A PROFESSOR  from the Mariano Marcos State University has been selected as ambassador of the American Society of Plant Biologists, an international professional society devoted to the advancement of plant sciences.

Prof. Peter James Icalia Gann of the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development is currently taking up a doctoral degree in cell and molecular biology at the University of Arkansas in the United States.

“As an ambassador for two years, Gann enjoys free participation in the ASPB conferences and funding grants for his research projects, and represents the organization in various activities,” MMSU said.

“Gann was nominated by his two mentors in the University of Arkansas and prepared the necessary documents for evaluation. He was then selected by the organization based on his performance and potentials as leader in the field of plant biology,” it added.

The university said Gann embarked on a research about the starch biosynthetic process in rice.

“He is now analyzing its gene function and is controlling it through gene editing to improve rice grain quality. Currently, he works with professors Vibha Srivastava and Paul Allen Counce from U of A’s Bumpers College’s Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, and retired professor Betty Martin from the university’s Institute of Nanoscience and Engineering in the College of Engineering,” it said.

The school said that in January this year, Gann presented a portion of his research during the U of A’s three-minute thesis competition and won first place in the interdisciplinary category.