How does water move through plants to get to the top of tall trees? Here we describe the pathways and mechanisms driving water uptake and transport through plants, and causes of flow disruption.

The optimal water transport system in plants should maximize hydraulic conductance (which is proportional to photosynthesis1,2,3,4,5) for a given investment in transport tissue.

Lucas studies the vascular transport systems, phloem and xylem, that plants use to move nutrients, minerals and signaling molecules throughout the body of the plant.

These technologically savvy plants were produced using the existing plant vascular system, so first-generation models are limited by the nature of their leafy hosts.

The circulatory system consists of three independent systems that work together: the heart (cardiovascular), lungs (pulmonary), and arteries, veins, coronary and portal vessels (systemic). The ...