Debra Folsom, a cell biologist specializing in...

Debra Folsom, a cell biologist specializing in plant development, has been appointed research botanist at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. She previously was a post-doctoral research associate at USC.

Folsom holds a patent for the magnetic alteration of cellulose as a result of her discovery that placing plants in a magnetic field alters the usual way their cells are formed. At the Huntington, she will continue research in orchids, endangered cacti and succulents and development of new plants for home gardens.