Research

Dr. Lucas is interested in the role of the plant vascular system in the delivery of both essential nutrients and signaling molecules to various tissues and organs, to orchestrate plant growth and development. One aspect of particular interest relates to function of the phloem translocation system as a unique metabolic space within the plant vascular system. This system presents an exciting opportunity to engineer metabolite tailoring for delivery of novel secondary metabolites to targeted tissues, such as young developing leaves. Insights gained from such studies can be applied to delivery systems engineered for tea plants.