The LESA Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute  is pleased to welcome Dr. Elsebeth Kolmos to the Plant Science team.  Her research interests and expertise are in Plant-Environmental Interactions, Molecular Biology, Genomics, Plant Biology, Plant Physiology, and Plant Circadian Function.

She has additional interest in controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) with special regards to biomass and yield as it pertains to tastes and textures of vegetables and fruits – an area, Kolmos says, often gets neglected in favor of accelerated crop growth and harvest yield. Kolmos will lead the Plant Science initiatives and build upon the important horticulture work at the Center.

Kolmos also brings a fresh perceptive to some of the leading challenges in CEA and will have an oversight role with the GLASE Consortium. Her initial projects will focus on the Light Response Curves of lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries and pulsed lighting protocols using the TIGER light research module. She is also interested in how lighting can affect the flavor and nutrition of vegetables.

Kolmos can collaborate with LESA industry members on current or future projects, (i.e. sponsored research and/or joint proposals). She is available for discussions prior to Center membership with companies interested in learning more about her work and synergies with LESA in and around CEA and horticulture lighting.