1. Root-associated microbiome and sustainable agriculture:

Soil microorganisms are closely related to plant growth and health maintenance. Through metagenomics and statistical approaches, we have identified specific microorganisms closely associated with plants in different habitats and investigated how plants regulate microbial dynamics to adapt to environmental stresses. In addition, we have studied the effects of plant diversity in grass-covered orchards (cover cropping) on soil microorganisms in pomelo orchards, in order to understand the mechanisms of nutrient cycling in soils. These results have agricultural application value, as soil microorganisms can be utilized to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, thereby achieving environmental sustainability.

2. Molecular evolution of rapid plant movement:

Some plants interact with their environment through specialized motor organs, a phenomenon that has attracted the interest of biologists, particularly rapid seismonastic movement. The genus Mimosa includes species with different movement abilities. For example, Mimosa pudica can rapidly fold its leaves, whereas Mimosa diplotricha and Mimosa pigra are less sensitive. In collaboration with Professor Mitsuyasu Hasebe at NIBB, Japan, we obtained genomic information of Mimosa and are currently extending our studies to other Mimosa species in order to elucidate the evolutionary history of rapid plant movement.

• Received the Teaching Innovation Award – EMI Teaching Category, National Cheng Kung University (Academic Year 2024)
• Published 11 SCI-indexed journal papers in the past five years, 9 of which are in Q1 journals, with an average Impact Factor (2017) of 4.65 per paper
• Currently leading one project funded by the National Science and Technology Council and one project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture