Research in my lab will focus on a fundamental question in biology; how do plants sense their environment and adapt? Because they are sessile, plants must use a wide range of sophisticated environmental signaling mechanisms to minimize stress so that they can thrive. Like other eukaryotes, plants can use their energy-producing organelles i.e. mitochondria and chloroplasts) as such sensors. In response to a changing environment or stress, these organelles can emit ‘retrograde’ signals that alter gene expression and/or cell physiology. This kind of signaling is important in plants, fungi, and animals and impacts diverse cellular functions including photosynthesis, energy production/storage, stress responses, growth, cell death, ageing, and tumor progression. Although many retrograde signaling pathways are known to exist in plants and other organisms, the mechanisms they use are poorly understood.