Jose Ramon Planta heads the Plant Integrative Genomics and Genetics Laboratory at NIMBB – UP Diliman, which specializes in the molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms that regulate crop resilience and nutritional quality. The lab’s research focuses on two economically and culturally vital crops: abaca (Musa textilis Née) and adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi). In abaca research, the lab investigates crop responses to abiotic stress, specifically genotoxic and drought stresses. This includes leveraging chemical mutagenesis to develop new varieties, mapping the molecular and biochemical pathways of drought tolerance, and exploring mechanisms underlying plant stress memory. In adlay genomics, the lab focuses on characterizing and manipulating seed storage proteins to optimize the crop’s nutritional profile. To drive these discoveries, the lab uses a multidisciplinary approach that integrates molecular biology, bioinformatics, tissue culture, and plant transformation techniques (both Agrobacterium-mediated and particle bombardment).