A profile published Oct. 13, 2026, describes the research of David Des Marais, director of the Parsons Laboratory in MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His lab studies how plants interact with water, temperature and nutrients, and how evolutionary forces change plant populations over time. Des Marais says a goal is linking specific molecules to how a plant functions within an ecosystem.

One current project, as reported at that date, looks at how climate change will affect red oak trees, a carbon sink, and at plants important to food systems. Des Marais said climate change affects plant function and nutrition, and will influence where crops can be grown efficiently and how they reach consumers.

The lab also examines how plants regulate growth, reproduction and germination. Des Marais described plants as foundational to the food chain and said photosynthesis efficiency affects nutrition, carbon cycling and water cycling.