most other organisms find toxic), and gather nutrients from decaying life in the soil—all while firmly planted in the ground. But farmers want to further improve how plants grow, fight off pests, generate natural medicines, and produce healthy food crops. To improve plants’ health and yield in globally sustainable ways, scientists first need to understand how plants have already optimized their biology and chemistry through the process of evolution over nearly 450 million years.

方法

Joseph Noel studies the structure and chemistry of compounds produced by plants as well as how plants have evolved unique ways to make their own specialized products adapted to nearly every ecosystem on Earth. He uses biological assays to test how a plant’s behavior is altered by genetic changes. He also employs chemistry techniques to replicate a plant’s production pathways in the lab. The knowledge he gains includes clues about how to improve plants’ chemical reactions or increase their resiliency. For example, Noel has pieced the structure of a natural plant polymer known as suberin—commonly known as cork—that is rich in carbon atoms derived from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and also protects plants from environmental stressors including drought, floods, disease, and salt. Because these natural plant molecules are densely packed with carbon atoms and resist decomposition in soils, they enhance the vitality of soils and serve as carbon storage devices to possibly mitigate excess atmospheric carbon dioxide.