Madhusudhana R. Janga, Ph.D.

Background

Dr. Madhusudhana Janga, an expert in cell biology specializing in plant tissue culture and transformation, has been named an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Texas Tech University. Dr. Janga received Ph. D. degree from the Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. Prior to joining the Tech faculty, Janga served as an Assistant Direcotor for plant transformation core facility at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He also worked as a Staff scientist at Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, and a postdoctoral associate at the Texas A&M University, College Station.

Research Interests

I aim to study gene functions to better understand the underlying mechanisms and then apply that knowledge to enhance crop plants, improving their tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors, increasing yields, and enhancing nutritional value. In my research program, I will utilize advanced genomics and rapid gene characterization methods, including virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation. Additionally, I will generate stable transgenic plants through Agrobacterium or biolistic-mediated transformation for gene over-expression and create knockout lines using genome editing techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9. The challenge of plant transformation presents a bottleneck issue in crop genetic research. I am interested in providing collaborative plant transformation services to create stable transgenic lines, thereby improving our understanding of crop genetics and advancing the crop improvement programs.

Related Links

• Curriculum vitae
• Google Scholar profile