Research from the NC Agricultural Research Service

"Dr. Tzung-Fu Hsieh specializes in systems biology, a relatively new research field which studies  interactions between the components of biological systems, and how those relationships affect system functions and behaviors. His area of focus is known as epigenetics, which seeks to understand changes in gene behaviors which are caused by factors other than mutations in DNA.

 

Epigenetics plays an important role in plant development.

 

For example, Hsieh studies the development of endosperms, the placenta-like tissue inside the seeds of most flowering plants, that nourish the embryo. Endosperm plays a critical role in human nutrition and health, accounting for more than 75 percent of the world’s food supply, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). That’s because cereal crops like corn, rice and wheat – some of the most widely produced crops in the world – are harvested for their grains, which are mostly endosperm."

 

See full press release on the PHHI web site for more details on their newest researcher.

http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/