Assistant Professor
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama
Dr. Archana Sharma is a faculty member at Tuskegee University. She is serving as an assistant professor in the department of biology. Dr. Sharma received her Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Genetics at Auburn University. Her research is mainly focused on the SCARECROW gene that controls root growth and shoot gravitropic response of Arabidopsis thaliana. The goal of this research is to identify novel components that function along with the SCR gene in the SCR; regulated gravitropic pathway. To achieve this goal, a detailed study of scr1 mutant suppressors was performed. Ten suppressors with improved hypocotyl gravitropism and three suppressors with improved root length were identified and analyzed. In order to address the function of SCR in gravitropism she also generated WS and scr1 lines that carry 35S::SCR and 35S::GFP::SCR constructs. She is investigating the impact of SCR gene overexpression on gravitropic response and root growth.