Yajun Wu

CV

BioSketch_dept web_wu.doc(47.5 KB)

Area(s) of Research

My lab is mainly studying how plants respond to abiotic stress. Abiotic stresses such as drought, soil salinity and freezing are some of the major limiting factors for crop production worldwide. We are using both model and crop plants, such as Arabidopsis, alfalfa and maize, to understand how plants sense and adapt to different stressors. The objective of our research is to develop fundamental
knowledge that can be used to develop crops with improved stress tolerance. Impact on Human & Animal Health We are currently working on several projects:

• Evaluate and identify germplasm that show greater or superior stress tolerance
• Understand the physiological processes that are associated with stress tolerance
• Identify and characterize candidate genes that are involved in stress sensing and response. The research in the lab is conducted mainly by graduate students, undergraduate researchers, and visiting scientists.