This $259,861 project grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program will investigate the involvement of lipid droplets in the intracellular trafficking and storage of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in plants. The research will employ a multidisciplinary approach, including -omics, biochemical, genetic, and cellular imaging techniques, to characterize the lipids and proteins involved in lipid droplet formation, elucidate the role of lipid droplets in VOC emission and toxicity prevention, and determine how lipid droplet dynamics influence VOC trafficking during plant development and in response to environmental changes. The project will use roses, petunias, and pelargonium as model systems to compare the contributions of lipid droplets to the emission of different VOC classes. This collaborative US/France project is jointly funded by the NSF and the French National Research Agency, with the NSF supporting the US investigators at Purdue University. The research aims to provide new insights into the biological mechanisms of VOC trafficking and storage in plants, with potential practical impacts on enhancing the accumulation or altering the release of valuable plant-derived compounds.