Casey Lu
General Information
Professor of Biology
Plant Physiology and Science Education
Phone: (707) 826-5559
Office: Science C 106
Email: crl2@humboldt.edu
Personal Website: N/A
Academic background
- BS, MS, PhD University of Michigan
Courses
- Principles of Biology
- Plant Physiology
- Plant Tissue Culture
- Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy
- Secondary Science Methods
- Science Student Teaching Seminar
Summary of research
How plants respond to heavy metal stress with a focus on ultrastructural studies (transmission electron microscopy) of plants grown in lead-contaminated conditions. I hope to apply results of this research to improving phytoremediation techniques for heavy-metal contaminated sites in California and the US.
I also study gravitropism in cereal grasses. My current focus is on ultrastructural studies of starch changes in cells undergoing the gravitropic response.
Sample publications
- Kornfeld, J.A., Kaufman, P.B., Lu, C.R., Gibson, D.M., Bolling, S.F., Warber, S.L., Chang, S.C., and Kirakosyan, A. (2007) The production of hypericins in two selected Hypericum perforatum shoot cultures is related to differences in black gland structure. Physiology and Biochemistry, 45: 24-32.
- Cseke, L.J., Lu, C.R., Kornfeld, J.A., and Kaufman, P.B. (2006). How and Why These Compounds Are Synthesized by Plants. In Natural Products From Plants (2nd Ed.), Cseke, L.J., Kaufman, Eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
- Lu, C.R., Kaufman, P.B., and Cseke, L.J. (2004) Microscopy: Light, Scanning Electron, Environmental Scanning Electron, Transmission Electron, and Confocal. In Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine (2nd Ed.), Cseke, L.J., Kaufman, P.B., Podila, G., and Tsai, C-J., Eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
- Kaufman, P.B., Coon, C.W., Govil, J.N., Hoyt, J.E., Lu, C.R., Madsen, B.J., and Warber, S.L. (2002). CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: Living in Harmony With the Earth, Researcho Book Centre, New Delhi.
- Lu, C.R. and Patteson, L.R. (2000) Parental Feeding Behavior in Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. Michigan Birds and Natural History, 7 (3): 147-151.
- Lu, C.R., L.J. Kleinsmith, and B.E. Voss. (1997). The Effect of a Microcomputer-Based Study Center on Learning in High School Biology Students. American Biology Teacher, 59 (5): 270-278.
- Berger, C.F., Lu, C.R., Belzer, S.J., and Voss, B.E. (1994). Curriculum: Research in Technology. In D. Gabel (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Science Teaching and Learning. National Science Teachers' Association and MacMillan.
- Lu, C.R., Kim, D., and Kaufman, P.B. (1992). Changes in the Ultrastructure of Cell Walls, Cellulose Synthesis, and Glucan Synthase Activity From Gravistimulated Oat (Avena sativa). International Journal of Plant Sciences, 153 (2): 164-170.
- Brock, T.G., Lu, C.R., Ghosheh, N.S., and Kaufman, P.B. (1989). Localization and Pattern of Graviresponse across the Pulvinus of Barley Hordeum vulgare. Plant Physiology, 91 (2): 744-748.
- Song, I., Lu, C.R., Brock, T.G., and Kaufman, P.B. (1988). Do Starch Statoliths Act as the Gravisensors in Cereal Grass Pulvini? Plant Physiology, 86 (4): 1155-1162.
Graduate students
Jerry Succoro
Former Graduate Students:
Todd Bouchier (2003) " Pb Distribution and Ultrastructural Changes Induced by Pb and EDTA in Shoot Tissues of Brassica juncea (Indian Mustard)"
Brian Exberger (2006) " Lead and Zinc Accumulation and Interaction in Cattail (Typha) a Potential Heavy-Metal Phytoremediation System"
Ari Kornfeld (2006) " Measuring and Modeling the Gravitropic Response of Oat Shoots (Avena sativa)"
Steven McDonald (2006) "Phytoremediation of Lead-Contaminated Soil Using Typha latifolia (Broadleaf Cattail)"