Zolian S. Zoong Lwe

 

Graduate research assistant

Google scholar

 

Zolian S. Zoong Lwe is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. He joined the Welti lab in August 2020. Prior to coming to Kansas State, Zolian completed his M.S. in Plant and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University with Dr. Sruthi Narayanan. There, he studied the effect of heat stress on the anther lipidome of peanut genotypes that differ in their heat tolerance levels. Currently, Zolian is characterizing a gene in Arabidopsis that, when mutated, causes the plants to senesce early and exhibit an altered lipid profile. His goal is to determine if there is a connection between the lipid and early senescence phenotypes and the underlying mechanism(s). As a broader impact, unraveling the links between lipids and timing of senescence would aid in the development of crops that live and photosynthesize longer, to name one example. Zolian is motivated to expand our understanding of the diverse roles lipids play, biochemically and physiologically, in biological processes. The long-term vision of his research is to translate discoveries into tangible outcomes for society. He is also interested in the connection between lipid diversity and genetic diversity within/across species and how that diversity helps shape a plant’s adaptation to its environment. Outside of the lab, Zolian likes to garden, learn new recipes, and enjoy a book whenever time permits.