Rucha Karnik Research Group

Rucha Karnik comes from an Agri-biotech industry background. She obtained her PhD in Human membrane biology from the University of Leeds (2011), followed by a postdoctoral studies researching Plant systems at the University of Glasgow. She currently holds a prestigious Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2016-2025).

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and climate change have a negative impact on crop health and productivity, thus increasing scarcity for food and limiting the availability of agricultural land and water resources world-wide. Aimed at mitigating climate challenges, research in Karnik laboratory addresses how do plants grow?. We study molecular mechanisms underpinning immediate responses to multifactorial enivironmental cues that affect growth, immunity and developmental processes. We investigate stomata – the microscopic pores on plants that uptake carbon dioxide for photosynthesis in exchange of water loss. Our focus is on study carbon dioxide sensing mechanisms in plants and their impact on stomatal behaviours. This research crucial for developing fundamental understanding of plant-environment interactions under climate pressures, an essential first step to ensuring food and water security into the future.

We use multi-disciplinary research platforms including cell biology, protein biochemistry, mass spectrometry, crystallography, live cell imaging, plant physiology and stomatal physiology in our research. Karnik lab research uses model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Developmental studies are carried out using the Begonia species. Research findings are extended to study crop plant Cucumber sativus, through international collaborations.

We develop new research tools in molecular biology, protein-protein interaction studies, plant membrane trafficking and plant protein biochemistry to aid research in plant systems.

Going beyond research in the laboratory, Rucha leads a cross-disciplinary impact and innovation project called Sci-Seedlets to inspire the next generation of plant scientists. Sci-Seedlets has built a scheme that uses cutting-edge educational formats providing tasters for plant research. Through work in the classroom, Sci-Seedlets supports primary schools, teachers and members of the public with plant science education by exploring topics including ‘how do plants grow?’, ‘how do plants defend against pathogens?‘ and ‘how to plants respond to their environment?’. Sci-Seedlets resources are now being expanded for use in secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate teaching of plant science.

Each year Karnik lab wellcomes undergraduate and post graduate student interns, providing opportunities to engage with our research and to promote interest in plant science.

People

Karnik lab group

Rucha Karnik

Senior Royal Society University Research Fellow

Sahar Farami

Protein Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Researcher

STEM Diversity Intern, UG Royal Society funded

Dr Sakharam Waghmare

Postdoctoral Researcher Protein Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Plant Cell Biology, Plant Physiology Scientist

ZhiYi Yu

Protein Biochemistry, Plant Cell Biology, Plant Physiology Scientist)

PhD Student
China Scholarship Council funded

Thu Ly

Stomatal Biology, Protein Biochemistry Scientist

PhD Student
Begonia Trust funded

Jing Xu

Plant Physiology and Horticulture Scientist

Horticulture Assistant

George Boswell

Plant Physiology, Laboratory Support Specialist

Laboratory Assistant

Dr. Lingfeng Xia

Postdoctoral Fellow, researches the mechanisms of ion channel interactions and regulation with membrane vesicle traffic

Ms. Amparo Ruiz-Prado

Glasshouse Technician, supports activiteis across the Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics

Collaborating Team members

Dr Cecile Lefloun

Cell biologist, Electrophysiology Scientist
Postdoctoral Researcher

Current Research Projects

In plants, the plasma membrane H+-ATPases energise nutrient uptake, regulate intracellular pH and generate turgor for plant cell expansion and ‘acid’ growth. Proton pump density and function is stringently regulated in response to environmental and endogenous hormone cues, impacting virtually all aspects of plant physiology.

Plant growth hormone auxin promotes plasma membrane H+-ATPase activation and density of the transporters at the plasma membrane. Conversely, water stress hormone ABA, downregulates proton pump activity and density at the plasma membrane. We investigate mechanisms of hormone-regulated H+-ATPase trafficking and its co-ordination in response to multifactorial stress. We have discovered unusual roles for a secretory SNARE in regulating H+-ATPase endocytosis from the plasma membrane that dictates auxin-regulated plant growth.

Plant microbial pathogens affect plant health inflicting major agricultural and socio-economic losses worldwide. Thus, understanding plant immunity is crucial to mitigate the challenges in food security facing human society. Although plants have evolved defence systems, immunity comes at a cost to plant growth.

Stomata on the leaf surface exchange gas and water with the environment and are primary entry points for microbial pathogen. The initial defence against bacterial pathogen is stomatal closure, but pathogens commonly manipulate stomatal defences by commandeering ion and water transport. We investigate molecular mechanisms regulating of ion and water transport for pathogen immunity and impact on plant water use.

