The research interests in my laboratory focus on understanding the structure and biosynthesis of plant natural products. Currently, my lab is working on flavonoids, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenoids. We are using a combinatorial approach that includes phytochemistry, metabolomics, molecular biology and biochemistry to understand the structures and biogenesis of these compounds. Meanwhile, we are developing the three groups of metabolites as a platform to study the metabolic biology of plant natural products. We are applying our findings to establish metabolic engineering technology to modify crop plants to synthesize natural products for biofuel or to produce novel natural products for nutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals. In addition, we are interested in establishing novel approaches to screen for natural anti-cancer, anti-malaria, and anti-aging products.