​The ACU Lab at Fresno State

What keeps us busy:

My research program involves graduate (M.S.) and undergraduate students. Our main research interests are: 1) molecular genetics of programmed cell death (PCD) in plants; 2) use of PCD in plant biotechnology; 3) PCD during sex determination in plants; 4) transgenic plant development and plant biotechnology; 5) Biofuels and other metabolites from algae. Currently we are focusing on the following projects:

Project 1. Novel alternatives for plant protection against nematodes: the use of programmed cell death and organic chalcones:

A major problem facing agricultural production in the San Joaquin Valley in California, as well as other agricultural centers of the world, is the management of nematode pests. Parasitic plant nematodes result in an estimated $10 billion a year loss to U.S. agriculture, and nearly $100 billion loss worldwide. Economic loss is not the only problem associated with plant pathogenic nematodes. The best defense against nematode pests is the use of methyl bromide, a chemical of great environmental hazard scheduled to be phased-out from U.S. agriculture and completely banned in the year 2005. Hence new approaches to control nematode pests that are both effective and environmentally friendly are urgently needed. In one approach we are addressing the possibility to use nematode cell suicide genes in transgenic plants as a mechanism to control nematode infestation. In a second approach, we are testing certain organic chalcones as effective chemicals to control plant parasitic nematodes.

Project 2. Algae for biofuel and secondary metabolite production

One goal of our lab is to investigate the feasibility of producing biodiesel from algae in waste water discharged by the local dairy and fruit processing industry. To achieve this objective we conduct research to optimize growth conditions in waste water by changing the environmental parameters and hence finding optimum conditions for algal growth in waste water. We also conduct research to identify bio-markers as indicators of oil production using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The lab also aims to increase the quantity and quantity of oil produced in the algae by genetic engineering.