Microbial pathogens also hijack cellular vesicle traffic to suppress the secretion of defence-related molecules essential for plant immunity. The so-called SNARE proteins drive vesicle fusion for secretion at the plasma membrane. We use techniques in cell biology, proteomics, biochemistry, protein-protein interaction analysis and plant physiology for our studies to understand SNARE-mediated membrane trafficking pathways for plant growth and immunity. Recently we have uncovered that SNARE cycling at the plasma membrane underpins plant growth and immune responses.

Stomata open for uptake of CO2 for photosynthesis and close to prevent transpirational water loss, thus enforcing a major influence on the water and carbon cycles of the world. Stomatal responses to environmental stressors frequently transcend physiological and developmental timescales, allowing plants to address critical environmental factors both through short-term physiological responses and longer-term developmental adaptations. We use Begonia species as model to study stomatal development with a view to gain strategic knowledge for development of crops with enhanced stomatal efficiency.

Global atmospheric CO₂ concentration is predicted to rise from pre-industrial level of 280 μmol mol-1, approaching 900 μmol mol-1 by the end of the 21st century. Plants assimilate CO₂ for photosynthesis through microscopic pores called ‘stomata’ in exchange for transpirational water loss. Stomatal behaviour is sensitive to CO₂; for example, plants respond to elevated CO₂ rapidly by adjusting stomatal movements, and by long-term changes in stomatal density and patterning on the leaf surface. This project focuses on the study CO₂-sensing mechanisms in plants that integrate stomatal regulation across timescales. Our focus is on characterisation of a new CO₂-sensing machinery in guard cells, identified recently in Karnik lab. Knowledge gained will enhance our understanding of the impacts of global warming and elevated CO₂ on land plants in the 21st century.

Funders

Research in Karnik lab is funded by the Royal Society, UKRI, NERC, the Wellcome Trust, M.L. MacIntyre Begonia Trust and the University of Glasgow

Collaborators

Dr Catherine Kidner

Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh and University of Edinburgh, UK

Professor Ben Zhang

School of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, 030006, China

Professor Mike Blatt

School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow

Dr Abe Karnik

Human-Computer Interactions Group, School of Computing, Lancaster University

Resources

SDM-Assist

1. Allows the user to generate and choose primers for SDM that contain a unique restriction site identity allowing for highly efficient identification of ‘mutated clones’ by a simple restriction digest.

2. Scores suggested primer pairs on factors such as Tm, GC content, 5 prime and 3 prime-stability and secondary structure.

3. Allows user to customize choice of available restriction enzymes to SDM-Assist for inserting silent restriction sites in the primers.

4. Exports all suggested primer sequences along with detailed information on them into an excel or text file.

5. Provides brief tips for primer design, logs the sequence of events as readable text in the display window.

Alumni

Dr Baena (BBSRC funded, PDRA, 2020-2023) – took up a teaching position at University of West Scotland

Dr Joseph (BBSRC funded, RA, 2020-2021) – Teaching lab manager at University of Glasgow

Dr Marques-Beuno (UofG funded, PDRA, 2018-2019) – Fellow at CRAG, Barcelona

Dr Lingfeng Xia (CSC funded PhD student 2019) – completed PhD and is now a BBSRC funded PDRA

Will Sibly (Data Analalyst, 2020) – Busi­ness Rela­tion­ships Coordinator, LEAF Environmental Agency, UK

Craig Bruce (UofG funded Technical Assistant, 2017-18) – completed Masters at UofGlasgow, joined government services

Hao Zeng (Royal Society STEM Diversity Intern 2023) – completing studes at UofGlasgow

Alex Zhang (Undergraduate Research) Intern – pursuing PhD

Flora Leask (Outreach, 2019) – pursuing higher education

Moray Smith (Research & Outreach, 2019) – pursuing PhD in Plant Science

Harry Copping (Dobbie Smith Awardee, 2018) – pursuing PhD

Elka Kyurkchieva, MVLS Summer Studentship Awardee (2017) – pursuing PhD

Sci-Seedlets

Sci-Seedlets is an educational, plant-science promoting activity led by Dr Rucha Karnik and developed in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of scientists in the University of Glasgow and Lancaster University. The overarching aim of this project is to educate people from a young age on plant physiology and plant science research, and, in consequence, to inspire the next generation of Plant Scientists. Sci-Seedlets focuses on developing a variety of tools and resources that are used in the classroom, to transform the traditional plant science curriculum into an engaging and interactive subject.