CReAtE Lab Showcases Research and Connects with Global Experts at ASPB Plant Biology 2026

The CReAtE Lab recently wrapped up a successful showing at ASPB Plant Biology 2026! The lab was represented by Professor Eunyu Kim, Yicheng Liu, and Tommy Li, alongside collaborator Professor Jang Yong Kim from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU).

Our team presented three posters highlighting the lab’s diverse research directions:

1. Yicheng Liu – “Lipid Droplets and Plant Viruses: An Overlooked Connection” Yicheng’s poster generated significant buzz, drawing visits and insightful discussions from around 20 research groups interested in our lipid droplet (LD)–virus research.
2. Tommy Li – “Desmodesmus ecotolerans: A Novel Climate-Resilient Microalga with Enhanced Electron Production Capacity” Tommy joined the meeting to present our novel Desmodesmus–BPV project (led by Hyeonsik Yoon and Dr. Joong-Tak Yoon), excelling at engaging attendees on bio-photovoltaics and climate resilience.
3. Professor Eunyu Kim – “The Stress-Responsive Lipid Droplet-Associated Protein SRP2/LDAP2 Associates with Plant m6A Reader Proteins” Professor Kim presented the SRP2/LDAP2–virus project (led by Dr. Joong-Tak Yoon and Shaban Muhammad). This session was especially meaningful as ASPB President Professor Kent Chapman—who first discovered the LDAP/SRP protein family—was in attendance.

Beyond sharing our findings, the conference opened exciting avenues for future international collaborations, particularly surrounding our LD–virus work and plant-sensing device technologies. Notably, multiple visiting faculty members praised the exceptional quality, critical thinking, and dedication displayed by our student researchers.

Special thanks to Yicheng and Tommy for their hard work throughout the conference. Let’s keep building an even stronger CReAtE Lab together!

📸 Event Moments

Dated: July 22, 2026.