Profile of Dr Ajay Kumar Singh

Name: Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh

Designation: Principal Scientist (Agricultural Biotechnology)

Date of Birth: 06.03.1973

Area of Specialization: Plant molecular biology, gene regulation system in plants, virus   induced and RNAi-mediated gene silencing in plants, virus-based over expression system in plants

Email Id: ajay.singh4@icar.gov.in; ajaysingh73ansh@gmail.com

Mobile: +91-9404929022; Phone: 02112-254057, Fax: 02112-254056

 

Education

Degree

Year of Passing

University/Institution

Ph.D (Life Sciences)

2001

Devi Ahilya University, Indore

M.Sc (Botany)- Plant Pathology)

1994

Devi Ahilya University, Indore

B.Sc (Biology)

1992

Devi Ahilya University, Indore

Professional History

Position

Year

Organization
Principal Scientist 6th September, 2018 to till Date ICAR-National Institute for Abiotic Stress Management, Malegaon, Baramati, Maharashtra

Sr. Scientist (9000 grade pay)

6th September,  2015 to 5th September 2018

ICAR-National Institute for Abiotic Stress Management, Malegaon, Baramati, Maharashtra

Sr. Scientist (8000 grade pay)

6th September, 2012 to 5th September 2015

ICAR-National Institute for Abiotic Stress Management, Malegaon, Baramati, Maharashtra

Postdoctoral Research Associate

April 2008 - August 2012

Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

Postdoctoral Scholar

July 2006-March 2008

Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

CSIR-Research Associate (CSIR-RA)

August 2002-July 2006

ICAR-National Institute of Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi

CSIR-Extended SRF Associate

August 2001-July 2002

School of Life Sciences, Devi Ahilya University, Indore

Junior Research Fellow (JRF)

August 1996- July 2001

School of Life Sciences, Devi Ahilya University, Indore

Publications

Published about 50 research publications including research articles in national and international journals, review papers, book chapters, popular articles, technical bulletins. h-index 14, i10-index 15 with about 1000 citations in international literature.

Publications List: (10 best only)

  • Singh AK, Verma SS, Bansal KC (2010) Plastid transformation in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.): Transgenic Research.  19:113–119. Highlighted by Faculty of 1000 Biology.
  • Singh AK, Fu DQ, Mohamed A, Navarre D,  Kachroo A, Ghabrial S (2011) Silencing genes encoding omega-3 fatty acid desaturase alters seed size and accumulation of Bean pod mottle virus in soybean. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 24: 506-515.
  • Singh AK, Tavva VS, Palli SR, Collins GB (2010) Improvement of ecdysone receptor gene switch for applications in plants: Locusta migratoria retinoid X receptor (LmRXR) mutagenesis and optimization of translation start site. FEBS Journal. 277:4640-4650.​
  • Rao SS, El-Habbak MH, Havens WM, Singh AK,  Zheng D, Vaughn L, Haudenshield JS, Hartman GL, Korban SS, Ghabrial SA (2014) Overexpression of GmCaM4 in Soybean Enhances Resistance to Pathogens and Tolerance to Salt Stress. Molecular Plant Pathology. 15:145-160.
  • Goel D, Singh AK, Yadav V, Babbar SB, Murata N and Bansal KC (2011) Transformation of  tomato with a bacterial codA gene enhances tolerance to salt and drought stress. Journal of Plant Physiology. 168:1286-1294. (Equal contribution paper)
  • Bansal KC, Singh AK, and Wani SH. (2012) Plastid transformation for abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Methods in Molecular Biology. 913: 351-358.
  • Goel D, Singh AK, Yadav V, Babbar  SB,  Bansal KC (2010) Overexpression of osmotin  gene confers tolerance to salt and drought stresses in transgenic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Protoplasma. 245: 133-141.
  • Raina SK,  Govindasamy V, Kumar M, Singh AK, Rane J, Minhas PS (2016) Genetic variation in physiological responses of mungbeans (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) to drought. Acta Physiol Plant. 38:263
  • Rane J, Singh AK, Tiwari M, Vara Prasad PV, Jagadish K (2022). Effective use of water in  crop plants in dryland agriculture: Implications of reactive oxygen species and antioxidative system. Front. Plant Sci. 12:778270.
  • Rane J, Singh AK, Kumar M, Boraiah KM, Meena KK, Pradhan A, Prasad PVV  (2021). The adaptation and tolerance of major cereals and legumes to important abiotic stresses. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22:12970.

Technologies/Products/Patents

  • US. Patent No. 8,115,059 (Expression Modulation System for Use in Plants and Method for Modulating Gene Expression in Plants). Inventors: Subba Reddy PalIi , Lexington, KY (US); Ajay Kumar Singh, Lexington, KY (US).
  • Developed Virus Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) system in soybean and successfully silenced FAD3, Farnesyltransferase (Fnsl), 1-amino cyclopropane synthase (ACS) and Ethylene insensitive-2 (EIN2) genes in soybean.
  • Developed RNAi constructs for silencing Fnsl and ACS genes in soybean
  • Associated with visible and IR-based field phenotyping technology developed by Dr. Jagadish Rane.
  • Developed in vitro system for Root System Architecture (RSA) studies in soybean, wheat and mungbean.

Awards/Fellowships/Recognitions

  • Recipient of  Dr. O.P. Dubey award for standing first  in  M.Sc. Botany in 1994.
  • Awarded Senior Research Fellowship extended (SRF-extended) by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India, New Delhi (2001-2002).
  • Awarded Research Associateship (RA) by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India, New Delhi (2002-2006).
  • Worked as DBT JRF during Ph.D 1996-2001.
  • Transgenic Research paper, Singh et al. (2010). Highlighted by Faculty of 1000 Biology.
  • US patent (US. Patent No. 8,115,059). Developed a novel ecdysone receptor based gene switch for plant transgenomics.

Member of Professional bodies

  • Member of American Phytopathological Society (APS)
  • Member of American Society of Virology (ASV)