Dr Jawahar Singh Research Portfolio

Current research at the Sainsbury Laboratory

At the Sainsbury Laboratory, I am using CRISPR-Cas9, hairy root transformation, and multi-omics approaches to investigate the molecular regulation of nitrogen fixation in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and soybean — two crops critical to food security in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This work is funded by ENSA.

Past research

Phosphate as a gatekeeper for nodulation

My landmark discovery at UNAM, Mexico established that a PHR1-type transcription factor (PvPHR-L7) directly binds the NIN promoter in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), linking phosphate availability to the master developmental switch of nodulation. This work, showed that phosphate deficiency suppresses nodule formation even when nitrogen is limiting — revealing phosphate as a metabolic checkpoint for symbiotic commitment (Singh et al 2025).

A follow-up perspective Singh et al (2026) extended this framework across legume species, proposing that nitrogen, phosphate, and iron signals converge on NIN as a nutrient-integrating hub that determines whether a legume commits to symbiosis.

LysM receptor-like kinases in chickpea nod factor perception

My PhD research at NIPGR, New Delhi identified 17 LysM receptor-like kinases (LysM-RLKs) in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and characterised their role in Nod factor perception and early symbiotic signalling (Singh et al 2022).

Science communication and outreach

I serve as Assistant Feature Editor at Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, commissioning and editing accessible research summaries for a broad plant science audience. I co-organised the satellite meeting "Building Careers in MPMI through Effective Mentoring" at IS-MPMI Congress 2025 in Cologne, and contribute regularly to science communication on sustainable agriculture and biological nitrogen fixation.