Nectary development, structure and function in relation to angiosperm reproductive biology

我的研究计划强调开花植物的生殖生物学的花卉特征-特别是花蜜腺的结构和功能-导致各种游客对花卉的吸引力。 因此，我们研究了许多生物媒介（昆虫，鸟类，蝙蝠和其他动物）授粉的主要花卉食物来源（花蜜）的生产，因此是地球上已知的最重要和最古老的植物-动物相互作用之一的基础。 由于这种授粉活动导致了人类饮食中无数农业和园艺品种的水果和种子的有性繁殖，加上导致了地球上大多数生物群落中几种非农业物种的繁殖，因此花蜜和产生花蜜的小型腺体（蜜腺）对于确保全世界健康，营养丰富的人类人口的饮食需求非常重要。 与此同时，许多国家依赖蜂蜜作为甜味剂，并将其作为直接来自蜜蜂采集的花蜜的珍贵天然食物来源。 因此，在这一领域开展的与人类粮食生产密切相关的研究将继续每天带来好处。

My research program emphasizes floral features of the reproductive biology of flowering plants - especially the structure and function of floral nectaries - leading to the attraction of a variety of visitors to flowers. Thus, we investigate production of the main floral food source (nectar) of many biotic agents (insects, birds, bats and other animals) of pollination, and hence the foundation for one of the most important and oldest plant-animal interactions known on earth. Because this pollinating activity leads to the sexual reproduction of countless agricultural and horticultural varieties of fruits and seeds for mankind's diet, plus results in the propagation of several non-agricultural species in most of earth's biomes, floral nectar and the diminutive glands (nectaries) that produce it are extremely significant for securing the dietary demands of a healthy, sufficiently-nourished human population across the world. At the same time, many nations rely on honey as a sweetener and as a prized, natural source of food derived directly from nectar collected by honey bees. Thus, research undertaken in this field so relevant to human food production will continue to provide benefits, on a daily basis.