Research

Biochemistry and Physiology - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty in Biochemistry and Physiology are interested in uncovering the fundamental properties of plants as reflected by the biochemical and physiological mechanisms and pathways that are found within their cells, tissues and organs.  Research is also directed at the modification of these mechanisms and pathways for crop improvement.

Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology investigate evolutionary patterns and processes in plant and microbial lineages, interactions, genomes, phenotypes, and epigenomes using approaches that include or combine comparative genomics, phylogenetics, biodiversity informatics, lab and field experiments and surveys, and large-scale genomic analysis.

Cell and Developmental Biology - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty with a cell and developmental biology focus are interested in understanding the subcellular machinery and signaling by extracellular signals (environment or growth) and how they are integral to the mechanisms of morphogenesis, polarity, cell-specification and patterning during plant development.

Controlled Environment Agriculture- Affiliated Faculty

Faculty work on science-based technology development for sustainable production of plants and their products under controlled environments (greenhouse and growth chambers).Research often takes interdisciplinary approaches working closely with members of Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC). CEA also offers a research and innovation platform for plant systems biology, stress physiology, stress-sensing technology and applied computer technology.

Crop and Horticultural Management and Production - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty in this area work on diverse crops including plants used for food, fiber, chemical components, and urban landscapes. Research includes screening new and existing crops for their suitability to be produced in the semi-arid Southwest climate and developing optimum cultural practices, often with an emphasis on minimum resource input.

Environmental and Stress Biology - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty explore plant interactions with the biotic and abiotic environment with emphasis on plant response to drought, heat, salinity and plant pathogens but also including beneficial interactions with other organisms. Research spans molecular and genomic approaches using model systems to applied field research on economically important ornamental and crop plants.

Genetics and Epigenetics - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty with a Genetics focus are working to understand how genes are inherited, modified and expressed in plants. Faculty with a epigenetics focus are interested in understanding the changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence and how these changes effect various aspects of plant development.

Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Systems Biology - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty in Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Systems Biology develop and employ high throughput technologies and platforms for rapid generation of large scale datasets enumerating the macromolecular and molecular components of plants, including computational approaches for analysis,  handling and archiving of these datasets.

Microbiology - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty in Microbiology are engaged in diverse areas of microbial research including systematics, genomics, biology, and ecology offungi, bacteria, and viruses. There is a strong research emphasis on microbial community structure in natural and agricultural ecosystems, as well as a focus on microbial impacts on plant, human, and environmental health.

Plant Protection and Pathology - Affiliated Faculty

Faculty in Plant Protection and Pathology conduct research on the molecular, cellular, organismal and ecological aspects of plant disease to improve plant health and crop systems productivity. Programs focused the management of bacterial, fungal, nematode and viral diseases and their vectors generally emphasize desert agroecosystems, but complement programs focused more broadly on plant-microorganism interaction at the molecular level across diverse cropping systems.