Vinnie DeOliveira

Toxic metal inputs (e.g. Cd, Pb, Zn) in terrestrial ecosystems poses a risk to soil organisms, plants and even humans via food chain. Phytoremediation is a low impact technique, in which plants are used for environmental cleanup. But there are still some difficulties in applying this technique efficiently. The use of trees with metal-accumulating capacity (e.g. Poplars) in association with mycorrhizal fungi may increase the effectiveness of Phytoremediation. This project aims to investigate how mycorrhizal symbiosis affects metal phytotoxicity and some of the genetic mechanisms by which it can promote tolerance in poplars under Cd and Zn stress.