Florence Zakharov

Education: 

• Ph.D., Purdue University;Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, 2005
• M.Sc., Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Toulouse (France); Biotechnology and Plant Breeding, 2000

Research interests and expertise: 

Molecular biology and biochemistry of plant volatile metabolism, with a specific focus on fruit aroma development and regulation. We also investigate the chemical determinants of flavor and develop methods for the objective assessment of fruit flavor quality.

Current projects: 

• Molecular and physical determinants of flavor development in cantaloupe melon  (no current funding for this project ñ past funding: USDA-SCRI, USDA-NRI, HM.Clause, Syngenta, CA Melon Research Board)

Current teaching: 

• Botany and Physiology of Cultivated Plants; PLS 2 (winter quarter)
• Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Postharvest Biology; PLS 173 (spring quarter)
• Postharvest Biology and Biotechnology; PLS 212 (spring quarter, odd years), co-instructor
• Plant Metabolic Processes Lab; PLS 100 AL (fall quarter), co-instructor

External activities that contribute to scholarship:

• Reviewer for scientific publications (Nature Chemical Biology, Plant Cell, Plant Physiology, Plant Journal, PLoS journals, Plant Molecular Biology, Plant Science, Phytochemistry, Journal of Chemical Ecology, Physiologia Plantarum, Planta, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture)
• Member of the Postharvest Center at UC Davis
• Co-chair of UC Davis Extension workshop, Fruit Ripening and Ethylene Management (Postharvest Center)
• Instructor for Extension Workshops, Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops, Fresh-cut Products: Maintaining Quality and Safety

Google Scholar

ORCID

Keywords:

• Flavor
• Volatiles
• Aroma
• Scent
• Molecular biology
• Biochemistry
• Metabolism
• Postharvest
• Melon
• Sensory evaluation
• Chemometrics
• Metabolic regulation