An Interview with Jyotsna Devi Mura: Inspiring Young Women Scientists from Developing Countries Through Grit and Determination

Dr. Jyostna Devi Mura is a USDA-ARS Research Molecular Biologist at the Vegetable Crops Research Unit and Assistant Research Professor at the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a plant physiologist with expertise in the fields of molecular biology and plant biochemistry. Her research experience includes evaluating the effects of environmental stressors and climate change (e.g., drought, cold, flood, salinity, elevated temperature, elevated CO₂, etc.) on crop production using molecular and physiological approaches to develop stress-tolerant cultivars. Her current research program’s primary focus is to improve cranberry production and quality by determining the physiological and molecular bases of processes that underlie soil plant nutrient dynamics and water relations.  Furthermore, her team concentrates on the investigation of soil and plant microbiomes, which play an important role in nutrient cycling, nutrient transportation, and plant immune responses to improve crop production in a sustainable way.

 

Indrani K. Baruah: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background? Who are you? Your current position? What are your research interests?

Jyostna Devi Mura: Firstly, thank you Indrani for inviting me in ASPB’s WIPB interview series. I am originally from India and graduated with Masters and Ph.D. in Genetics and Biotechnology from India. My current position is Research Molecular Biologist with USDA-ARS, at the Vegetable Crop Research Unit at University of Wisconsin, Madison. My research interest is in plant physiology and molecular biology, and in my current role I am trying to generate fundamental scientific information and develop sustainable approaches for growers to use, one of which is to generate stress tolerant cultivars of cranberry for breeders. Apart from cranberry research, I am also currently working on soil and plant microbiomes, identifying mycorrhizae, isolating and characterizing and studying their nutrient absorption. My goal is to develop biofertilizers and bio stimulants for growers so that they are less dependent on fertilizer usage.

 

Indrani: How did you become interested in plant science, especially in your current research on   cranberries?

Jyostna: It all started in my high school days when topics like photosynthesis, transpiration used to interest me a lot and eventually I ended up studying plant physiology. My research program that I applied for is in cranberry and I was interested to work on it owing to its unique phenotypic characteristics, a perennial low-lying crop with unique growth conditions and always wondered how a 6” plant could produce so many fruits. It’s uniqueness unlike other crops I worked on like soybean, cotton, corn and peanut stood out to me especially requiring low nutrients. It also helps to work on it as Wisconsin is a top producer of cranberry and a state fruit.

 

Indrani: What challenges did you experience in pursuing your scientific journey? Did these challenges ever make you consider leaving academia or research?

Jyostna: Historically, women have faced hurdles in all scientific fields including plant biology. Personally, as a woman of color, I have seen microaggression, lack of representation, immigration accent, and communication gaps being roadblocks to pursue scientific journey. Many people think women are not physically strong enough especially after having kids and are hesitant to hire you as they presume you would be less committed owing to family responsibilities. Personally, I had to take a break after my second child and re-entering/ reestablishing my career was an issue, but I managed to get into research and the whole experience made me strong and unafraid of challenges.

 

Indrani: You are a mother of 2 bright young sons, how do you manage work and family responsibilities?

Jyostna: I have been fortunate to have received help and co-operation from my mentors and family during post-doc phase of my career. During my post-doc, I was unable to stay late nights in the lab like my colleagues as I needed to pick up my kid from day care and take care of him.

Yet, I was able to conduct effective research and successfully publish my findings. Having children, in my opinion, teaches responsibility and helps one to concentrate very effectively on their work within the given timeframe. Interestingly, I have learnt a lot from my kids and have helped me become a good teacher and multitasker. And now I am supported by a very enthusiastic team of my own as a supervisor and I am thankful for that.

 

Indrani: How do you think R&D labs and academic systems could provide an equitable and diverse space for women since we see very less women in top roles in both the systems?

Jyostna:  Firstly, I really appreciate highlighting accomplishments of female scientists and sharing success stories through regular features, interviews and spotlight especially ASPB’s WIPB series which is a way of inspiring young women and similar ones like Women in Agriculture Science (womeninagscience.org) and the USDA’s women in Agsite (usda.goc/media/blog/archive). There are opportunities for agriculture which many might not know of, and I wish to share through this platform like USDA’s Women, land and legacy program, Annie’s project, American Farm Bureau’s Women Leadership program.

 

Even industries have career re-entry programs now as in the case of Coca Cola and believe whether academia or R&D labs, they should all have DEI programs and opportunities for women especially for ones who have career breaks. Also, research organizations and academia could develop online platforms where women can connect or share experiences and find collaboration.

 

Indrani: What advice or suggestions would you like to give to young women pursuing STEM, especially plant biology and any parting comments.

Jyostna: My first suggestion would be to find a suitable mentor and try developing collaborations. Secondly would be to network as much as possible by joining professional scientific committees. Volunteer yourself for various ECR committees and apply for awards, travel grants, fellowships on their respective websites.

Personally, as a woman scientist, I have benefitted by being a member of multiple scientific societies and actively engaging equity and diversity initiatives, advocating for underrepresented groups, and promoting educational opportunities for underprivileged students which has helped me gain visibility in the plant or agricultural science scientific community.

 

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About the Author

Indrani Kakati Baruah  is a postdoctoral researcher mother and a 2023 Plantae Fellow, wishing to connect with researchers around the globe and impart knowledge through communicating innovative research and wants to inspire and motivate young girls to take up science and never give up. You can find her on Twitter at @Indranik333.