My research addresses the physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of metal resistance in plants. The major focus of current work is on aluminum, the primary growth-limiting factor in acid soils, although work on cadmium is becoming increasingly important. We are seeking to understand the physiological and biochemical mechanisms by which certain plant species, cultivars, and ecotypes can grow in the face of severe metal stress, as well as the mechanisms of metal transport across the plasma membrane. We are also investigating potential interactions between phytotoxic metals under conditions of low ionic strength. Research is interdisciplinary in nature, utilizing a wide variety of physiological, biochemical, molecular, and genetic techniques on whole plant and cell culture systems.