Dear Dr. M.

Pilar Cendrero-Mateo,

After diving into the details of the FLUORESCENCE EXPLORER-S3 mission I am thrilled to submit
my application for the Ph.D. position at the Laboratory of Earth Observation at the University
of Valencia. The opportunity to collaborate with a project that works towards achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals, such as sustainable agriculture deeply aligns with my passion
for meaningful scientific research with real-world impact. I am eager to bring my skills and
dedication to this essential initiative.

My academic journey began when I was working on my bachelor's thesis. I had the privilege of
collaborating with Dr. Francisco Cuesta on a study focused on determining the influence of
environmental conditions on leave traits from 119 tree species in a 3000 m altitudinal transect.
Despite the diligent and precise nature of the task, I managed to obtain all my results in just six
months. At the end of the project, all the research team’s efforts led to the publication of our
research in the Journal “Plant Ecology and Diversity”, marking my first publication and one of
the many contributions I expect to make to science.

Since then, I've actively engaged in diverse scientific collaborations and expanded my expertise
as a laboratory assistant. My master's thesis involved a comprehensive study of photosynthetic
pigments within tree canopies, employing both destructive and remote sensing techniques.
This experience deepened my understanding of plant physiology and underscored the
importance of photosynthetic pigments in forest ecosystems, making me a great fit for the
FLEX-S3 project.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am confident that contributing to the FLEX-S3
project is the next step in my academic evolution, merging my skills, passion, and academic
goals. I can be easily reached at your convenience by email (mel.llerena92@gmail.com).

Sincerely,

Melissa Llerena Zambrano