Guest Editors
Yee-Shan Ku
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology
Dr. Yee-Shan Ku is a post-doctoral researcher at the School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr. Ku has been researching plant molecular biology for more than a decade. Her research focuses on plant stress adaptability, secondary metabolite, and plant-microbe interaction. Dr. Ku has published research papers on functional studies of genes, including those involved in signaling events, hormonal response, stress tolerance, and nutrient uptake in plants. In addition, she has also published research papers on the studies of transcriptomics and proteomics. She is an active reviewer and editor for peer-reviewed international journals. Besides working in the laboratory for molecular research, Dr. Ku also works in the field to study plant growth, plant-microbe interaction, and crop nutrients. Dr. Ku appreciates the sophistication of molecular analysis and the authenticity of fieldwork.
Hon-Ming Lam
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology
Professor Hon-Ming Lam, Choh-Ming Li Professor of Life Sciences at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, currently serves as the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) and the Director of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council-Area of Excellence Center for Genomic Studies on Plant-Environment Interaction for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security. Professor Lam is a plant molecular and genomic biologist who has been working on soybean research for more than two decades. He is a pioneer in soybean genomic and genetic research and is committed to promoting sustainable agricultural development through his research. Professor Lam’s pioneer work on soybean genomic studies has brought significant insights into the importance of wild soybean resources. He has published over 170 papers in internationally renowned journals. His team is among the pioneers who used the genomic approach to explore restless soybean genomes: to first show their high genomic diversity using whole-genome sequencing (Nature Genetics, 2010), to first clone the causal gene in the salt tolerance QTL of soybean, and to complete the world’s first reference-grade wild soybean genome. Through collaboration with breeders, part of Professor Lam’s research has also been translated to the generation of new stress-tolerant soybeans for distribution to subsistence farmers.
Collection Overview
The root is the primary organ of plants for water and nutrient uptake. The morphology of the root is closely related to its uptake efficiency. For example, a larger total surface area of the heart promotes water and nutrient uptake, while different root angles facilitate the uptake of water and nutrients from different soil layers. Inside the soil, the root is constantly interacting with various microbes. One well-known example is the nitrogen-fixing interaction between legumes and rhizobia. Besides endophytes such as rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizae, plant roots also interact with various free-living microbes, which could be growth-promoting or pathogenic. The rhizosphere is a hotspot of signal exchange between the plant and the surrounding microbes. Molecules, including mobile nucleic acids, flavonoids, and small peptides, are involved in the signaling events. Root biology has been studied using a variety of approaches. For example, greenhouses commonly use hydroponic culture and root bags, while laboratories use gel-based growth media. Observing root growth in the field requires different strategies depending on the soil type. Besides watching root growth, the methods for detecting microbes, signaling molecules, and nutrients in the rhizosphere vary according to soil and plant type. This Methods Collection will explore methods for studying roots and rhizosphere at the laboratory, greenhouse, and field scales. This collection of skills developed in studying various plant and soil types will synergistically affect the research field.
