A collage of five scientific images featuring plant biology and cellular structures: a green plant, a microscopic view of cells, seedlings in a petri dish, the cover of *Developmental Cell* journal, and a 3D-rendered neural network.
Dinesh-Kumar Lab

Laboratory of Savithramma Dinesh-Kumar

Research Statement

Our research program is aimed at understanding the molecular basis of plant immunity. Crop losses from plant disease exceed several hundred billion dollars annually. These losses are devastating to a global agricultural system that is already facing the challenges of population growth, water shortages, and climate change. Therefore, improving our understanding of plant immunity is important to develop improved crops.