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Directory Profile for Sakiko Okumoto
- Associate Professor
Plant Science - Office:
- Office - HPCT 337B
Lab - HPCT 528 - Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 979-321-5917
Professional Summary
Research focus:
The overall goal of my research is to understand how nitrogen (N), quantitatively the most important nutrient in crops, is managed in plants. Specifically, my research aims at how amino acids, one of the main forms of organic N in plant body, is transported. In order to study such mechanisms in detail, we have developed protein-based, fluorescent sensors that allow us to track amino acids in live cells. We utilize these sensors to discover novel molecular mechanisms that are involved in the regulation of amino acids. We are currently interrogating the processes in which amino acid exporters are involved in, using various genetic resources such as T-DNA insertion mutants and gene editing tools. We are also interested in developing novel sensors for other biologically important molecules.
Students and support staff