Smith studies the metabolism in plants of
starch and
sucrose – the
carbohydrate products of
photosynthesis that fuel
plant growth. Her research has uncovered
metabolic pathways responsible for the synthesis and degradation of starch granules in plants. She showed that these processes in leaves are subject to complex control by the
circadian clock over the
day-night cycle, ensuring the availability of carbohydrate to fuel metabolism during the night. Her focus is now on the mechanisms underlying this control, and the way in which
carbohydrate availability is integrated with other sources of information to determine rates and patterns of growth and development in plants. Smith uses information from her fundamental studies to examine starch turnover in
crop plants. Current research on starch synthesis in
cereal grains has the potential to increase
crop yield, and to change important functional and nutritional properties of flour. With
George Coupland,
Liam Dolan,
Nicholas Harberd,
Jonathan D. G. Jones,
Cathie Martin, Robert Sablowski and Abigail Amey, Alison is a co-author of the textbook
Plant Biology. ==Awards and honours==