For the past 30 years, HHMI Investigator Keiko Torii has been studying how plants use molecular systems to adapt to their surroundings. Her research at the University of Texas at Austin has uncovered the ways plants control growth and development, particularly the formation of stomata—tiny pores on leaves that allow for gas exchange and water vapor release. These pores are vital for plant survival, as they regulate water loss and enable carbon dioxide intake for photosynthesis. Torii’s work has helped scientists understand how plants coordinate these processes through cellular communication. Early in her career, Torii was part of a team that discovered a key protein called ERECTA. This receptor spans the plant cell membrane and helps cells receive signals from their neighbors. These signals are crucial for regulating growth and the development of stomata. When ERECTA is activated, it initiates a chain of reactions inside the cell that can turn specific genes on or off. These genes include "master regulators" that control the formation of stomata, such as SCREAM, SPEECHLESS, and MUTE. Torii's team identified these genes and their roles in directing stomata development. Recently, Torii and her team have focused on the proteins that interact with ERECTA when it is activated. They discovered that certain proteins help move ERECTA to internal vesicles and eventually to the plant’s vacuoles—organs that break down cellular components. This process marks the receptor for degradation, effectively turning off its signaling. In parallel research, scientists have shown how activated ERECTA receptors are targeted for breakdown, providing insight into how plants control their developmental signals. Torii’s research also explores how plant development interacts with immune responses. Plants have receptors that detect pathogens and trigger immune responses, which can close stomata to prevent bacterial entry. Interestingly, these immune receptors resemble ERECTA and use similar signaling pathways, despite having different functions. Under certain conditions, the immune response can override the developmental pathway, reducing the number of stomata to limit pathogen entry. Torii’s team has identified the conditions under which this happens and is now working to understand how the plant distinguishes between immune and developmental signals. Torii’s studies use Arabidopsis, a widely used model plant in biology. However, the genetic mechanisms she is uncovering are relevant to all land plants, including food crops. Understanding how these pathways evolved and how they respond to environmental stressors like drought, heat, and climate change could help develop crops that are more resilient and efficient in water use. Additionally, the team is investigating how plants that live underwater, which don’t require stomata, manage to suppress the genes responsible for their development. This research may lead to new ways to enhance plant resilience in a changing world.