Krishna K. Niyogi | Research UC Berkeley

Niyogi checking plants in the Oxford Tract greenhouse. Photo credit: Mathew Burciaga.

Research Expertise and Interest

genetics, plant and microbial biology, algae, photosynthesis, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, carbon sequestration

Research Description

Krishna Niyogi's long-term research goals are to understand how photosynthetic energy conversion works, how it is regulated, and how it might be improved to help meet the world’s needs for food, fuel, and carbon sequestration to fight climate change. Current lab members use a wide array of experimental organisms and interdisciplinary approaches to (1) investigate fundamental questions about the regulation of photosynthesis, (2) elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying the operation of the oceanic biological carbon pump, and (3) apply this fundamental knowledge to increase photosynthetic efficiency and carbon sequestration by plants and algae.

In the News

a man looks at plant growing in brightly lit box

In 10 years, CRISPR Transformed Medicine. Can It Now Help Us Deal With Climate Change?

Coming from a long line of Iowa farmers, David Savage always thought he would do research to improve crops. That dream died in college, when it became clear that any genetic tweak to a crop would take at least a year to test; for some perennials and trees, it could take five to 10 years. Faced with such slow progress, he chose to study the proteins in photosynthetic bacteria instead. But the advent of CRISPR changed all that.

Scientist leaning over vials with plants

A way to grow plants with less water

Crops possibly can be grown with significantly less water by altering a gene involved in regulating photosynthesis, according to new research.

Fill 'er up with tobacco? Berkeley Lab-led team explores new path to biofuels

Next week's ARPA-E Summit will feature several Berkeley Lab-led projects, all aimed at dramatically improving how the U.S. produces and uses energy. Among them is an effort to produce transportation fuel from tobacco.

Krishna Niyogi named to Howard Hughes and Moore Foundation plant science program

Krishna Niyogi, professor of plant and microbial biology and an expert on photosynthesis, has been named an investigator with an ambitious plant science program sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. He is one of only 15 scientists nationwide to be chosen for this honor.