Cecilia Flocco

I grew up in Colon, Argentina (a small town in the Pampas region) and moved to Buenos Aires city for college.

I studied at the University of Buenos Aires and received my degree in Biochemistry in 1996. I also obtained a degree in Pharmacy in 2001.

Currently, I'm doing my PhD at the Department of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology of the same institution. My research focuses on biochemical aspects of the removal of organic compounds assisted by plants (phytoremediation). I've employed plant model systems to study the removal of phenolic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their related biochemical, microbial and toxicological aspects.

I've joined the Pilon-Smits lab to gain insight into molecular aspects of phytoremediation. I'm currently working on two bioremediation projects. The first project involves the use of transgenic lines of Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) that over express two enzymes related to the detoxification pathway of gluthathion. The aim is to study their tolerance to atrazine and other xenobiotics. The second project is a multidisciplinary approach carried out by the Departments of Biology, Bioresource and Chemical Engineering and Microbiology at CSU. The goal is to establish, on a molecular level, whether plant compounds can stimulate microorganisms to degrade pollutants. I'm working on the detection of specific mRNA for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradative enzymes, as evidence of genetic induction by plant exudates.