Welcome to the Begcy Lab
We are interested in understanding plant adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. Our goal is to elucidate novel pathways and mechanisms that could be used to improve crop performance under unfavorable environmental conditions.
Team Members
Kevin Begcy
Principal Investigator
Dr. Begcy received his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and worked as a Research Scientist at the University of Regensburg, Germany. He has been a faculty member at the University of Florida since 2019.
Taehoon Kim
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Kim is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Microbiology and Cell Science department at the University of Florida. His research focuses on the mechanisms of stress tolerance and developmental transition in rice and maize. In his free time, Dr. Kim enjoys watching sports and playing guitar.
Kelvin D. Aloryi
Ph.D. Student
Kelvin D. Aloryi is a PhD student in the Plant Breeding Graduate program. His current research focuses on improving heat stress tolerance in lettuce using molecular and genomic tools. Kelvin enjoys playing soccer and interacting with like-minded peers in his free time.
Carlos A. Montoya Florez
Ph.D. Student
Carlos Florez is a Fulbright Ph.D. student from Colombia in the Microbiology and Cell Science department. He is a microbiologist master's in Biology (Biotechnology) from the University of Antioquia, Colombia. Carlos is Interested in the application of omics and gene-editing technologies toward answering questions in crop improvement against biotic and abiotic stresses. He also finds it fascinating to study the cascade of information between genes and plant-specialized metabolites looking for diverse applications in agriculture, industry, and health. His long-term goal is to work in the bioprospection of genes in plants and microorganisms to improve human lives. In his spare time, he likes hiking, biking, and taking pictures.
Divya Rana
Ph.D. Student
Divya is a PhD student in the Microbiology and Cell Science department. Her current research focuses on exploring the responses to increased temperatures during gametogenesis in maize and rice.
In her free time, she likes to enjoy gardening and painting.
Samantha Karsnia
Undergraduate Research Intern
Samantha is an Undergraduate Research Intern. She works under Divya’s mentorship on responses to increased temperatures in maize and rice. In her free time, she likes to spend time with friends and read.
Contact Us
Come work with us!
If you are interested in joining our lab, please send us your CV. Positions for graduate students and/or postdocs depend on availability of grant funds. However, we will be happy to work with you to secure funding for joining our program.
The Begcy Lab is regularly recruiting undergraduates who wish to gain hands-on experience in epigenetics, molecular biology and bioinformatics.
OUR ADDRESS
Microbiology and Cell Science Department | IFAS – University of Florida
Email: kbegcy.padilla@ufl.edu