Plants cannot move freely from one place to another. As a result, they must survive under various environmental stresses, such as extreme heat and drought, as well as attacks from herbivores and pathogens. To cope with these challenges, plants have developed unique strategies over the course of evolution.

One of the key strategies involves the production of small natural organic compounds known as plant hormones and secondary metabolites (specialized metabolites). These nano-sized chemical molecules play indispensable roles in protecting plants and regulating their growth.

In our laboratory, we focus on uncovering the functions of these plant-derived molecules through the perspectives of bioorganic chemistry, chemical biology, and biochemistry. We also design and synthesize novel small molecules, aiming to gain deeper chemical insights into the survival strategies of plants.

Our research approach is highly interdisciplinary, combining organic synthesis, genetic engineering, enzyme chemistry, biological assays, and the isolation and structural elucidation of natural compounds. This integration of chemistry and biology represents a distinctive feature of our laboratory.