Understanding the Hidden Language of Plants

Plants navigate two distinct environments simultaneously: their roots anchor them in soil, while their shoots interact with the air. To thrive in both spaces, plants rely on intricate internal communication systems that transmit information from root to shoot and back again. These interactions occur across multiple scales, from cell-to-cell, root to shoot, in complex exchanges between plants and their environment. Until now, scientists have only been able to capture static glimpses of these conversations.

Our Plant Communications team studies how plants communicate with each other and their environment. By unlocking this biological language, we’re creating new ways for plants, people, and ecosystems to interact.

Leads Margaret Frank, Jesse Woodson

Senior Personnel Sijin Li, Abraham Stroock, Lav Varshney, Jesse Woodson, Robert Shepherd, Michael Gore, Mark Beilstein, Joyce Van Eck

Research Goals: Through active exploration and experimentation, the team focuses on:

  • Decoding Biological Language: Identifying the foundational principles of how plants communicate within themselves and with their environment.
  • Mapping the Rhizosphere: Unraveling the complex underground networks of biology, biogeochemistry, and physics that support plant growth.
  • Enhancing Plant-Environment Interactions: Promoting beneficial relationships between plants and their surroundings to improve agricultural outcomes.

Objectives:

  • Use synthetic biology tools to uncover and enhance plant communication systems.
  • Explore the intricate networks that drive dynamic communication between plants and their environment.
  • Access and analyze the “dark matter” of belowground environments, including microbial and physical interactions.