My research centers on inter- and intra-cellular signaling in plant reproduction. We currently have two main research foci: 1) Intracellular signaling in pollen development and tube growth; in particular we are studying the role of calcium-dependent protein kinase signaling transduction in regulating pollen tube growth and polarity, and also the regulation of endo- and exocytosis in pollen tube growth. 2) The array of self-incompatibility mechanisms deployed by plants to prevent self-fertilization and inbreeding; we are investigating the molecular basis of heteromorphic self-incompatibility in Primula. This breeding system, in which a number of morphological and physiological traits vary between mating types, is controlled by a single multi-gene locus termed S. We are using genomic techniques to clone the S-locus region and identify the genes which it encodes. My laboratory uses a wide array of biochemical, cell, molecular genetic and genomic techniques to identify genes of interest and dissect their function
