Dr Barkha Ravi

Barkha is a molecular biologist studying the physiological effects of stress. Simply put: what does it entail?

In layman’s terms, Barkha’s work aims to improve plant endurance so that they can thrive in stressful situations. Environmental stresses such as heat, drought, nutrient deficiency, salt, infections, etc. are responsible for more than 50% of crop losses worldwide and Barkha believes that biotechnological intervention and GMO (genetically modified organisms) are valuable tools of the future.

In particular, Barkha investigates inter-cellular communication through the cellular bridges called “plasmodesmata” and the molecular factors affecting this communication.

One of their favourite quotes is: “The sooner we get going, the better prepared we’ll be”.