Join us for a webinar featuring Grace Jia, an ORISE research fellow in the lab of Dr. Andrew Groover at the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. Grace brings a wealth of expertise, having graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and obtaining an M.S. in Biology from Tufts University. The Groover lab focuses on utilizing genetic and genomic tools to unravel the growth and physiology of trees. Projects include investigating genetic regulation of wood formation in response to drought stress, developing proteomic approaches for studying wood traits, and combating invasive tree pathogens. In this webinar, Grace will delve into the Groover lab’s work on American chestnut trees and the analysis of woody plant tissues.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the growth and interaction of the pathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica in American chestnut trees.
  • Summarize methods of obtaining suitable cross-sections using a vibrating microtome.
  • Explore and discuss methods for observing cell anatomical or morphological characteristics between American and Chinese chestnuts.