Research Projects

The cold desert alpine region is characterized by extreme temperatures, pressure, UV irradiation, depleted oxygen, humidity, and longer days, causing plants to adapt to strained conditions. Plant stress biology studies reveal a complex transcriptional landscape and interactions between signal transduction pathways in response to stress. Most studies focus on specific stress factors, such as bHLH, WRKY, MYB, and NAC. A centralized system of energy sensing pathways is involved, directing energy and gene expression patterns to protect against stress-related damages. The Sucrose non-fermenting-related kinases (SnRK) family of enzymes are common players in plant stress responses. They sense nutrient/energy depletion and stress, directing metabolism remodeling and influencing gene regulation, starvation mechanism, and stress therapy. SnRK proteins play a crucial role in sucrose synthase expression, carbohydrate metabolism regulation, cellular energy, growth, and stress biology of various crop plants. Rhodiola imbricata Edgew, a "wonder drug" plant, is widely used for its antioxidant, anti-tumor, antidepressive, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, radioprotector, and immuno stimulant properties. Studying the impact of concurrent stresses on plant adaptation biology could provide better understanding of plant resilience. Understanding how stress signaling pathways interact affect metabolism, growth, and gene expression could provide more insight into plant resilience.