Research Interest

Environmental Biotechnology

Doctoral thesis entitled "Uptake and toxicity of copper in the diazotrophic cyanobacteriium Nostoc calcicola" mainly focuses on the parameters and kinetics of active uptake and the mechanism of metal toxicity in photoautotrophic microbe. The enzyme kinetics under heavy metal stress has also been studied.
Post-Doctoral work included two important aspects of cyanobacterial research-that is biological nitrogen fixation, herbicide resistance and genetic regulation of heavy metal resistance. We have reported for the first an energy- and light- dependent efflux of copper as the mechanism of metal resistance in cyanobacteria (FEMS Microbiol Let) and genetic transformation of glutamine prototrophy in cyanobacteria (Archieves Microbiol.).
Currently, leading a team of Post-Doc, PhD, and several M.Sc and M.E. students which is focusing on aspects related with biosensor development, biodiesel production, bio sorption of heavy metal from industrial effluent. In the recently completed major research project funded by Department of Atomic Energy, we have developed a series of microbial mutants with increased metal accumulation. Attempts are being directed towards the optimization of process parameters for this purpose.
Another project which was related with the development of recombinant-DNA based biosensor for the detection of antibiotics from the biological samples, we have cloned tetracycline sensitive promoter into a DsRed and GFP plasmids. Such strains have proved to be highly sensitive system to detect antibiotics at nanomole concentration. Similar work on metal and radioisotope biosensor is also in progress.
Completed a WIPO funded multi-centre project” Impact of IP system on economic growth” as country expert.
Supervised over 70 graduates and Master's project in the area of Environmental Biotechnology. Ten students have been awarded Ph.D. degree.

BITS Pilani

Research Interest

Research Interest

Environmental Biotechnology

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