Our research interests in protein science are broad, with an emphasis on the biochemical characterization of proteins to establish structure-activity relationships, protein engineering for altering protein function, protein folding, protein stability and protein-protein interactions. As the genome sequencing projects ‘unravel’ the primary structure of proteins, the crux of the issue becomes not the sequence per se but the characterization of proteins (i.e. post-translational modifications) and establishing function not only in isolation but through a network of interactions. Elucidation of the signal transduction pathways is expected to provide key insights into strategies to produce grain for food, feed and renewable fuels.