About Jyoti P. Kakati

I completed a Master of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam, India, in 2019, specializing in plant biotechnology. I carried out my master thesis project on the genetic transformation of rice, wherein I optimized an agrobacterium-mediated transformation method in scented rice cultivars of Northeast India, namely Kola Joha and generated transgenic with over-expressing gene (OsPAY1) associated with plant architecture and yield. Besides completing the molecular confirmation in the putative lines using PCR, RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, Southern blotting and histochemical assay (GUS-staining), I standardized the protocol for segregation analysis in transgenic seeds based on hygromycin resistance during seed germination. Additionally, I interned at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, in 2018 and learned advanced molecular techniques while studying heat stress-related genes in Arabidopsis. Overall, my master’s degree program helped me gain skill sets related to plant transformation, molecular biology, and genetic engineering, which will be helpful to working as an R&D scientist. I have been a hardworking and dedicated researcher since my early career; as a result, I published three research articles in peer-reviewed journals from my undergraduate studies. My hard work was appreciated as I became the best outgoing undergraduate student for 2011-2012 from the Department of Biotechnology, K.S.R. College of Technology. During my Ph.D. in Plant Science with Dr. Sruthi Narayanan at Clemson University, SC, USA, I worked on two major oil crops, soybean and peanuts. I conducted my experiments under control (laboratory, growth chamber and greenhouse) and field conditions. In one project, I studied the effect of drought stress on soybeans during planting time using physiological and metabolomic approaches. We identified two potential soybean genotypes from a global collection of over 350 that maintained better germination percentages and root traits under water stress conditions. The research findings have been published in the Agronomy Journal, and the article was recognized as the editor’s choice for 2022. The identified genotypes were later used for metabolomics, where we used a non-targeted metabolomics approach based on GC and HPLC-MS/MS. We found six unique primary metabolites associated with drought tolerance during germination. This research is followed up by identifying the unique secondary metabolites that could help us to suggest/formulate possible seed-treating compounds. In another project, I confirmed the heat and drought stress resiliency of high protein (≥50 % seed-protein) soybean lines developed by USDA when exposed to stressors during the seed-filling stage. We found two high-protein soybean lines that could overcome the negative relationship between seed protein and oil contents and showed no yield drag under heat stress. These findings have been communicated to the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research and are under final review with minor changes. In another study, I examined the effect of heat stress on peanut oil quality when stress was imposed during early flowering, and research findings were published in Peanut Science. During my Ph.D., I have also published two review articles in peer-reviewed journals, and a few are under the pipeline for publication. Effective communication and leadership skills have been critical factors in my successful career. I have significant experience in research communication, project management and leadership skills. I have successfully managed multiple collaborative research projects, including supervising undergraduates and research interns, which has enhanced my ability to guide and mentor young scientists. I have trained over 20 undergraduate and seven school students through different training programs. Those students have presented our works to the scientific and non-scientific communities through multiple presentations. Additionally, I mentored two undergraduate students to complete their practicum. I also taught undergraduate students through a field-based Creative Inquiry course, where students were taught to take ownership of their projects and take the necessary steps while answering research questions related to cover crops. Achieving excellence has always been a goal for me. I showed academic excellence during my Ph.D. at Clemson by maintaining a perfect GPA 4.0. Besides that, I won an award for a research presentation and was recognized with two notable honors at the national level. I was selected as an ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2023-2024 Encompass Fellow, sponsored by Bayer Crop Science, where I got soft skills and personality development training from industry personnel. Additionally, I received the Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award-2023 from the Graduate Student Government at Clemson University for excellence in research activities. I received the Gerald O. Mott Award in Crop Science 2023 from the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), which recognizes top-notch graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in crop science. Besides winning the travel grant from Clemson University, I received a prestigious travel grant award from the Agronomic Science Foundation to participate in the 2022 CSSA annual meeting. Further, I was selected for the Graduate Student Leadership Workshop at the same meeting based on my research and leadership skills. Growing up in an agricultural family in northeast India and living in different places while earning professional and academic experiences have made me a global citizen. My friends and colleagues have always praised me for my friendly and easygoing nature while meeting common goals without compromising the quality of my work. I am ready to contribute diversity to the organization and will help to achieve its goals on time.