** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PLANTS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT BY PRODUCING VARIOUS PHENOLIC CHEMICALS, CALLED PHENYLPROPANOIDS, WHICH NOT ONLY ACT AS A SIGNIFICANT CARBON SINK (E.G., LIGNIN) BUT ALSO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS, MEDICINES, AND VALUABLE BIOMATERIALS. THROUGH ADVANCED PLANT GENE EDITING AND SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY TECHNOLOGIES, WE NOW HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE THE NUTRITIONAL AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF CROPS AND DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE PLANT SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCING A VARIETY OF PHENOLIC CHEMICALS USING SUNLIGHT ENERGY AND CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) FROM THE AIR.PLANTS PRODUCE THESE PHENOLIC CHEMICALS PRIMARILY FROM AN AMINO ACID CALLED PHENYLALANINE. THE PD'S RECENT RESEARCH HAS IDENTIFIED GENETIC MUTATIONS THAT GREATLY INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF PHENYLALANINE FROM CO2 IN PLANTS. HOWEVER, THE PRODUCTION OF PHENYLPROPANOID COMPOUNDS REMAINED LARGELY UNCHANGED DUE TO LIMITATIONS IN THE METABOLISM OF PHENYLALANINE VIA THE GATE KEEPING ENZYME CALLED PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA LYASE (PAL). TO RESOLVE THIS CRITICAL BOTTLENECK, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW PAL ENZYMES ARE REGULATED, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO REDIRECT CARBON FLOW FROM THE ACCUMULATED PHENYLALANINE TOWARDS THE PRODUCTION OF THESE VALUABLE PHENYLPROPANOID COMPOUNDS IN PLANTS. BY GAINING FUNDAMENTAL INSIGHTS INTO PAL REGULATION THROUGH DETAILED BIOCHEMICAL AND PROTEIN STRUCTURE ANALYSES, THIS PROJECT FURTHER AIMS TO DEVELOP NEW STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING THE PRODUCTION OF PHENYLPROPANOIDS IN CROPS. THIS COULD LEAD TO THE GENERATION OF NUTRIENT-ENRICHED FOODS, NATURAL DYES, AND FLAVORS BY MODULATING NATIVE PLANT GENES. ADDITIONALLY, PLANTS ENGINEERED TO HAVE IMPROVED PRODUCTION OF PHENYLALANINE AND PHENYLPROPANOID COMPOUNDS COULD SERVE AS EFFICIENT SOURCES FOR A WIDE RANGE OF PHENOLIC CHEMICALS WITH NUTRITIONAL, MEDICINAL, AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS.