Dr Boney Kuriakose

Research Staff
Molecular Plant-Pathogen Interactions

Research Interests

I joined with Prof. Dave Berger in the Molecular Plant Pathogen Interactions (MPPI) group in September 2009 in the EUSOL project. The EUSOL project is aimed at developing health-based consumer quality traits in solanaceous crops like tomato and potato. I carried out  research aimed at characterising genome-wide methylation profiles of tomato plants using Diversity Array Technology (DArT).

 

I am presently working in a project aimed at creating Maize plants resistant to a fungal leaf disease. I assist with the molecular biology tasks in the project including but not limited to construction of vectors and cloning and characterisation of genes and promoters. My experience in creating transgenic rice is also helpful in  maize transformation which will be used to generate transgenics for the characterisation of the genes and promoters identified as candidates in the project.

 

My Background

I hold a Ph.D Degree in Biotechnology from the University of Madras, India. I have a BSc degree in Botany from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam studying at St. Albert’s College, Ernakulam, and a Masters in Biotechnology from the Department of Biotechnology at Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin. During my masters, I carried out research on enhancement of ethanol content in sugar fermentation. My research led to the innovation of using inert solids as immoblilizing agents for yeast leading to higher levels of ethanol production by circumventing the feedback inhibition of the ethanol biosynthesis pathway to some extend.

My research interests in the biology of plants became stronger after my Masters especially due to my background in Botany and my interest in the agricultural sector and its development in the small state of Kerala.  I worked as a research assistant at Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, where I did research for a short period in a project titled "Tissue culture of Plantation Crops and Spices". I was involved in developing tissue culture protocols for spice crops including cloves. I also took up tissue culture of anthuriums as a side project and was able to successfully develop methods to germinate anthurium seeds in vitro. Later, I joined SPIC Science Foundation, Chennai as a Junior Research Associate during which period I also got a Junior reasearch fellowship from the CSIR, India. I used the fellowship to carry out my PhD under the supervision of Dr. George Thomas, where I worked on isolation and characterisation of plant regulatory elements and the thesis was titled - Isolation of plant promoters employing Random Amplification of Genomic End (RAGE): characterization of a Rice Anther Specific Promoter. My co-supervisor was Prof. Sam Gnanamanickam at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany, University of Madras. I began my industrial career with Avesthagen Limited, Bangalore, India as a project leader and was involved in various projects ranging from gene and promoter discovery to biofuels which are now part of the patent portfolio of the company. My research strengths are in plant molecular biology, promoter isolation, analysis and plant transformation.

After a short period I decided on career enhancement through post doctoral research and joined UP in September 2008.  I was working in the UP-Sylvean Biotech Blue Rose project until August 2009.

 

My Roots

I come from the ancient port city of Kochi (Cochin) , the Queen of Arabian Sea, in the south Indian state of Kerala also known as God's Own Country. A tropical heaven decorated by innumerable coconut trees is blessed by the monsoon for six months leaving it lush green throughout this small state.  Kerala is also the spice capital of the world growing and exporting most of the world’s major spices like pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, ginger, turmeric and nutmeg for centuries and was the first stop for spice-seeking travelers from the west including Vasco da Gama as they sailed round the Cape of Good Hope. You can find the Lonely planet guide to Kerala here.