Saumik Basu

Saumik Basu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia (UGA), based at the Tifton Campus within the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences. His research focuses on developing sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for vegetable crops in South Georgia. He leads the Vegetable Entomology Lab, which investigates pest complexes like whiteflies, diamondback moths, and pepper weevils, along with their interactions with plant pathogens. His work emphasizes molecular ecology, plant defense mechanisms, and the role of abiotic factors (e.g., climate, soil microbiota) in pest management.

Education:

• B.S. in Human Physiology, University of Calcutta
• M.S. in Biotechnology, Visva-Bharati University
• Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Virology, Jawaharlal Nehru University
• Postdoctoral Research: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and Washington State University (WSU)

Research Interests:

• Molecular mechanisms of plant-insect interactions
• Sustainable IPM for vegetable pests
• Plant defense signaling and phytohormonal crosstalk
• Impact of soil microbiota on pest-pathogen dynamics
• Climate change effects on agroecosystems

Lab & Collaborations: The lab collaborates with county extension agents, growers, and other research groups to translate findings into practical solutions. Current projects address pest attack order effects on plant defenses and the role of biopesticides like Metarhizium fungus. Graduate students and postdocs work on topics such as soil amendments for pest resistance and vector-borne disease transmission.

Advising & Grants: Advises Ph.D. candidate Sourav Pal and M.S. student Rajesh Udavant. Technical staff includes Charles Laney Gruver, an expert in field trials and insect rearing. Undergraduate Alexis Crossgrove supports lab activities.

Labs/Teams: Vegetable Entomology Lab (UGA), previously affiliated with Molecular Plant Sciences at WSU.