I undertake research in the fields of structural biology and biophysics. My aim is to elucidate, in precise molecular terms, how enzymes and regulatory proteins operate during normal plant growth and in response to abiotic stresses. Direct applications of my research include the design of engineered molecules with specific properties. This knowledge can be introduced into crop plants through bioengineering to provide workable solutions for optimised biological systems to contribute to a sustainable and healthy society. To tackle the challenging aspects of structural and functional relationships of proteins, I have developed interdisciplinary expertise in computational chemistry, molecular modelling, X-ray crystallography, biochemistry, and modelling biology, electrophysiology, phylogenomics, and chemo-informatics. I have co-authored 142 works, listed on Web of Science, including 16 invited reviews and 14 articles featured on front covers. My articles received around 10,000 citations and were published in top-tier journals such as Science, Nature Communications, Communications Biology, Cell Research, Biotechnology Advances, Plant Cell, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and the American Chemical Society. My interests are in three areas: (i) Enzymes involved in plant growth and development; (ii) Membrane proteins underlying salinity and mineral toxicity; (iii) Transcription factors involved in the regulation of plant responses to water deficit.