Metals such as iron, zinc, or copper, are micronutrients required for vital cellular processes. Paradoxically, these metals are potentially toxic due to the chemical properties that make them useful. Therefore, organisms have evolved delicate strategies to tightly maintain homeostasis of metals.  Research in my laboratory focuses on unraveling the molecular mechanisms that regulate iron homeostasis in plants, using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.  We are interested in understanding the molecular players involved in iron transport at the cellular and organellar level.  

Studying iron homeostasis in plants will not only offer the joy of basic scientific research, but could also impact human nutrition.  According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency in the most common nutritional disorder worldwide and the only nutrient deficiency prevalent in industrialized countries.  Given that plants are the major dietary source of iron worldwide, understanding plant iron homeostasis is pivotal for improving human nutrition via providing insights into biofortification that provides a sustainable solution to malnutrition worldwide.