Greg C. Vanlerberghe

Research Interests

The Vanlerberghe lab studies the impact of abiotic stress (drought, low temperature, high CO2, nutrient limitation, low oxygen) and biotic stress (pathogen infection) on plant physiology and plant cell metabolism. Emphasis is placed on the two major energy-transducing organelles, the mitochondrion and the chloroplast. An integrative approach is taken, whereby processes are studied at the whole plant, cell, organelle and molecular level. Emphasis is placed on the interactions between major metabolic pathways during stress, including the interactions between photosynthesis, respiration and nutrient assimilation. The impact of the reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen networks on metabolism is investigated, including the potential for these species to act as signaling molecules for acclimation to stress. Research in the Vanlerberghe lab includes the analysis of transgenic or mutant plants modified in specific metabolic components and raised under controlled stress conditions in plant growth chambers. Current research projects are making use of confocal and fluorescent microscopy, qPCR, gas exchange analyses (O2 and CO2), chlorophyll fluorescence, organelle isolation and analyses, and numerous other biochemical and physiological analyses.