Dr. Yann-Ru Lou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Biology. Her lab focuses on implementing synthetic biology and biochemistry approaches to investigate the evolutionary trajectories of plant chemical diversity. I joined Dr. Lou’s lab in the Spring Quarter of my first year and enjoyed every moment of learning about research practices and working with nightshade plant metabolites. Nightshade plants belong to the Solanaceae family, including tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. The Solanaceae family produces acyl sugars, which are specialized metabolites for plant herbivory defense against insects and other pests. I would like to thank Dr. Lou for sharing her thoughts on science communication and giving us an opportunity to learn more about her research. Hope everyone enjoys this lab spotlight!