Robert L. Last
Robert L. Last is a plant biochemical
genomicist who studies metabolic processes that protect plants from the environment and produce products important for animal and human nutrition. His research has covered (1) production and breakdown of
essential amino acids, (2) the synthesis and protective roles of
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and
Vitamin E (
tocopherols) as well as identification of mechanisms that protect
photosystem II from damage, and (3) synthesis and biological functions of plant protective specialized metabolites (plant
secondary metabolites). Four central questions are: (i) how are leaf and seed amino acids levels regulated, (ii.) what mechanisms protect and repair photosystem II from stress-induced damage, (iii.) how do plants produce protective metabolites in their glandular secreting trichomes (iv.) and what are the evolutionary mechanisms that contribute to the tremendous diversity of specialized metabolites that protect plants from insects and pathogens and are used as therapeutic agents.
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