Recognizing Plant Physiology author Ana Clara Fanton

Ana Clara Fanton, first author of Hydraulic consequences of enzymatic breakdown of grapevine pit membranes

Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate of Yale School of the Environment

Education: Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Non-scientific Interests: yoga, soap making, and hiking with my dog Rubisco

Brief bio: I am interested in sustainable agricultural systems, particularly in water and pest management and their effects on crop fit and yield. I study plant structure-function relationships with a focus on water and carbon transport dynamics. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Yale School of the Environment, working with Craig Brodersen. For my dissertation work, I am investigating the relationships between xylem network and dysfunction of the water transport due to the Xylella fastidiosa infection in different grapevine genotypes, from non-cultivated American species to commercial European vinifera cultivars and their hybrids. My research seeks to identify physiological traits and to understand the mechanisms that are linked to disease resistance among different genotypes; I hope to provide tools for breeding programs and disease management.