Dr. Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi
(31 July 1907 – 29 June 1966)
Dr. D. D. Kosambi was an Indian mathematician, statistician, philologist, historian and polymath who contributed to genetics by introducing Kosambi map function. In 1944 he published an article titled “The Estimation of Map Distance from Recombination Values” in ‘Annals of Eugenics’ (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1469-1809.1943.tb02321.x) in which he introduced what later came to be known as Kosambi map function. His contribution in genetics is remembered after name along with a mathematical expression as Haldane function. As per his equation genetic map distance(w) is related to recombination fraction (θ) in the following way.
w = 1/4 ln[(1+2θ)/(1-2θ)]
Kosambi’s mapping function adjusts the map distance based on interference which changes the proportion of double crossovers.
In the commemoration of his contributions in Genetics, a joint international lecture series webinar has been organized by SPPU & Plaksha University on 31st July - 1stAugust 2022.
Speakers
Inaugural Talk
Dr. Akhilesh K.Tyagi
Meghnad Saha Distinguished Professor of NASIDepartment of Plant Molecular Biology
University of Delhi, South Campus, New Delhi
Title of the talk: Analysis of rice gene function during development
Born in 1956, Prof Akhilesh Kumar Tyagi received doctoral degree from the University of Delhi. Prof Akhilesh Kumar Tyagi works at the Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi, as Meghnad Saha Distinguished Professor of NASI. He has earlier served as Senior Professor at the University of Delhi, Director, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi and Executive Director (Additional Charge), National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali. Working in areas of genomics and biotechnology, he led the first successful Indian initiative on genome-wide sequencing in rice, tomato and desi chickpea, heralding the era of high throughput genomics in India. He made pioneering contributions to the area of neo-/sub-functionalization of gene families during evolution, water-deficit response and grain development in rice. This work is highly relevant to understand gene function, evolution and crop improvement. His dedication to higher education, research and to nurture leadership and institutions is well known.
In recognition of his contributions, Prof Tyagi received JC Bose National Fellowship Award, National Bioscience Award, NASI-Reliance Industries Platinum Jubilee Award, GM Modi Award for Innovative Science & Technology, Bhasin Award for Science and Technology, BP Pal Memorial Award and Birbal Sahni Medal, among others. He is Fellow of national science academies (FNA, FASc, FNASc, FNAAS) and The World Academy of Sciences (FTWAS) and had the distinction of serving as President, National Academy of Sciences, India.
Plenary Talk by Guest of Honor
Dr. Subhra Chakraborty
FNA, FASc, FNASc, FNAASDirector, National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) New Delhi
Dr. Subhra Chakraborty is the Director of NIPGR, New Delhi. Her research is focused in three main areas: Nutritional Genomics, Plant Immunity & Stress Genomics, and delayed fruit softening. In the Nutritional Genomics, her aim is to improve the nutritional quality of important food crops since the nutritional health of humans predominantly depends on pant food. In Stress Genomics, stress in plants with specific emphasis to fungal pathogenicity is being studied.
Dr. Divya Chandran
Associate Professor, Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad.Title of the talk: Using functional genomics to elucidate the mechanisms underlying legume-powdery mildew interactions
Dr. Divya Chandran is an Associate Professor at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India. She is a plant biologist with an interest in host-pathogen interactions and stress biology. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA, where she used a genomics approach to investigate aluminum toxicity and tolerance mechanisms in the model legume Medicago truncatula. She then moved to the University of California, Berkeley, USA, for a postdoc, where she pioneered the development of an infection site-specific expression profiling method employing laser capture microdissection microscopy and microarrays to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Arabidopsis-powdery mildew interactions. Her research program at RCB is focused on investigating the molecular interplay between legumes and the pea powdery mildew pathogen with the long-term goal of engineering durable resistance against this disease in legumes of agronomic import. Dr. Chandran was awarded the prestigious Innovative Young Biotechnologist Award from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, in 2015. Her research work has been published in several prestigious international journals, including PNAS, Cell Host and Microbe, Plant Physiology, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Plant and Cell Physiology, and Molecular Plant Pathology.
