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Sampa Das is an Indian biotechnologist, scientist, and an expert on public sector agricultural biotechnology. [1] [2] She is a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (FNA) and the National Academy of Sciences, India (FNASc). [3] Currently, she is Senior Professor and Head of the Division of Plant Biology at Bose Institute in Kolkata, which is a multi-disciplinary research institution focused on science and technology. [1] [2] [3]
Working under the supervision of Prof S K Sen of Bose Institute, Sampa Das received her doctorate degree in 1981. [4] [3] Das has worked with national and international individuals studying the mechanisms of plant defence responses against pests and pathogens, with an aim to combat their stress. [4] She did her post-doctoral training at the Friedrich Miescher Institute in Switzerland, [1] [2] where she became interested in plant transformation, including rice, mustard, and tomatoes. [1] [2]
Dr. Das became a faculty member of Bose Institute. [4]
She expanded her research of plant transformation to include chickpeas and mung bean, two important sources of protein for India's predominantly vegetarian population. Dr. Das began seeking ways to tweak the genetic constitution of these plants to improve their quality and quantity of the produce. [1] [2] After successfully completing her research on primary levels, she expanded her research to T3 and T4 level plants. [1] [2]
Her research at Bose has included isolation, characterization and monitoring the functionality of insecticidal proteins from plant sources. [3] [5] She has studied expression of agronomically important genes in crop plants. [3] [5]
She has worked on development of insect resistant transgenic rice, chickpea and mustard plants free of antibiotic resistant selection marker through the expression of mannose binding monocot plant lectins and different Bt toxin genes. [3] [5] She has studied the molecular interaction between receptor proteins identified from target insects and insecticidal lectins as well as different Bt proteins. [3] [5]
Dr. Das has worked on developing understanding of the mechanism of defense response in plants when challenged by various fungal and bacterial pathogens. Isolation and characterization of differentially expressed defense response related genes, proteins from rice and chickpea plants detected at early stage of infection by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.ciceris and Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae, respectively. [3] [5]
She has worked on identification, characterisation and purification of few insecticidal lectins and other proteins from plant sources and isolation and cloning of effective insecticidal lectin and other protein coding gene(s) from respective plant genome(s). [3] [5]
Dr. Das has worked on establishment of efficient plant regeneration and transformation protocol for mustard, chickpea and pigeonpea. [3] [5] Other areas of interest are construction of a number of vectors with different T-DNA border elements for a better understanding of mechanism of T-DNA integration into host plant and construction of chimeric Bt, protease inhibitor gene (s) and other agronomically important gene(s) constructs for their expression in important crops namely, rice and mustard for increased productivity. [5]
In 2007, she became a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and two years later she became a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences India. [3]
Bacillus thuringiensis is a gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, the most commonly used biological pesticide worldwide. B. thuringiensis also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterflies, as well on leaf surfaces, aquatic environments, animal feces, insect-rich environments, and flour mills and grain-storage facilities. It has also been observed to parasitize other moths such as Cadra calidella—in laboratory experiments working with C. calidella, many of the moths were diseased due to this parasite.
The chickpea or chick pea is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes, and 9500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East.
Agricultural biotechnology, also known as agritech, is an area of agricultural science involving the use of scientific tools and techniques, including genetic engineering, molecular markers, molecular diagnostics, vaccines, and tissue culture, to modify living organisms: plants, animals, and microorganisms. Crop biotechnology is one aspect of agricultural biotechnology which has been greatly developed upon in recent times. Desired trait are exported from a particular species of Crop to an entirely different species. These transgene crops possess desirable characteristics in terms of flavor, color of flowers, growth rate, size of harvested products and resistance to diseases and pests.
Genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, resistance to chemical treatments, or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels, and other industrially useful goods, as well as for bioremediation.
The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) is a planthopper species that feeds on rice plants. These insects are among the most important pests of rice, which is the major staple crop for about half the world's population. They damage rice directly through feeding and also by transmitting two viruses, rice ragged stunt virus and rice grassy stunt virus. Up to 60% yield loss is common in susceptible rice cultivars attacked by the insect. The BPH is distributed throughout Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, North and South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Their alternative host plant other than rice is Leersia hexandra.
Bt cotton is a genetically modified pest resistant plant cotton variety, which produces an insecticide to combat bollworm.
Bose Institute is a public research institute of India and also one of its oldest. The Institute was established in 1917 by Acharya Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose, the father of modern scientific research in the Indian subcontinent. Bose was its Director for the first twenty years till his demise. Debendra Mohan Bose, who succeeded Nobel Laureate Sir CV Raman as Palit Professor of Physics at the University of Calcutta, was the Director of Bose Institute for the next thirty years. The Institute pioneered the concept of interdisciplinary research in Asia and India in sync with global trends.
