Pallavi Singh Lab
Plant Molecular Physiology & Functional Genomics

Pallavi is a UKRI-Future Leaders Fellow and her research employs advanced interdisciplinary technologies to drive a significant improvement in agricultural productivity and sustainability. Pallavi was awarded the SEB-President's Medal (Plants) 2024. She also received the Young Scientist Awards from the Indian National Science Academy in 2019 and from the National Academy of Sciences, India in 2017. Pallavi completed her PhD with Dr. Alok Sinha at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), India, followed by a brief postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Adam Bogdanove at Cornell University, USA. She then moved to Cambridge, UK, as a John Henry Coates Research Fellow with Prof. Julian Hibberd. In September 2022, she started her own research group at the University of Essex, focusing on various aspects of photosynthesis and using natural variation and functional genomic approaches to enhance our understanding of complex traits such as water use.

Xabier is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Pallavi Singh Lab at the University of Essex, contributing to the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) project. His work focuses on enhancing water use efficiency in rice without compromising yield, through the integration of molecular and physiological approaches. As part of this research, he is exploring innovative strategies such as monocot grafting to develop sustainable solutions for crop improvement. As a plant physiologist, Xabier’s research has focused on understanding how crops respond to the combined impact of abiotic stresses associated with future climate scenarios, including elevated CO2, high temperatures and extreme drought. He has conducted experiments both in (semi)controlled environments and in the field, with a particular interest in cereals and pseudocereals. His work explores the contrasting responses of C3 and C4 species to these stresses, with the aim of identifying resilient alternative crops for future agricultural systems. Xabier holds dual BSc degrees in Biotechnology (2017) and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2018) from the University of the Basque Country. He completed an MSc in Plant Biology, Genomics, and Biotechnology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2019, where he studied the physiological effects of Cucumber mosaic virus infection in melon. He earned his PhD in Environmental Agrobiology from the University of the Basque Country in 2024, focusing on the comparative performance of alternative crops buckwheat and sorghum versus the conventional crops wheat and maize future climatic conditions.

Piotr is Perry Foundation funded PhD student in Lawson and Singh Lab. His research focuses on non-foliar photosynthesis and water use efficiency in wheat ears, aiming to understand how these processes contribute to crop resilience. Piotr completed his undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Essex, where he was recognized for achieving the best overall performance in the year. Piotr's research is driven by a passion for advancing plant science to address global challenges in food security.

Mouesanao “Moui” Kandjoze recently completed a Masters in Biotechnology at the University of Essex. Before this, she earned a B.Sc in Molecular Biology from University College Utrecht. Moui is currently contributing to the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project, REVOLUTION. Her research interests, focused on plant physiology and molecular biology, directly align with her long-term goal of using biotechnology to address issues related to climate-induced crop failures and improve food resilience, especially in climate-vulnerable regions. Her passion for sustainable agriculture stems from personal experiences growing up in an arid environment, inspiring a career dedicated to innovative solutions for a changing world.

Crispus is a plant biologist, interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern plants interactions with the environment. His research integrates controlled experiments (plant growth chamber and glasshouse) and field trials with omics technologies (transcriptomics and metabolomics) and bioinformatics to unravel the molecular and biochemical processess driving plant responses to biotic and abiotic stressors. His work aims to contribute and build a scientific base for sustainable agroecosystems, biodiversity and ensure a sustainable future. He earned his BSc and MSc in Biotechnology at Kenyatta University in Kenya. I then completed PhD in ecology in Molecular Interaction Ecology lab of Prof. Nicole VanDam at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and affiliated to the Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Germany (2020). This research focused on understanding induced plant responses underlying the interaction between root-knot nematodes and shoot herbivores. In 2021, he joined Dr. Sharon Zytynska’s lab at the University of Liverpool as a postdoctoral researcher, where he investigated the molecular mechanisms of plant immune responses underlying microbe-induced plant resistance in cereal crop systems. Since January 2025, he has been Senior Research Officer Dr. Pallavi Singh’s lab at the University of Essex, focusing on uncovering the mechanisms regulating water use efficiency in the globally important crop rice.

Showkat is currently working on BBSRC-PACE grant awarded to Lawson, Simkin and Singh on 'Using gene technology for improving crop morphology for protected enviornments'. His long term research interest has been understanding the regulation of abiotic stress responses of crop plants, particularly the regulation of stress-responsive gene expression. Currently, his research aims to enhance photosynthesis for higher yield by utilizing the crop natural variation and by developing new genetic resources through cutting edge molecular and physiological approaches. He intends to use this knowledge in his future endeavors to understand the effects of abiotic stress on photosynthesis and how genetic diversity can play a role in this aspect to mitigate the stress-induced harmful effects on photosynthesis. The outcomes will help improve the photosynthesis and yield, particularly under changing climatic conditions.

Shashi is a part-time Phd student in Lawson, Simkin and Singh Lab working on 'Gene editing for engineering dwarf pepper plants for indoor controlled environment cultivation'. He is the Director of Horticulture at Abbey View Produce Ltd. since 2022. He earned his MSc. in Nature Resource Management from Pokhara University, Nepal and BSc. in Forestry from Institute of Forestry, Nepal.

Urvi is jointly working on BBSRC-IAA and British Council funded reserach grants. She is optimising stable transformation protocols in rice, millet, and banana. She recently completed her BSc in Biological Sciences (2024) from the University of Essex. Her areas of interest include Cell and Plant Biology. Urvi hopes to pursue a PhD in the future but is currently working in research-lab setting to acquire the necessary skillset before she begins her PhD program. She is also a Gatsby alumna and a Plant Champion.