Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dr. Ramgopal Prajapati earned his Ph.D. from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), India, where he developed a strong foundation in plant molecular biology and defense signaling. Building on this background, he has gained extensive experience in plant-insect interaction, calcium signaling, intracellular immune receptors and plant metabolites. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the lab, where he applies synthetic biology approach to study and engineer cellular signaling networks. His work integrates protein engineering, yeast synthetic biology to dissect phytohormone signaling and its role in plant growth and defense. One of his current projects involves developing a synthetic toggle switch in yeast to investigate dynamic signaling control, with future industrial applications. Outside of research, Dr. Prajapati enjoys cricket, photography, and exploring nature. 

PhD Student, Translational Plant Science Center

Sam received a B.S. in Biology in 2020 from Salisbury University in Salisbury, MD, where he participated in undergraduate research on the plant growth-promoting bacteria, Methylobacterium. After his bachelor's degree, he worked at KeyGene USA developing technology for crop improvement while serving as their greenhouse manager. Sam joined the Wright Lab in the Spring of 2024 as a co-advised student with the Bargmann Lab at Virginia Tech. Sam is focused on understanding the extent to which certain Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) regulate specific plant developmental processes. Sam is continuing to develop the Wright Lab's synthetic auxin signaling toolkit, in both yeast and transient protoplast systems. Additionally, Sam is interested in plant transformation, non-conventional food production systems, and food security. Outside of the lab, Sam enjoys cycling around Blacksburg and collecting native fruits to cut down on his grocery bill.

PhD student, Genetics, Bioinformatics, & Computational Biology (GBCB)

Jaret graduated from Kent State University (KSU) in Kent, Ohio in a B.S. in Biotechnology in 2022. During his time at KSU he participated in research in the Lobelia genus with Dr. Andrea Case. Afterwards, Jaret was admitted into the Translational Plant Science Center PhD program in Fall of 2024. He joined the Wright lab in Spring of 2025 and is coadvised by Dr. David Haak. Jaret is focused on applications of Bioinformatics in synthetic biology and plant science. He is specifically interested in potential applications of computer vision, artificial intelligence, and data science. Besides plant science, Jaret enjoys spending time with his orchid collection, being in nature, and coding.

MS student, Biological Systems Engineering

Lili's work focuses on defining the auxin metabolic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, with the aim of applying this knowledge in an agricultural context. The project involves creating a library of combinatorial gene knockouts related to the auxin signaling pathway using the CRISPR modular cloning system to develop new yeast strains. Further analysis of these strains provides insights into the auxin metabolic pathway, helping to better control plant-fungi interactions by enhancing beneficial interactions and reducing pathogenic ones.

MS student, Biological Systems Engineering

Challen’s work revolves around environmental restoration and simplifying waste streams. He aims to achieve this by creating plastic degrading fungi biocatalysts which can be put to work in industrial recycling and waste processing facilities which operate with minimal energy and chemical inputs. The creation of these biocatalysts allows waste streams to more easily turn all organic matter, and carbon-based polymers into products that are more widely usable as an input to agriculture, energy production, or manufacturing.

MS student, Biological Systems Engineering

April is originally from Front Royal, VA and is pursuing an accelerated master’s degree in Biological Systems Engineering. She joined the lab in Fall 2023 and has since worked on projects developing an Auxin Induced Degradation (AID) system and exploring auxin biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Her current work leverages CRISPR-based modular cloning to investigate auxin biosynthesis pathways in yeast to inform plant–fungal dynamics. April is also broadly interested in sustainable and resilient technologies, with a focus on crop engineering, biofuels, and defense against biological and chemical threats utilizing synthetic biological materials and sensors. Outside of the lab, April enjoys riding her Onewheel, and playing oboe in the community band. 

Mahbubur received his Ph.D. in Biology and Biomedical Sciences from East Tennessee State University. Prior to Ph.D. he received his MS and B.Sc. in Biochemistry and molecular Bioloy from Dhaka Uniuversity, Bangladesh. He joined in Wright lab on November 2018 and has been working to established a new ratiometric fluorescent protein degradation reporter system in yeast. He also developed systems to explore the functional landscapes of auxin receptors using directed evolution. Mahbub is currenly an FDA Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow in Silver Springs, Maryland, USA.

PhD Student, Translational Plant Science Center

Deisiany received her B.Sc. in Forest Engineering from Federal University of Goias in Goiania,  GO, Brazil. She joined the Wright Lab officially in March 2021, after beginning her PhD in August 2020. Deisiany's dissertation is titled Pleiotropy and Epistasis in Auxin Signaling Networks. Deisiany will be joining Corteva Agriscience as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in October 2024.

Pat received a bachelor's degree in Pharmacy in Thailand, prior to joining the lab as a Royal Thai Government Graduate Fellow. Pat's dissertation is titled Understanding and Engineering Chemically Activated Ubiquitin Ligases for High-throughput Detection, Quantification, and Control of Molecules in Yeast. Pat is currently a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Juhong Chen, Assistant Professor, University of California-Riverside, Department of Bioengineering.

John received his B.Sc. in Biology from Samford University in Birmingham, AL. John joined the Wright Lab in August 2019. John's dissertation is titled "Synthetic Auxin Circuit Engineering: Building a Biofoundry Platform." John is currently doing postdoctoral research with Elizabeth Kellog, Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty, Department of Structural Biology. 

MS Electrical and Computer Engineering 2024

Sahilpreet Singh Mann, currently pursuing an M.S. in Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech since August 2023, brings a rich background in data analytics and software engineering. A B.Tech graduate in Computer Science from Guru Nanak Dev University, India, Sahilpreet has over three years of professional data analytics experience, including roles at Amdocs, Dominion Energy, and BuzzClan India Ltd. His expertise spans cloud infrastructure, automation software, computer vision, and machine learning. At the Wright Lab, Sahilpreet uses machine learning to analyze epistatic interactions in TIR1/AFB-auxin signaling and transcriptomics to better understand ARF target gene activation. Beyond academics, Sahilpreet enjoys music, running, and tactical training, while also dedicating time to teaching underprivileged students and community service.