From plant to plate
Jiang Liwen uncovers the mystery of vacuoles for a food-secure future
11 February 2026
This is part two of our series that talks to principal investigators of the four pioneering research projects that have received funds from the Research Grants Council’s under the Areas of Excellence Scheme and Theme-based Research Scheme 2025–26.
As climate change puts ever-growing stress on global food production, raising crop resilience is a central issue for scientists worldwide. At CUHK, a team of researchers are trying to solve a decades-long mystery: how a plant vacuole, a cell component filled with water, is formed and adapts in size and shape to environmental stresses. Uncovering this mechanism will mark a huge step forward in the bid to raise agricultural productivity.
The team, led by Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (External Affairs), and Choh-ming Li Professor of Life Sciences Jiang Liwen, has captured 3D images of vacuoles at nanoscale, revealing for the first time the complete process of vacuole fusion and fission in plant cells. With funding support from the HKSAR Government’s Area of Excellence (AoE) Scheme last year, the team is establishing a centre dedicated to innovative research on plant vacuole biology and biotechnology, applying their discoveries to raise the yield of crops such as rice and soy beans.
The central role of the plant vacuole
Professor Jiang’s journey into this microscopic world began over two decades ago. “I started this journey mapping the process of protein trafficking in and out of vacuoles,” he says. “Now, our research has broadened to fundamental questions about vacuole formation and their interactions with other organelles. We’re looking into the entire cell as an integrated system.”
Plant vacuoles are indispensable components of plant cells, playing essential roles in cellular recycling and homeostasis, maintenance of the balance of water and nutrient intake, temperature and gas exchange in plants. They dynamically alter their size and shape throughout a plant’s life. This adaptability is a primary mechanism through which plants respond to environmental stresses.
As much as the crucial role of vacuoles is recognised, a knowledge gap persisted until Professor Jiang and his team completed their whole-cell electron tomography analysis in 2019, bringing the nanoscale world of the vacuole into sharp focus.
“A thorough understanding of the mechanisms of the vacuole will allow for the development of innovative biotechnology applications that increase agricultural productivity and enhance crop resilience to abiotic stresses, including heat, salt and drought,” Professor Jiang notes, referring to stresses that come from non-living organisms.
Seeing is believing
“To understand a subject, we must first be able to see it clearly with our eyes,” he adds. “Our laboratory houses the first electron tomography microscope in Hong Kong or the Chinese Mainland. It can achieve nanometre-resolution imaging, allowing us to see the 3D dynamics of vacuoles – a level of detail that was previously invisible.”
With this technology, the team is able to observe how vacuoles undergo membrane fission and fusion in the course of the cell cycle and in adaptation to changing environmental conditions. This clear vision is the cornerstone of their efforts to engineer more resilient and productive crops, with the goal of boosting yields, quality and resistance to environmental and biological stresses.
Professor Jiang emphasises the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest science to advance his research. The team is collaborating with an AI expert from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to facilitate complex modelling processes and boost the efficiency and comprehensiveness of the research.
Translating discovery into impact
A key part of the research involves tests on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, or thale cress, which has a short life cycle. The team use it for genetic modification, a process that serves as a critical proof of concept before applying its findings to staple crops.
According to Professor Jiang, the team outlined three objectives for the AoE: to continue foundational research on vacuole formation; to study how they interact with other organelles under different environmental conditions; and to apply test results about model plants to real-world crops such as rice and soybeans.
Uncovering the cellular and genetic mechanisms that govern vacuole function is the first step towards tangible applications. With the AoE’s support, Professor Jiang is establishing a Centre for Plant Vacuole Biology and Biotechnology, which integrates research in cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology and AI.
“In a world facing escalating pressures from climate change, such advances are essential to safeguard global food security,” he says. “Not only will the Centre translate research outcomes into real-world benefits, it will also position Hong Kong as an international leader in cutting-edge scientific research and in biotechnology.”
One of the Centre’s missions is to become a premier education and research hub for training the next generation of young scientists and biologists in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and beyond.
“I am happy to see many young researchers from various disciplines joining our team. This is where experts from biomedical engineering, structural biology and other fields converge with a shared purpose: to solve global challenges and strive for a better tomorrow,” concludes Professor Jiang.
By Gillian Cheng
Photos by Steven Yan
