Three cell type-specific bHLH transcription factors, SPCH, MUTE, and FAMA, characterize the crucial cell types in the stomatal lineage. We use reporters of these genes to monitor lineage dynamics with the environment. In addition, we use a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) approach for developing M82 leaves under different environmental conditions. We create profiles that serve as the basis for a greater transcriptome-based understanding of tomato leaf cell identity, and cell type-specific responses to environmental cues.

We use genome-edited loss of function mutants and targeted editing of regulatory regions to manipulate stomatal properties and search for cis-regulatory regions on SlSPCH 5' to identify potential stomatal gene network candidates involved in SlSPCH regulation in response to environmental cues.

SPCH is a key regulator of stomatal development, and our research explores its transcriptional regulation in tomatoes, focusing on upstream signals, asymmetric cell division patterns, and environmental influences. We investigate how EPFs regulate stomatal spacing and formation, with potential agronomic applications for enhancing plant resilience to abiotic stress 

We employ a gene-editing approach utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 to generate loss-of-function mutants of tomato CAs to investigate the metabolic and anatomical factors that control and regulate mesophyll conductance (gm) to CO2 under both optimal and stress conditions. Simultaneously, we overexpress the CAs in tomato plants and create translation reporters to study the above physiological factors and uncover the CAs' subcellular localization and their specific function.

We use CRISPR-Cas9 system to knockout the aquaporins genes in tomato in order to unravel their functions in the regulatory mechanism of drought tolerance.