I have been a Master’s Candidate at Texas Tech University since September 2005. My research interests are focused on Plant Physiology and specifically on how plants respond to environmental conditions, especially if the conditions are drastically changed.
Research
My thesis project started on January 2006, supported by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). The main goal of this project is to examine the effects of elevated CO2 concentration on growth, physiology and biochemistry of two onion species – Allium cepa and A. fistulosum. These onions were grown hydroponically in a controlled environment (EGC) for three months. So far, two experiments have been done and the third one started in December 2006.
Expected date for my graduation is December 2007.
Skills
The measurements that have been taken during the NASA project, like light curves (AQ), CO2 curves (ACi) and Daily Carbon Gain (DCG), required use of the LiCor 6400.
The samples from plants after destructive harvest are being used for TNC (Total Non-structural Carbohydrates) analysis.
The samples from the plants while they were still in a closed environment (EGC) were being taken for Rubisco analysis.