Namrata Baruah

The main focus area of my research is understanding the molecular basis of plant-microbe interaction in Arctic environment. The purpose of studying this novel interaction in Scots Pine is to employ this association of plant-endosymbiotic bacteria, Methylorubrum extorquens, in plant developmental biology and sustainable agriculture. Development of safe and persistent bacterial endophytes can help to remove the deleterious effects of harmful chemical fertilizers. However, currently available bio fertilizers have not been a success in the fields, due to their loose symbiotic association with the crop plants, hence being unreliable tools in agriculture. Thereby, we are trying to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with this endosymbiotic bacteria, with different molecular and microscopic tools which could provide promising results in field applications. The site of my Ph.D. work is Ecology and Genetics Research Unit and Biocenter Oulu, under the Project INCELL, funded by Academy of Finland. I am a M.Sc. in Agricultural sciences with specialization in Plant Pathology from Assam Agricultural University, India and University of Milan, Italy, funded by Erasmus Mundus.