Dr Maryna Kryvokhyzha started a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in March 2023. She has a solid background in both academic and industry research. Maryna earned PhD in Radiobiology from the Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, Ukraine, clarifying how ionizing and ultraviolet radiation modulates flowering. She practiced gene expression and advanced statistical analysis. Moreover, Maryna provided customer support and supervised a commercial laboratory. Funded by NextGenerationEU, Maryna will explore unique seed germination of root parasitic weeds, which substantially reduce the harvest of multiple crops worldwide. She will use phosphoproteomics followed by functional validation to gain deeper insight into the perception of germination stimulants. An ultimate ambition of her project is to help farmers with an efficient strategy for managing parasitic weeds.
Text and Photo: Maksym Danchenko