New Faculty

Dr. Sakiko Okumoto

Dr. Sakiko Okumoto joined PPWS as an assistant professor in October 2007. She earned her degree in Plant Physiology at Tübingen University in Germany and completed her postdoctoral training at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Stanford, California. Her research focuses on nitrogen sensing and transport in plants. In particular, she is interested in the role of amino acids as "nitrogen currency". She uses fluorescent biosensors to visualize amino acid movements in plants to elucidate basic regulation mechanisms for nitrogen flux. Her ultimate research goal is to increase productivity in crop plants through improved nitrogen usage.