Dr Abigail Moreno Pedraza

As a postdoctoral researcher, my project centers on analyzing pollen. The quality of pollen directly impacts the success of plant reproduction since its viability and germinability determine the likelihood of successful fertilization and seed production. Inadequate pollen quality can lead to reduced seed production, lower crop yields, and decreased genetic diversity, which can have long-lasting consequences for plant populations. To address this, the study is focus on two plants, Solanum dulcamara and Petunia hybrida, from the Solanaceae family. These plants and their pollen will serve as models to analyze chemical fingerprints in different conditions, such as phenotype, chemotype, and biotic/abiotic stresses. The pollen fingerprint will be completed using GC and LC-MS methods. Collaborators will perform spectroscopic analyses to complement the pollen fingerprints with chemical signals.

In addition to my work on pollen, I will also continue my research on ambient ionization techniques for direct discrimination of biological samples. This builds on my previous project, where I designed and established an ambient ionization platform for direct tissue analysis.