Istituto di Genetica Vegetale (IGV) is a research network om Plant Genetics and Breeding within the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. IGV is headquartered in Bari and has four different Divisions in Portici, Palermo, Florence and Perugia. IGV started its activities in November 2002.
Rajeev Kumar Varshney is an agricultural scientist, specializing in genomics, genetics, molecular breeding and capacity building in developing countries. Varsheny is currently the Research Program Director- Genetic Gains that includes several units viz. Genomics & Trait Discovery, Forward Breeding, Pre-Breeding, Cell, Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering, Seed Systems, Biotechnology- ESA, Sequencing and Informatics Services Unit, and Genebank ; and Director, Center of Excellence in Genomics & Systems Biology at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a global agricultural research institute. He holds Adjunct/Honorary/Visiting Professor positions at 10 academic institutions in Australia, China, Ghana, Hong Kong and India, including Murdoch University, The University of Western Australia, University of Queensland, West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, University of Hyderabad, Chaudhary Charan Singh University and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University.
P. Ananda Kumar is an Indian plant molecular biologist and biotechnologist.
Cry1Ac protoxin is a crystal protein produced by the gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) during sporulation. Cry1Ac is one of the delta endotoxins produced by this bacterium which act as insecticides. Because of this, the genes for these have been introduced into commercially important crops by genetic engineering in order to confer pest resistance on those plants.
Sudha Bhattacharya is an Indian academic, scientist and a writer. She is recognized primarily for her in-depth study of Entamoeba histolytica, a parasitic protozoan that causes amoebiasis: Dr. Bhattacharya's laboratory first detected Ribosomal RNA genes on Circular DNA, while studying the parasite, and also discovered families of retrotransposons in the parasite genome. Her work has primarily been in the fields of Molecular Parasitology and Gene Regulation.
Avadhesha Surolia is a Glycobiologist at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. Presently, he is an Honorary Professor at the Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), IISc and holds the Bhatnagar fellowship of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India. He is known for his work on lectin structure and interactions, orientation and dynamics of cell surface carbohydrate receptors and protein folding, diabetes, anti-malarials and anti-cancer agents based on curcumin, flavonoids, etc. In addition, neuropathic pain, neurodegenerative disorders and the link between immunity and obsessive compulsive disorder are areas of his current interest
Indrani Bose is an Indian physicist, senior Professor at Department of Physics, Bose Institute, Kolkata. Her fields of specialization are in theoretical condensed matter, quantum information theory, statistical physics, biological physics and systems.
Chickpeas are a major pulse legume grown in Nepal, either by themselves or as an intercrop with maize or rice. Chickpeas are an important legume to the population, as it is the primary protein source for nearly 2 million Nepalese people. In 2013, Nepal imported approximately US$10.1 million in dried shelled chickpeas, mostly from Australia and also from Canada, creating a need to increase production for its own people and to balance bilateral trade. Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, especially when compared to other legume pulses. They are high in unsaturated fatty acids and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
Swapan Kumar Datta is a well known scientist (Professor) of rice biotechnology. He is well known for his pioneering research on genetic engineering of Indica rice. Datta has demonstrated the development of genetically engineered Indica rice from protoplast derived from haploid embryogenic cell suspension culture. Golden Indica Rice with enriched Provitamin A and Ferritin rice with high iron content were developed by his group with a vision to meet the challenges of malnutrition in developing countries. Datta has been named as one among the top 25 Indian scientists from all fields of science by India Today.
Sourindra Mohan Sircar (1908-1978) was a botanist specializing in plant physiology and anatomy.
Akhilesh Kumar Tyagi is an Indian plant biologist and the former director of National Institute of Plant Genome Research. Known for his studies on plant genomics and biotechnology, Tyagi is an elected fellow of all the three major Indian science academies namely Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and National Academy of Sciences, India as well as The World Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences in 1999.
Tilak Raj Sharma is an Indian plant biologist, the Deputy Director General (CS) ICAR and former executive director and chief executive officer of the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), and Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB) respectively, both autonomous institutes under the Department of Biotechnology. Known for his studies in the fields of genomics and plant disease resistance, Sharma is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Indian National Science Academy. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences in 2007.
Manoj Majee is an Indian plant molecular biologist, biochemist, inventor and a senior scientist at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi. He is known for his studies on the molecular and biochemical basis of seed vigor, longevity and seedling establishment.
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