Sakiko Okumoto is currently an Associate Professor at Texas A&M in the department of Soil and Crop Sciences. The central goal of Sakiko’s research is to improve nitrogen efficiency in plants and to utilize the knowledge gained from basic research to improve crop nitrogen efficiency. Nitrogen, while being essential for maintaining crop productivity, its loss from fields leads to cost inefficiencies and severe environmental impacts. Her program addresses this problem using a multi-faceted approach utilizing molecular biology, genetics, advanced imaging and bioinformatics. Sakiko’s current topics include nitrogen remobilization, root development under stress conditions, and biological nitrification inhibition in crops.