Eukaryotes and prokaryotes contain neutral lipids in subcellular droplets as food reserves and/or for other purposes. Among all of the lipid droplets in diverse organisms, those in plant seeds are the most prominent. Lipid droplets in higher plants are present in seeds, pollens, fruits and flowers. Lipids from plants are important for human and farm-animal nutrition as well as industrial uses. Plant storage lipid droplets are stabilized with abundant structural proteins called oleosins, which contain a long conserved central hydrophobic hairpin structure penetrating into the matrix of the droplet. Plant lipid droplets with oleosins covering the surface are also termed oil bodies. The expression of oleosin genes is regulated individually in a tissue-specific manner in coordination with the biogenesis of oil bodies. This dissertation aims at delineating the evolution and functions of oleosins and oil bodies in primitive and advanced plant species. I have found that the primitive plant moss, Physcomitrella patens, possesses 3 oleosin genes. I have delineated the early evolution of these oleosin genes and the storage functions of the oleosin- enclosed oil bodies. In addition to seeds, tapeta of Brassicaceae also contain numerous oleosin-coated oil bodies, which are associated with flavonoid-containing vesicles to form abundant tapetosomes. Species in Brassicaceae possess a cluster of 4-7 oleosin genes specifically expressed in tapeta. I have established quantitative adaptive benefit of the oleosin gene cluster members conferring dehydration-tolerant pollen. I have found that Cleomaceae, the family closest to Brassicacea, does not possess the oleosin gene cluster or tapetosomes. Transformation of Cleomecacea with an Arabidopsis oleosin gene generates primitive tapetosomes and dehydration-tolerant pollen.

There are two volumes to this dissertation: the first is a monograph, and the second is two music scores with the movies burned on one DVD, both of which are described below.

Volume I

Film score can be seen as one of the most prevailing music genres developing and popularizing since the first quarter of the 20th century. As a contemporary composer studying both classical music and film music, the interaction between a movie and its score is fascinating to me. However, a full, academic critical analysis of this relationship is still immature but deserves elaboration. The Hours is a 2002 drama film directed by Stephen Daldry, based on the 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Michael Cunningham. The score is written by one of the most famous minimalist composers, Philip Glass, who ends up writing an impressive score that not only serves the picture beautifully, but also forms all the numbers into a brilliant organism that has its own characters logically and can be appreciated independently because of the attractive aesthetics from classical music it achieves. This study illuminates the ways the cooperation between the score and the film, and discovers the delicate relationship between notes and images, both explicit and implicit. Moreover, this study points out the possibilities that a successful score can accomplish, holding up The Hours, as a model reference to composers studying or working for film music.

Volume II

1. Rescue (2013) is a short animated film directed by animator Po Chou Chi. The movie implicitly addresses global warming in an ironic but comedic way. I composed the music, with orchestral sound and a boys' choir, all produced on a computer through virtual instruments. The score mixes Hollywood epic music and jazz in order to a dark but humorous atmosphere. Unlike live movies, short animation has no dialogue and thus usually needs music throughout from beginning to end to enhance the action and evolution of the narration. The challenge is to make the score entertaining and dramatic while still allowing the music to maintain its independence rather than simply mimicking the characters' actions.

2. Extra Mile (2013) is a short film directed by Steven Liang, a melancholic and immersive story about a former female track star who is aging and unsure of herself. Living with and caring for her beloved husband who is suffering from dementia, she finally finds a way to run again by means of her husband's indescribable love, in silence. The director prefers a light and delicate score without too much music. My challenge was to write aerial but emotional pieces for sparse spaces. In the limited available blank, I tried to embed memorable motifs and tunes adequately to polish the movie, spanning over several scenes from start to finish. Moreover, during busy dialogues or loud ambient sounds, I had to find ways to tuck my music into the picture without distracting from the storytelling or bringing excessive attention to the music, a consideration less essential in a non-dialogue film.