Research interests
My research is focused on adaptations associated with shifts between terrestrial and aquatic lifestyles during plant evolution. I am broadly interested in the genetic basis of physiological traits that evolve under radically different environmental conditions upon the colonization of new ecosystems. Because internal and external microbial communities are invariably intertwined with plants in natural environments, I am also interested in the broader consequences of the movements of plants and their associated microbiomes between habitats, whether transitions between emerged and submerged environments, or introductions of non-native plants to new locations.
Transitions between aquatic and terrestrial environments.
The colonization of land is a key event in the evolutionary history of life on Earth. Barren continents were sowed with life forms that once inhabited the oceans and in time, evolved to thrive in the harsh conditions of land shaping the planet as we know it. During the transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments these early land colonizers, including green plants, needed to cope with the low humidity, high light, and temperature swings characteristics of land. Clearly, desiccation tolerance was one of the essential adaptations acquired during terrestrialization.
Microbiome and host interaction.
Bacteria can have highly beneficial effects on plants and algae by providing protection against pathogenic agents by mechanisms that can range from out-competing pathogens in spatial distribution to the production of antibiotic agents. At the global scale, host-associated bacteria are involved in biogeochemical processes such as carbon and nitrogen cycles, nitrogen fixation, and pollutant degradation.
Phylogeography and conservation
The genetic variation present in different plant populations is the direct consequence of their life cycles and history. Random events and even human interventions can alter and reduce the variability of a population compromising its potential response and resilience in the face of upcoming adverse events. Also, it allows us to elucidate how climatic history has shaped the distribution of land plants. The study of population diversity in extant populations provides quantifiable risk assessments to address conservation actions both in situ and ex-situ.