Dr Leena Johny obtained her Ph.D. from Deakin University, Australia under Deakin India Research Initiative program in 2016 and continued her research at the TERI-Deakin Nano Biotechnology Centre. Dr Leena Johny has experience in areas of plant- mycorrhizal fungi interactions, plant secondary metabolites and microbiology. She is well-versed in vitro and green house study systems and hairy root culture development as potential source of metabolites of medicinal value. She has expertise in dual culture establishment of hairy root cultures with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) and studies on influence of their symbiosis on metabolite production. Her work also involves isolation of mycorrhiza associated bacteria and their functional characterization. She is well-versed with isolation, and handing of bacterial and fungal cultures. Her work also involves AMF-host preference studies with respect to plant growth and secondary metabolite production.