Elena Fouce Hernandez
Research assistant
Department
Team
Sustainable Use, Seeds and Solutions
Specialism
Seed biology, germination ecology and conservation.
I am a research assistant working at the Millenium Seed Bank with a background in biology and genetics. I first came to Kew as an intern working on the CryoSync project studying the redox effects on recalcitrant oak seeds for cryobanking, and later working on a project on high-throughput phenotyping of plasma treated tree seeds.
Currently, I am researching UK native seeds for restoration of ecological diversity and climate change resilience. Additionally, I am also investigating the variation of germination traits in UK native trees such as Scots pine, rowan, or elder, for ‘climate-smart’ seed sourcing and climate-resilient tree production.
- 2023 - BSc Genetics, MBiol, University of Leeds
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Native Seeds for Restoration: diversity and resilience in the UK
Supporting the effective selection and use of native seed in the restoration of climate-resilient, genetically diverse plant populations in the UK. -
Seed traits for tree production
This project combines research and technical development to investigate germination traits in UK native trees; to understand how these traits vary; and optimise commercial seed quality using high-throughput screening techniques.
A rude awakening: the risks of climate change for sleeping seeds
