{"id":16,"date":"2015-10-01T12:31:11","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T19:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/labs.wsu.edu\/knoblauch\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2026-07-30T09:51:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T16:51:22","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/labs.wsu.edu\/knoblauch\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\r\n\t\tIf you feel like this about Plant Sciences, you are at the right place<\/strong>\t<\/h1>\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\t<\/header>\r\n\n\n\n
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\r\n\t\tPlant Cell Biology Group, School of Biological Sciences\t<\/h1>\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n\t<\/header>\r\n\n\n\n

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The phloem is one of the central tissues in the plant. It is notoriously difficult to access and to investigate, because it is usually covered by a thick layer of opaque tissues. Other tissues that are deeply embedded in the plant body can often be isolated for cell biological investigations with good results, because individual cells remain functional when separated. The phloem, in contrast, forms a network of tubes of low resistance throughout the plant, and the driving forces for long distance transport and unloading are generated in distant organs. Detachment from either sink or source leads to an instant cessation of transport function and the emergence of structural artifacts. Yet, the phloem is a key player in plant performance. Virtually all terrestrial energy-rich substances that form the basis of human food sources (including cereals, fruits, roots and tuber crops) as well as nearly all carbon sequestered in forest ecosystems are translocated via the phloem. In addition, the phloem serves as the primary channel for long-distance signaling and communication between plant organs, transmitting information about biotic and abiotic stresses and enabling coordinated systemic responses. Co-evolution has led to an armada of pests and pathogens exploiting the phloem network. Piercing insects such as aphids directly feed on the nutritional phloem sap. Plant viruses, bacteria and phytoplasma utilize sieve tubes for systemic spread and infection, leading to massive crop losses every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although considerable efforts have been devoted to improving photosynthetic activity, corresponding increases in crop yield have not been achieved. Limited knowledge of phloem-mediated loading, transport, and unloading of photoassimilates represents an important constraint for further productivity gains. Similarly, our capabilities of fighting devastating diseases such as huanglongbing and others are very limited as the interaction with the sieve element and it\u2019s organelles are practically unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have developed multiple in situ<\/em> techniques to study phloem structure\/function relations and plant pest interactions. In addition, we study plasmodesmata as their function is closely related to phloem function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more about our research.<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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