Ashwani Kumar Rai: Plant Physiology First Author

Ashwani Kumar Rai, first author of “Mitochondrial carbonic anhydrases are needed for optimal photosynthesis at low CO2 levels in Chlamydomonas

Current Position:  PhD student in Moroney Lab, Dept. Of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University

Education: Integrated B.Tech.+M.Tech. in Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, India

Non-scientific Interests: Badminton, travelling and watching movies

Brief bio:  I started my research journey from International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India where I did my majors dissertation research on effects of nutrient deprivation to understand stress biology in microalgae for simultaneous production of lipids and biorenewables. I entered the LSU Biology Graduate program in August 2017. Now, I am working on my PhD, deciphering the role of mitochondrial carbonic anhydrases, CAH4 and CAH5, which are needed for optimal photosynthesis at low CO2 concentrations in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and characterization of bicarbonate transporters in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and checking its activity in high CO2 requiring mutants of S. cerevisiae.