4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Auditorium between Bldg 4&5, Level 0, Room 0215
Tailoring Nanomaterial Surface Properties for Cuticular Uptake of Foliarly-applied Nanoparticles and Translocation in Plant Vasculature
By Sr. Prof. Gregory V. Lowry, Walter J. Blenko, Sr. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
Abstract:
Engineered nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionize agrochemical applications. However, limited scientific understanding of the fundamental interactions of nanoparticles at the plant-leaf interface currently hinders the development and application of nano-enabled agrochemicals. We hypothesize that the nanomaterial properties, including charge, size, and coating hydrophobicity can be engineered to promote efficient uptake and translocation of engineered nanomaterials in plants. [Read more]
Speaker’s bio:
Professor Greg Lowry is the Walter J. Blenko, Sr. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the Deputy Director of the NSF/EPA Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEINT). His research aims to safely harness the unique properties of engineered nanomaterials for making crop agriculture and water treatment more resilient and sustainable. Recent work aims at understanding how a nanomaterial’s properties and environmental conditions influence their fate in soils, nanomaterial-plant interactions, nutrient uptake efficiency, and crop disease management. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles (H index=66) and one book. He served on the board of directors of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, and on the US EPA Science Advisory Board (Environmental Engineering committee). He is a fellow of the American Association for the advancement of Science, and was a member of the National Academy of Science Committee on Science Breakthroughs 2030: A Strategy for Food and Agricultural Research. Dr. Lowry holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Davis, an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and a Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.