Dr Manoj Kumar

Alumni
Forest Molecular Genetics

Research Interests

 

I am working on Functional Genetic Analysis of Candidate Genes For Hemicellulose Biosyntheis in Eucalyptus Trees.The aim of the project is to identify and characterize candidate genes and develop strategies to use these genes to modify cell wall components with a focus on hemi-cellulose biosynthesis in Eucalyptus trees. Knockout mutants of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is being evaluated for the modification of candidate hemi-cellulose biosynthesis genes and associated changes in cell wall structure and chemistry. Overexpressing of genes in Eucalyptus and poplar trees is the major milestone of the project. A newly introduced technology (ISSA) developed by MU, Australia is being carried out to genetically transform the poplar whole-tree initially then will be tested to Eucalyptus tree too. A detailed biochemical and histochemical analysis of fibre cell wall material of the Arabidopsis, Eucalyptus and poplar transgenic lines are parts of the project.

I have done M.S. in Botany (specialization in biochemistry and physiology) and got a Ph.D. degree in plant tissue culture and molecular markers worked at School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. My doctoral work was aimed towards the application of in vitro techniques to raise the clonal propagation at mass commercial scale of litchi crop (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) of the Indian subcontinent. At the same time I looked into the genetic relatedness among Indian litchi cultivars through molecular markers.
I have been awarded Postdoctoral fellowship first time in 2006 by Dept. of Biotechnology, Govt. of India. For my first postdoctoral research work I have been assigned to work at National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India. My first postdoctoaral work was aimed tawards the abiotic stress physiology project entitled "Cloning and in vitro functional analysis of Dehydration Responsive Element Binding (DREB) homolog protein of Setaria italica (L.).

Publications:

1. Neera Bhalla –Sarin, Uday Shankar Prasad, Manoj Kumar and Mohan Jain (2008). LITCHI BREEDING FOR GENETIC IMPROVEMENT. Breeding Plantation Tree Crops: Tropical Species; Jain, Shri Mohan; Priyadarshan, P.M. (Eds.): Springer New York; ISBN: pp. 217-245.

2. Manoj Kumar, Meetu Gupta, Divya Srivastava, Manoj Prasad, U.S.Prasad and Neera Bhalla-Sarin (2006). Genetic relatedness among Indian litchi accessions by RAPD markers. International Journal of Agricultural Research, Academic Journals Inc., New York, USA;1 (4) : 390-400, ISSN1816 – 4897.

3. Manoj Kumar, N. Shiva Prakash, U.S.Prasad and Neera Bhalla-Sarin (2006). A novel approach of regeneration from nodal explants of mature trees of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn). Plant Science, Academic Journals Inc., New York, USA 1 (3); 240-246: ISSN 1816-4951.

4. Manoj Kumar, N.Shiva Prakash, A.Muthusamy, U.S.Prasad and Neera Bhalla-Sarin (2004).Problems and perspective of mass scale production of litchi using in vitro cultures. Proceedings of National Seminar on Recent Advances in Production and Post Harvest Technology of Litchi for Export. BCKV, West Bengal, June 24-26, pp 12- -17.