Research Interests
Plants have evolved intricate defense mechanisms to protect themselves against natural enemies. These organisms, including insect herbivores, have also evolved counter-adaptations to overcome these defenses in a process known as coevolution. Despite the long-recognized importance of this classical framework, a critical gap remains in integrating large-scale comparative genomic datasets with the structural properties of phytochemical defenses. To address this gap, my research investigates the evolutionary events underlying host plant adaptation by integrating comparative genomics and functional biochemistry. This work provides background knowledge that bridges the gap between genomic diversity and chemical ecology, offering a comprehensive view of evolutionary adaptation.