Rupali Datta

Research Description

Dr. Datta's primary research interest lies in the application of plant biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology and microbiology in solving environmental problems,using phytoremediation, plant-microbe interactions and bioremediation. Dr. Datta's research involves the study of interactions between plant, soil, microbial and water systems to understand the mechanisms of uptake and detoxification of specific environmental contaminants in biota from two broad angles – biochemistry and genetics.

Specifically, Dr. Datta's current research focus is on the study of bioavailability of metal and organic contaminants in aquatic media and the potential of using plants to remediate contaminated sites, mediated by microbes. Dr. Datta actively collaborates with environmental geochemists, soil scientists, microbiologists and analytical chemists. Dr. Datta also works on the bioavailability of contaminants using in-vitro and in-vivo models. She has also been working on the remediation of antibiotics, TNT, RDX, and petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and water and in developing "green technology" as part of an environmental R&D, SIROM Scientific Solutions, LLC , New Jersey. Combining field, greenhouse, and laboratory data, she investigates the mechanisms of contaminant bioavailability, availability to plants, the kinetics of contaminant uptake in plants under various conditions and studies the molecular mechanisms of contaminant uptake and detoxification by accumulator and other high biomass plants, including crop plants using "omics" technologies. She also works on health effects of metals (arsenic and lead) in human cell culture and animal systems in collaboration with biomedical faculty.