Ever since the endosymbiotic transfer of plastid genes to the host genome, the development, maintenance and metabolic activity of the plastid have been largely dependent on coordinated gene expression between the host and the endosymbiont, despite the fact that they are physically and biochemically distinct. As the crucial metabolic processes of photosynthesis and photorespiration as well as generation of myriad of molecules including amino acid, secondary metabolite, fatty acid, chemical energy and plant hormones take place in plastid, plastid-to-nucleus retrograde signaling has indispensably evolved. This retrograde communication is essential not only for the biogenesis of plastid but also to integrate a multitude of environmental signals into responses assisting in the fine-tuning of plant development.Hence, a rapid adjustment of plastid homeostasis is possible with the communication, which eventually becomes vital for plants to acclimate under the fluctuating environment. 

The primary research themes in the Kim laboratory are perception/responding mechanism of chloroplast to stress, chloroplast-to-nucleus signaling, and chloroplast-mediated stress response including growth inhibition, acclimation and cell death. In addition, we will try to understand the mechanism that underlies chloroplast-mitochondria communication and chloroplast-dependent epigenetic inheritance. In this context, we may eventually understand how chloroplast acts as sensor of multitude of environmental factors and affects plant growth and productivity. The research approach utilizes genetic screen, deep sequencing, proteomics, 540 chloroplast homozygous mutant lines, metabolomics, cell biology and biochemistry in conjunction with plant physiology. 

研究生

2014.8- 至今：  中国科学院上海生命科学研究院，上海植物逆境生物学中心，研究员

2008.4- 2014.7：博伊斯汤普森研究所，康奈尔大学（美国），研究助理

2006.7- 2008.3：瑞士苏黎世联邦理工学院，研究组长

2004.7- 2006.7：瑞士苏黎世联邦理工大学，博士后，导师：Klaus Apel教授