Something About Myself & My Investigation

My name is Juan C. Nieves Christie and I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 11, 1988. Ever since I am a child I have always been interested in Science. For that reason I decided to study Industrial Biotechnology in the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.  At this moment I form part of the BioMinds program, initiated by the AMGEN FOUNDATION. I am making my research in the field of Plant Biotechnology, which is one of my favorite fields. Aside of my mentor I have a friend of mine working with me as a lab partner and I believe that we make an excellent team.  We are both very excited with the investigation!  

The main purpose of my investigation is to create an artificial or synthetic nutrient storage matrix for orchid embryos so that they can grow into plantlets. Natural orchids’ seeds cannot survive by their own due to the limited nutrient storage reserves in them. For that reason orchids’ seeds must be associated with mycorrhizal fungi, which provides all the nutrients seeds need for germination.  Most commercial orchids are produced by the tissue culture process, which can take up to 1 year after plantlets are acclimatized to the greenhouse. During this acclimatizing many plants die. It is our interest to encapsulate orchid embryos in order to supply them with the nutrients, growth regulators and environmental conditions necessary to reduce death (heterotrophic state). This encapsulated orchid can be commercially produced and sold as synthetic orchid seeds. The research will focus on the matrix components and the required conditions for optimum growth in an aseptic manner.