Lorena Rios-Acosta, NSF Graduate Fellow, Department of Plant Biology
Email: rios.lorena30@gmail.com
Education:
Ph.D, Plant Biology expected 2017
Concentrations: Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
Dissertation title: Effect of elevated ozone on maize male and female reproductive organs
Bachelor of Science, Industrial Biotechnology 2012
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR
Research:
Tropospheric ozone (O3), an air pollutant, concentrations are predicted to increase 20% by 2050. Plant exposure to O3) induces oxidative stress through reactive oxygen species (ROS) derivatives. It can affect metabolic pathways, speed up senescence, and damage reproductive structures all of which reduce crop yield. However, the sensitivity of C4 plants to O3 exposure has not been studied thoroughly since it is believed that because of the low stomatal conductance of C4 plants O3 effects would be negligible. As part of my thesis project, I planned to evaluate the effect of elevated O3 on maize male and female reproductive organs.