About
Tracy Lawson is a Professor of Plant Biology with adjunct and affiliate appointments in Crop Sciences and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois. She earned her PhD in Plant Physiology, focusing on heterogeneity in stomatal characteristics, and holds a Bachelor of Science with honors in Applied Biology. Her research centers on the physiology and function of stomata, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency in plants. Lawson's work involves detailed phenotyping and understanding the mechanisms of gas exchange and guard cell function, contributing to agricultural and biological sciences. She has a significant research output including peer-reviewed articles and reviews, with a focus on topics such as stomatal conductance, photosystem efficiency, and plant responses to environmental stresses. Her studies have explored the dynamic relationships between stomatal size and speed, the impact of cell wall water on stomatal function, and the genetic variation influencing photosystem II efficiency in crops like maize. Lawson's research addresses critical challenges in agriculture, including mitigating the impacts of climate change on crop resilience and productivity.
Research topics
- Botany
- Biology
- Physics
- Environmental science
- Biochemistry
- Atmospheric sciences
- Optics
- Ecology
- Agronomy
- Biophysics
Selected publications
Impact of climate-driven changes in temperature on stomatal anatomy and physiology
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · 2025-05-29 · 18 citations
reviewOpen accessSenior authorClimate-driven changes in temperature are likely to have major implications for plant performance including impacts on stomatal conductance ( g s ), gaseous exchange, photosynthesis, leaf temperature and plant water use. Stomatal conductance is not only vital for carbon assimilation but also plays a key role in maintaining optimum leaf temperatures for cellular processes. Higher g s facilitates both CO 2 uptake and enhanced evaporative leaf cooling, however, most likely at the cost of greater wa…
Environmental and Experimental Botany · 2025-02-24 · 4 citations
articleOpen accessNew avenues in photosynthesis: from light harvesting to global modeling
Physiologia Plantarum · 2025-03-01 · 3 citations
reviewOpen accessPhotosynthesis underpins life on Earth, serving as the primary energy source while regulating global carbon and water cycles, thereby shaping climate and vegetation. Advancing photosynthesis research is essential for improving crop productivity and refining photosynthesis models across scales, ultimately addressing critical global challenges such as food security and environmental sustainability. This minireview synthesizes a selection of recent advancements presented at the 2nd European Congres…
Environments · 2025-11-06 · 1 citations
articleOpen accessClimate change causes unpredictable weather patterns, leading to more frequent and severe droughts. Investigating the effects of drought and irrigation on soil water status and the performance of various cassava genotypes can provide valuable insights for mitigating drought through designing appropriate genotypes and water management strategies. The objective of this research was to evaluate soil moisture, growth rates, and final yields (total dry weight, storage root dry weight, harvest index a…
Hands-free Photosynthesis: Autonomous Leaf-Level Multi-Chamber Gas Exchange System
University of Essex · 2026-04-27
datasetOpen accessSenior authorThis is the data associated with with the above paper "Hands-free Photosynthesis: Autonomous Leaf-Level Multi-Chamber Gas Exchange System" comprising of data for figures and supplementary figures. Excel files contain leaf level gas exchange measurements collected from from LI-COR instrument and a novel automated photosynthesis system and whole plant transpiration data from a PlantArray system on sugarcane and cowpea, collected at The University of Illinois. Data collected in 2025.
Frequent coauthors
- 48 shared
Christine A. Raines
University of Essex
- 38 shared
Andrew J. Simkin
University of Essex
- 30 shared
Steven M. Driever
Wageningen University & Research
- 30 shared
Silvère Vialet‐Chabrand
Graduate School Experimental Plant Sciences
- 27 shared
M. A. J. Parry
Lancaster University
- 25 shared
James Morison
Forest Research
- 24 shared
Stuart J. Fisk
University of Essex
- 22 shared
Huw Jones
Aberystwyth University
Education
- 1997
PhD
University of Dundee Biological Sciences
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