Looking out the window in most parts of BC, what do we see? Trees, lots of them, covering the landscape and seemingly standing still. But they aren’t, trees are always ready to defend themselves or ward off attacks – from the weather or insects.

Trees, like all plants, respond very quickly to changes in their environments. The moment sunlight falls on a shaded leaf, or when the temperature drops, or a pest begins to bore into the bark, the tree’s cells respond through rapid biochemical changes. Such a quick response allows the tree to adapt to freezing, drought, and even fight off insect pests.

Peter Constabel from the University of Victoria and his students look at how poplar tree cells, and the genes in those cells, defend the tree from insects. His work has shown that damaged poplar leaves produce proteins that prevent caterpillars from digesting their food! Now that is a recipe for an upset stomach.