Temperature responses in plants

How do the plant sense and respond to changes in temperatures? This is one of the key questions that we are addressing. We address this using varied approaches including mutant analysis, natural variation as well as “omics” approaches. We have uncovered the genetic architecture of thermal response in plants and started to identify genes and pathways associated with thermal responses.

Trinucleotide repeat expansions

Several neuronal disorders such as Huntington’s disease, Friedreich’s ataxia and Fragile X syndrome are associated with the expansion of trinucleotide repeats. We have discovered a genetic defect in populations of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and delineated the pathway by which repeat expansions lead to epigenetic silencing. We are now exploring these ideas using human cell culture to discover therapeutic targets for Friedreich's ataxia.

SKB lab is interested in deciphering the mechanistic basis of genotype x environment interactions. We work on various projects exploiting natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana and combining that with cutting edge molecular analysis. Some of our major research areas are highlighted below.