Dr. Archana Lal
Contact Information
Phone: (620) 332-5469
Fax: (620) 331-5344
E-mail: alal@indycc.edu
Office Location: ACADM 202
Education
 | PhD: Washington State University, Pullman, WA (www.wsu.edu) |
| M.Sc.: Rohilkhand University, India (www.mjpru.ac.in) |
| B.Sc.: Kanpur University, India (www.kanpuruniversity.org) |
Teaching Experience
| Independence Community College (www.indycc.edu) |
| Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME (www.bowdoin.edu) |
| Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS (www.pittstate.edu) |
| Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO (www.mssu.edu) |
| Washington State University, Pullman, WA (www.wsu.edu) |
Courses Offered at ICC
| General Biology (non majors) (Fall/Spring) |
| Biology I: Principles of Cellular & Molecular Biology (Fall) |
| Microbiology (Spring/Summer) |
Other Courses Taught
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General Biology (majors) |
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General Botany |
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Plant Physiology |
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Stress Physiology of Higher Plants |
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Botanical Survey |
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Economic Botany |
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Seminar Course |
Research interests
My research focused on photosynthesis as it relates to environmental stress, mechanisms of tolerance to stress, or to address more fundamental questions about photosynthesis during stress. I studied the basis for the inhibition of photosynthesis by water stress in two C3 and two C4 species. A combination of gas exchange, fluorescence and biochemical techniques were utilized to study the effects of water stress. In some cases rates of O2 evolution were measured in water stressed leaves under very high CO2 concentrations to further test for stomatal versus non-stomatal limitation of photosynthesis. In addition, to evaluate the effects of water stress on carboxylation capacity, RuBP carboxylase activity (initial as well as total extractable activity), Rubisco content and RuBP pool/binding site of Rubisco were also measured during the stress cycle and after rewatering.
I also studied anatomical changes in leaf during water stress. I have experience with microtechniques, tissue preparation for paraffin and resin sectioning, use of ultramicrotome for thin sectioning (1 µm), and histochemical staining. Though, my major focus was on light microscopy, I am also familiar with principles of transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM).
In another research project I studied the effects of water stress on the degree of opening or closing of stomata in C3 and C4 plants. I studied that at what values of relative water content stomata start to close. Also, is there any uniformity in the behavior of stomata and is there any patchiness in the stomatal closure during mild and severe water stress? Do stomata respond differently in C3 and C4 plants or monocot and dicot species?
Publications and Abstracts
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Lal, Archana and Cheeptham, Naowarat (Ann). “Eosin-Methylene Blue Agar Plates” American Society of Microbiology’s MicrobeLibrary. 29 Sept. 2007 http://www.microbelibrary.org/Edzine/details.asp?id=2541&Lang=English http://www.microbelibrary.org/asmonly/details.asp?id=2553&Lang=English
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Archana Lal, M.S.B. Ku, G.E. Edwards (1996) Analysis of inhibition of photosynthesis under water stress in two C3 species Vicia faba and Hordeum vulgare: Electron transport, CO2 fixation and carboxylation capacity. Photosynthesis Research 49: 57-69
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Archana Lal and G.E. Edwards (1996) Analysis of inhibition of photosynthesis under water stress in two C4 species Amaranthus cruentus and Zea mays: Electron transport, CO2 fixation and carboxylation capacity. Australian Journal of Plant physiology 23 (4): 403-41
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Archana Lal, G.E. Edwards (1995) Maximum quantum yields of O2 evolution in various C3 and C4 species under high CO2. Plant and Cell Physiology 36(7): 1311-1317
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Edwards, G.E., Johnson, E., Lal, A., Krall, J.P. (1993) Quantum yields of photosystem II and photosynthesis in an aurea mutant of tobacco (C3) and an oil yellow mutant of maize (C4) which have high capacities for photosynthesis despite low chlorophyll contents. Plant and Cell Physiology 34: 1205-1212
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Archana Lal, Maurice S. B. Ku, Gerald E. Edwards (1994) Effect of water stress on photosynthesis in C3 and C4 species. Third Western Regional Photosynthesis Conference, January 4-7th at Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, California. (Abstract)
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Archana Lal, Maurice S. B. Ku, Gerald E. Edwards (1994) Analysis of the mechanism of inhibition of photosynthesis due to water stress. Plant Physiology Supplement 105: 18
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Archana Lal, G. E. Edwards (1995) Photosynthesis in alfalfa plants regenerated from salt tolerant cell lines. Fourth Western Regional Photosynthesis Conference at Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, California. (Abstract)
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Archana Lal, Maurice S. B. Ku, and Gerald E. Edwards (1996) Analysis of inhibition of photosynthesis due to water stress in the C3 species Hordeum vulgare and Vicia faba: Electron transport, CO2 fixation, and Carboxylation capacity. Fifth Western Regional Photosynthesis Conference at Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, California. (Abstract)
Conferences
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Mar 2008 National Science Teachers Association, Boston, MA. |
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May 2007 American Society for Microbiology Conference for Undergraduate Educators, Buffalo, NY. |
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May 2006 American Society for Microbiology Conference for Undergraduate Educators, Orlando, FL. |
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Jan 1996 Fifth Western Regional Photosynthesis Conference, Asilomar, CA. |
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Aug 1994 Annual Meeting of American Society of Plant Physiologists, Portland, OR. |
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Jan 1994 Third Western Regional Photosynthesis Conference, Asilomar, CA. |
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Jan 1993 Second Western Regional Photosynthesis Conference, Asilomar, CA. |
Referee
|
MicrobeLibrary.org (American Society for Microbiology) |
School Leadership & Service Activities
| Chair, James E. Arnwine Science Scholarship Committee |
| Member, Burger Science & Math Scholarship Committee |
| Member, Technology Committee |
Professional Affiliations
| Member of American Society for Microbiology |
| Member of Kansas Association of Biology Teachers |
