Ensminger Lab
Molecular Plant Physiology,
Global Change Biology & Photosynthesis
Department of Biology
University of Toronto Mississauga
Research on the Biology of Trees, Global Change & Photosynthesis
Our goal: To better understand tree responses to environmental change for productive and resilient forests – From molecular to leaf, species and ecosystem levels.
We investigate the physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms that control photosynthesis, growth and resilience of trees to changing environmental conditions
We are located in the Department of Biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
Areas of Research
See the list of current projects and find more details about our ongoing research
Environmental stress physiology of plants
How do plants adapt and acclimate to environmental change?
Tomorrows forests
How will heat, drought and pests impact tree growth in the future? Will warming increase the forest carbon sink?
Response of photosynthesis and carbon metabolism to low temperature
Research in conifers to understand low temperature acclimation and freezing resistance
Lab News
Our Drone Crew’s Cutting-Edge Flight Missions
Our Drone Crew, Emilie, Sylvain, Gregory, Siyu, and Luke, recently completed an exciting drone flight mission at both the Turkey Point and Pickering sites. Armed with a new technology, the team deployed a UAV equipped with a lidar and hyperspectral camera, capable of capturing unparalleled data from above.Before taking to the skies, the crew meticulously calibrated and tested the equipment…
SURF 2024!
Congratulations to Maria Proskurina and Samira Kamal Eddin who presented their ROP research at the Summer Undergraduate Research Fair on August 20th, 2024. Maria presented her in-depth study on drought tolerance in Picea glauca, utilizing both destructive and non-destructive methods. Meanwhile, Samira explored the impact of soil moisture on the turgor loss point across various Picea glauca genotypes.
Drought in the Garden Plot
Preparations are underway for the garden plot drought experiment for this summer, on White Spruce in a controlled environment! Christina, Grace, Samira and Emilie went out to label trees for destructive versus non-destructive sampling. We are excited to see the results of the experiment in the coming months!
First Pickering Campaign of 2024!
Our team, Emilie, Grace and Samira, headed to Pickering for the first campaign of the year, which involved tree selection and sampling! We are looking forward to an exciting field season ahead!
Join Our Summer Volunteer Program !
Interested in contributing to scientific research from the comfort of your own home? The Ensminger Lab is looking for volunteers to aid in our creation of a tree monitoring algorithm this summer! Volunteers will receive a certificate listing the number of hours worked and duties fulfilled at the end of your volunteering time. A $30 deposit is expected so we…
