Howard Lab

Unlike most animals, plants cannot run away from creatures that want to eat them. However, they are masterful chemists and can defend themselves with potent toxins, such as cyanide. Our lab studies how plants protect themselves from hungry herbivores (especially insects) and how soil-dwelling microbes can support (or thwart) their efforts. We’re especially interested in the evolutionary consequences of microbial associations for plant defenses and how plant defenses affect the evolution of cooperation.