Torii, Keiko

The Torii Lab studies stem cell renewal, cell-cell communication, and functional tissue patterning during Arabidopsis organ morphogenesis and stomatal development.

Development and regeneration of multicellular organisms rely on cell-cell interactions that specify cell fate. Within the context of developmental programs, individual cells receive and interpret "positional cues" and undergo proliferation and differentiation in an orderly manner. Because of the presence of cell walls, plants achieve tissue and organ morphogenesis in the absence of cell migration.

How can plant cells make fate decisions and coordinate differentiation within the context of multicellularity? We address such fundamental questions in developmental biology through integrated and cross-disciplinary approaches that include genetics, systems biology, bionanomaterials science and protein biochemistry, and live imaging.