Effects of soil physical conditions on root growth. My interest is in the physical stresses experienced by roots growing in soil, with a particular focus on the effects of soil strength (mechanical impedance) and structure.
New methods of measuring and screening root systems, including electrical capacitance.
Border cell production by roots and their physical and biological roles in the rhizosphere.
Bioengineering slopes with root reinforcement. We are studying how roots mechanically support soil slopes. We are trying to unravel how root length density and orientation, root branching, and root strength contribute to soil reinforcement.
In-vivo imaging and analysis of root cell expansion. This work aims to develop powerful methods to analyze root growth responses to environmental perturbations. Confocal microscopy and computer vision techniques are being developed to track the growth of living root cells.