2024 Plant Direct Author Features (Second Edition)
Read all about why these Plant Direct First Authors chose to pursue plant sciences and see their manuscripts here.
Le Thanh Dien Nguyen 
Le Thanh Dien Nguyen (he/him) is the First Author of Project ChemicalBlooms: Collaborating with Citizen Scientists to Survey the Chemical Diversity and Phylogenetic Distribution of Plant Epicuticular Wax Blooms published 17 May 2024. He is a PhD Candidate at University of Alberta.
Education background includes a 2022 MSc Analytical Chemistry University of Minnesota Duluth and a 2020 BSc Chemistry & Biochemistry. Research interests include Plant Chemistry, Plant Phylogeny, Environmental Chemistry, PFAS. Personal interests include Weight lifting, Skeet shooting.
“I first had the chance to learn about plant chemistry when I joined the research group of my supervisor Dr. Lucas Busta. We did some amazing analysis on various samples of different plant species. It was very interesting to observe the relationship between their phylogeny and their chemical composition! “
Alejandro Perdomo
Alejandro Perdomo is the First Author of Down-regulation of wheat Rubisco activase isoforms expression by virus-induced gene silencing published 15 April 2024. Perdomo is a Lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire.
Education background includes a 2015 Ph.D Plant Biology at University of Balearic Islands
Research interests include Plant photosynthesis, plant resilience to abiotic stresses, crop yield and nutritional quality. Personal interests include Gym, reading.
Wei Zeng
Wei Zeng (he/him) is the First Author of PINOID-centered genetic interactions mediate auxin action in cotyledon formation published 17 May 2024. He is an Assistant Professor at Xinyang Normal University.
Education background includes a 2018 Ph.D developmental biology at University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Research interests include plant development.
Personal interests include Running.
Suhong Gao
Suhong Gao(she/her) is the First Author of Transcriptomic analysis of the defense response in ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grape leaf induced by Apolygus lucorum feeding published 21 May 2024.
She is a Professor of Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology.
Education background includes a 2021 Ph.D Hebei Agricultural University
Research interests include Interaction between plants and insects.
Personal interests include Running.
“I became interested in plant science through gardening. Watching plants grow and change fascinated me, sparking a deeper curiosity about their biology.”
Heng Yao
Heng Yao(she/her) is the First Author of Transcriptomic analysis of the defense response in ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ grape leaf induced by Apolygus lucorum feeding published 21 May 2024. She is a Master’s Degree Candidate at Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology.
Education background includes a 2020 BSc at Datong University
Research interests include Mining defense genes for plant biological stress.
Personal interests include Travelling.
“I love plant science for its beauty and complexity. Studying plants is both challenging and rewarding, contributing to our understanding of life.”
Noel Anthony Mano
Noel Anthony Mano (he/him) is the FIrst Author of Transcriptional repression of GTL1 under water-deficit stress promotes anthocyanin biosynthesis to enhance drought tolerance published 24 May 2024. He is an Assistant Professor of Biology, Heidelberg University, Tiffin Ohio.
Education background includes a 2022 Ph.D Botany Purdue University and a 2016 BSc Plant Science University of Guelph.
Research interests include Plant abiotic stress, plant development, plant anatomy.
Personal interests include Cycling, cooking.
“I was initially interested because of global food issues, but now am simply interested in the resilience of different native Midwestern plant species to environmental change.”
