Profile

• Time Zone

  Central

  
  
• Organization

  Louisiana State University

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  Photosynthesis, Respiration, Plant Development, Plant diseases

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  Do you have advice for students about preparing for a science career?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 1 here (300 words):

  For a successful career in any field, you have to be passionate about what you do. In a science career, it is probably a little more important since it needs creativity and dedication. Very often, it is labor of love and finding answers to your questions may be the best reward you can expect.

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  Can you describe your attitude toward science when you were in high school?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 2 here (300 words):

  I grew up in a small village in India. Our high school science teacher was one of the best in terms of preparing us do well in tests. Although there was no direct emphasis on hands-on research, it helped us to appreciate science and foster our curiosity. Many of us began to realize that we should not stop at learning facts but ask questions that have no ready made answers.

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is the coolest thing you have discovered or learned about plants?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 3 here (300 words):

  I made a few cool discoveries in my career and hope to make more. One of my earliest discoveries was that pollen germination is critically dependent on osmotic pressure. Until then, sugar was considered mostly as a nutrient, although there were anecdotal evidence for its role as an osmoticum. I showed that inert osmotica such as polymers of ethylene glycol can replace and support pollen tube growth better than sugars alone. This is also relevant in the growth regulation of other plant cells.

  
  
• Availability

  I am NOT available, please temporarily remove me from the available mentor list

  
  
• Capacity: How many teams at a time are you comfortable working with?

  2

  
  

Recent Posts

fchslashaftwspring2022 project 2 Subbaiah Chalivendra Feb 28 at 08:27am

Hi Team,

My name is Subbaiah and I will be a collaborator to the team. I look forward to work with you.

Subbaiah

Project catapilla Subbaiah Chalivendra Nov 17, 2021

I would say having more plants both in the control and the treatment would avoid problems with non-uniform plants. The next time you do the experiment, please start with more plants (usig good seed) and select at least 3 nearly identical looking…

more

I would say having more plants both in the control and the treatment would avoid problems with non-uniform plants. The next time you do the experiment, please start with more plants (usig good seed) and select at least 3 nearly identical looking plants both for the control and the treatment. Experimentation is a learning process and you are doing a good job by being honest with your observations and comments. 

--Subbaiah Chalivendra

Frosty Peas Subbaiah Chalivendra Nov 15, 2021

Sorry, I missed the second message. So, you are testing the effect of multiple factors on pea plant growth. Not only temperature (the thermometer reading) but also temperature fluctuations (outside temperature changes drastically from the day to the…

more

Sorry, I missed the second message. So, you are testing the effect of multiple factors on pea plant growth. Not only temperature (the thermometer reading) but also temperature fluctuations (outside temperature changes drastically from the day to the night), light quality, light duration and light quantity, air circulation etc. What you would be seeing is the combined effect of all these factors, not just the temperature difference. Nothing wrong in that, if you will describe your results that way. It is also a good idea to keep at least three plants for the treatment and in the control. More plants mean more confidence in your data.

Subbaiah