November/December 2021 - 45

KNOW SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE FEATURED?
Email Zeke Jennings at zjennings@greatamericanpublish.com
or call 616-520-2159
Spudman7
Q&A
WITH
Thilani Jayakody
The work of Thilani Jayakody, a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University,
has recently been recognized by the Potato Association of America in the way
of a Haynes Graduate Research Award and Potato Leadership, Education and
Advancement Foundation (PLEAF) with its annual $10,000 scholarship award.
Her current and future focus is on genome editing in plants.
Could you share a little about your background?
I was born and raised in the United States, although I am the first U.S.
citizen in my family. My parents and brother immigrated here from Sri
Lanka before I was born. I was raised on black tea (with milk and sugar),
tons of adventures in the woods behind our house, and quiet evenings filled
with meditation and reflection. My parents always encouraged me to pursue
my curiosity, even to the point that now I am pursuing an entire career in
research! My career in plant science research started when I was 18. I have
worked in research labs studying a diverse range of topics related to plants
and agriculture. This includes research on the evolution of plant symbioses,
phosphate response and signaling in plants, genetic diversity of plant
pathogens, as well as application and assessment of genome editing in diverse
species of plants. I was even able to participate in internships at the Noble
Research Institute and Simplot Plant Sciences during my undergraduate.
1
What are you working on with potatoes?
My research is focused on the application, understanding
and development of genome editing tools in potatoes.
I'm interested in improving existing cultivars by altering genes
involved in quality traits. I've also been studying the specificity
of emerging genome editing reagents when applied to complex
plant genomes, like potatoes. Finally, I've been developing
genetic and genomic resources to be used for studying gene
function in potatoes.
3
What is your favorite thing
about Michigan State?
The people! I have made so many
lifelong friends over my career at MSU.
Having a supportive network of friends
and colleagues has really made a huge
difference in my quality of life and research.
5
6
4
2
What attracted you to plant
science?
My parents fostered my love of plants
from a young age, but it wasn't until college
that I understood how I could make this
passion a career. It was in my first college
biology class that I learned about genetic
engineering and, frankly, I just thought it was
really cool and I could see how impactful
this type of work could be. I immediately
sought out research positions to gain some
experience and to explore as much as I could.
Now, years later, as I am pursuing my Ph.D.,
I still think what I do for a career is really cool.
Do you have any long-term career
goals?
I would love to be a professor at a primarily
undergraduate institution, where I could focus on training
the next generation of researchers in developing and
applying genome editing tools in plants. I also have a
little pipe dream of participating in a plant genome editing
startup too, whether that's leading a team in one that's
already established or starting my own.
What do you do for fun?
My favorite pastime is what I like to
call " treasure hunting. " I really enjoy
scavenging for things, whether fossils at the
beach or finding unique pieces from resale
shops or garage sales or foraging for food to
eat and flowers to press.
7
What is your
favorite
way to eat
potatoes?
French fries, especially
ones that are thin and
crispy.
Spudman * November/December 2021
43
November/December 2021

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