Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Floral nectaries in flowering plants (angiosperms) have evolved independently more than a hundred times. Across angiosperms, nectaries can arise from different floral organs, recruit distinct specialized cell types for nectar production, and employ a range of molecular and cellular mechanisms to secrete nectar. Despite this diversity, our understanding of nectary development and function remains limited to a few model species.

In our lab, we are expanding the current framework of nectary biology by establishing Aquilegia and Mimulus as novel, complementary systems for nectary research. These models allow us to investigate mechanisms underlying both nectary development and nectar secretion across divergent nectary types. We seek to understand how multiple cell types are spatially patterned and how their activities are coordinated to achieve the complex function of nectar secretion. In parallel, we leverage natural variation within Aquilegia and Mimulus  to explore how selective pressures drive structural changes in nectaries in natural populations.

Specifically, we integrate genetic screening, biochemical profiling, quantitative live imaging, single-cell transcriptomics, and evolutionary comparisons to address key questions:

1.     How is nectary identity specified?

2.     How is nectary differentiation regulated?

3.     How does nectar secretion occur across different nectary types?

4.     How have nectaries been modified across evolutionary timescales?