Eunhae Kwon is highly motivated with expertise in the broad field of plant bioscience and a strong background in signaling between plants and microorganisms (crop physiology). She specifically focuses on the melatonin synthesis and pathway in microorganisms and interaction between plant and melatonin-producing microbes under abiotic stress.

Ali Al Lawati is an assistant professor at the Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center of the University of Nizwa with over 30 years of experience in plant science and statistics. Currently, as a Fulbright Scholar, he focuses on smart agriculture, utilizing phenotyping, remote sensing, and big data.

Waqar Ahmad is a Ph.D. student and is working on plant stress microbiomes. He uses multi-OMIC approaches to understand the role of abiotic stresses, specifically the impact of greenhouse gases on shaping the plant microbiome and biosynthetic pathways.

Lucille Owens is interested in soil microbiomes and their potential to address challenges associated with a changing climate. With experience in environmental lab work, and undergrad research on oyster mushrooms as a sustainable food source in an urban environment, she is eager to explore the utilization of microbes for sustainable crop production to increase global food security.

Nasir, a recent graduate from Texas Tech University, has joined our lab as a PhD Graduate Research Assistant. He is currently working on microbial seed encapsulation and coating to promote sustainable agriculture. His research focuses on enhancing the physical and physiological properties of seeds to facilitate planting, boost growth indices, enhance yields and quality and mitigate abiotic stresses. 

Suhaib Ahmed is thrilled to begin his Ph.D. research focused on the genetic engineering of crops and microbiomes to mitigate climate change. His project aims to enhance the climate resilience of soybean and sorghum using advanced techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 and gene overexpression. By investigating silicate solubilization, silicon uptake, CO2 sequestration, and ACC deaminase, he plans to boost these crops’ ability to withstand environmental stressors. 

Imad Aijaz has a keen interest in the intersections of microbiology, stem cells, and bioinformatics. He is committed to advancing knowledge and contributing to breakthroughs in these fields. He is always seeking new opportunities to contribute to the biotechnology industry and make a positive impact on society.

Nida Fatima, a master's student at the University of Houston, is passionate about plant biotechnology and microbiology. She is currently engaged in research on the effectiveness of biofertilizers on various plants to enhance growth and sustainability.

Nadia Rasheed is recent graduate from the University of Houston with her Masters in biotechnology. With a focus on climate change engineering in her undergraduate and graduate years. She is now currently researching the effects and quantification techniques of nanoplastics in soybean plants under Dr.Khan’s Lab at the University of Houston.

Tisha Haukongo is a Biotechnology undergraduate at the University of Houston, and minoring in Medicine & Society. Her current project is researching the help and improvements that microbial consortiums can have on and bring to plants, with focus on pearl millet, sorghum, and soybeans.

Jessica is doing project on secondary metabolites, such as terpenoids, are renowned for their anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer applications. Over the next few months, she will identify squalene synthase (SQS) genes from the triterpenoid biosynthesis pathways of 2,000 plant species to understand the influence of evolution on gene function. These findings may suggest favorable characteristics for the sustainable production of squalene, and by extension, triterpenoids.

Elysse is an undergraduate student. Her research strives to advance the understanding of the benefits of the symbiotic relationship between fungi and soybean plants under both normal and drought conditions.

The key objective of her research is to gather empirical evidence that can encourage farmers and agriculturalists to utilize fungi as a tool to enhance crop growth.