Math Modeling Seminar: Mathematical Modeling of Jasmonic Acid Biosynthesis During Plant Stress Responses

Math Modeling Seminar
Mathematical Modeling of Jasmonic Acid Biosynthesis During Plant Stress Responses

Dr. Lucia Carichino
Assistant Professor
School of Mathematical Sciences, RIT

Dr. Eli Borrego
Assistant Professor
Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, RIT

You may attend this lecture in person at 2305 Gosnell Hall or virtually via Zoom.
If you’d like to attend virtually, you may register here for Zoom link.

Abstract:
Crop resilience relies on plant hormones to engage and coordinate the appropriate defense against stresses. These molecules are connected to each other in complex signaling networks that serve as biological algorithms that fine-tune the activation of suites of genes that allow plants to respond to their environments, defend themselves, and optimally utilize resources. Jasmonic acid is an lipid-derived hormone and provides defense against insects and pathogens, however the precise mechanisms regulating the jasmonic acid biochemical reactions in vivo remain to be characterized, especially in agriculturally-relevant crop species.
In this talk we present the interdisciplinary mathematical and biological framework the we are currently developing to study jasmonic acid production during the maize wound response. Mathematical models will be used as “virtual lab” and work in synergy with “wet lab” experiments to iteratively optimize model parameters, isolate and quantify the relative contribution of factors that are difficult to separate in vivo, and to develop and test hypothesis.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Lucia Carichino is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mathematical Sciences at RIT. The focus of her research is on mathematical and computational models of multiscale biological systems. Before joining RIT, she was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mathematical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy, and her PhD in Mathematics from Purdue University. Read more here.
Dr. Eli Borrego was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. He graduated with a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology in 2014 and joined the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences in 2019. His program explores lipid signals in plant interactions with microbes, insects, and other stresses. The research addresses problems such as insect and pathogen resistance, drought tolerance in crop species. Read more here.

Intended Audience:
Undergraduates, graduates, and experts. Those with interest in the topic.

The Math Modeling Seminar will recur each week throughout the semester on the same day and time. Find out more about upcoming speakers on the Mathematical Modeling Seminar Series webpage.
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