Dr. Pallavi Sinha
Senior Scientist, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)Hyderabad
Title of the talk: Artificial Intelligence-based trait mapping in
Dr. Pallavi is currently working as a Senior Scientist-Rice Breeding at IRRI-South Asia Hub, in ICRISAT, Campus Hyderabad, India. She completed her Ph.D. in trait mapping from IARI and CCS University, Meerut, and Post-Doc in genomics for crop improvement from ICRISAT. Pallavi possesses more than eight years of post-doctoral research experience in international agriculture. Her research is focused on sequencing-based trait mapping, innovative breeding, and the application of modern tools and technologies in breeding. Currently, she leads a group of researchers and Ph.D students working in breeding, trait mapping, and prediction-based breeding at IRRI-SA Hub. She has published >25 research papers in high-impact journals like Nature, Plant Biotechnology Journal, Current Opinion in Plant Biotechnology, Scientific Reports, etc. She has also been awarded the prestigious BIOCARE Award from the Department of Biotechnology and the Early Career Research Award from SERB.
BIOSCKETCH of Dr. Amol N. Nankar
Research Scientist, Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB), Plovdiv, BULGARIA.CV: Dr. Amol Nankar
Title of the Talk: SOLANACEOUS BREEDING SHOWCASE: FROM CONVENTIONAL PHENOTYPING TO GENOMICS
Since mid of 2018, Dr. Amol Nankar is working as a Research Scientist at Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB) and has been proactively involved in array of research projects to establish Balkan pepper and tomato core collection as well assist in breeding pipeline development of CPSBBs Breeding Department. Prior joining to CPSBB, Amol was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Texas A&M AgriLife Texas, USA from 2016-2018 wherein he led the research on characterization of high anthocyanin and mycotoxin resistance to develop the corn breeding lines and hybrids suitable for North American market segment. Amol pursued his PhD research in biofortification of nutritionally enhanced blue maize (specialty maize) from Southwest USA and Northwest Mexico and graduated with his PhD from New Mexico State University (NMSU), USA in December 2015. He also had a brief stint at University of Hohenheim, Germany where he worked on Peruvian landraces of maize. Amol has received his MS in Genetics and Plant Breeding from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in 2009 and completed his BS from Dr. PDKV, Akola, Maharashtra in 2007.
Amol has been persistently contributing to academic excellence of research, teaching, and extension/outreach activities at organizations he has served hitherto. He has published 20 peer reviewed publications in leading plant science journals and presented more than 30 conference peppers across USA, Bulgaria, France, Australia, and China. He is also awarded with numerous awards including Blythe William Mayfield Scholarship Award, Merit based Enhancement Award, Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award, Graduate Student Leadership Award, and ICAR-Junior Research Fellowship. He has been constantly engaged with his peer researchers and has served on key committees of ACS including International Crop Science Committee, Career Corps Committee, Golden Opportunity Scholars and Mentor Selection Committee while was in USA. He is Guest Editing special issues for Frontiers in Plant Sciences and serving as a Review Editor of Crop Physiology section of Frontiers. His personal ambition is to contribute to global agricultural research through UNs Sustainable Development Goals of Zero Hunger and No Poverty.
Dr. Vidya Gupta
FNAAS Research Advisor, ICTRC, Wagholi, Pune and Honorary Secretary, MACS, Pune Former CSIR Emeritus Scientist and Professor in Biological Sciences, AcSIR, Former Chair and Chief Scientist, Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha road, Pune- 411008 (MS), India Cell: 09881300982Email: vidyagene@gmail.com /secretary_macs@aripune.org
Title of the talk: Alphonso mango fruit flavor: Rich and stimulating, but molecular intricacies are scientifically challenging!
Dr Vidya Gupta, a fellow of NAAS, India was working in the area of plant biochemistry and molecular biology at CSIR-NCL, Pune for forty years as Chief scientist and Chair followed by Emeritus scientist. She has research experience in four areas, namely metabolomics, molecular host-pest/ pathogen interactions, molecular markers based agro-economic trait analysis and genetic diversity and genome organization. Currently, she has been associated with ICTRC, Pune as Research Adviser and with various scientific committees of CSIR, ICAR, DST and DBT in different capacities. Her post-graduation and doctorate in biochemistry and chemistry, respectively are from Pune University and CSIR-NCL, Pune while postdoctoral research experience is from Texas A&M University, USA. She has 223 research publications in reputed journals with h index 55 and citations 10798. Nine national and internationally granted and four filed patents are to her credit. Thirty-seven Ph. D. scholars have received degree under her supervision. She has completed 33 projects from various national and international funding agencies. She has given more than 150 lectures in various national and international conferences and have also organized many such symposia. She has many academic awards and social honors to her credit. Most important of them are Krishnamurthy A. award instituted by SBC/ CSIR Award for S and T Innovations in Rural Development (CAIRD 2007) and Distinguished Women Scientist award.