I completed Bachelor of Science (Plant Biology & Biotechnology) and Masters of Science (Biotechnology) in India through TamilNadu State government merit scholarships. During my postgraduation, I was fortunate to gain the project training placement at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi led by Noble laureate for Peace and renowned climate scientist Dr R.K Pachauri, My research project entitled “Characterisation of bacterial strains from distillery effluent contaminated soils” had presented an opportunity understand the role of microorganisms in managing contaminated soils.
My exemplary performance and quick learning of complex experiments had helped me to get recruited as a Project Assistant at TERI (July 2008-March 2010) where I focused on the molecular characterization of elite bamboo germplasm. Bamboo is a vital forestry species of India that harbors the second-largest genetic resource. I had employed a molecular marker technology to estimate the molecular diversity of accessions of various priority species of Bamboo. Due to its CO2 adsorption potential, presently Bamboo is regarded as a wonder plant to tackle climate change, and there is a huge potential in Australia to reduce carbon emissions. Later, I worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), where I gained significant advanced technical skills on microbial molecular techniques( April 2010 - Sep 2010).
I was a Senior Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Plant Genomic Resources (NBPGR) working on the molecular characterization of cotton germplasm between January 2011 and March 2012. Cotton is an important economic agricultural crop for its fiber qualities. Due to the narrow genetic base of cotton germplasm that cotton breeders have been utilizing and low efficiency of traditional selection methods, cultivar improvement in cotton has slowed down in the past years. This project aimed at the characterization of cotton germplasm using microsatellite markers for genetic analysis. I have also contributed to the molecular characterization of the jute plant. These projects resulted in the development of a molecular library, which is an important starting point for the identification of markers linked to desirable economic traits and water-saving new varieties which are highly relevant for Australian conditions.
Between 2013 and 2015, I worked at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute as a senior research fellow under the Division of Entomology on the “Gut bacterial diversity analysis for Lepidoptera group Insects”. I was involved in standardizing the methods required to generate the genetic identities of up to 150 gut bacterial isolates from three lepidopteran economically important insects. The genetic analysis revealed the presence of a diverse group of gut bacterial genera, which have potential roles in probiotic for beneficial group insects (silk-producing worms), insecticide detoxification, nitrification, amide metabolism, and other biological activities in cotton, cabbage crops.
As a Senior Research Fellow in “Network project on Insect biosystematics” with Prof. V.V. Ramamurthy (National Co-coordinator), I have obtained hands-on experience in taxonomic and molecular systematic research, insect biodiversity, and characterisation and DNA sequence analysis. The output of this project includes peer-reviewed international journals and seminar/conference presentation awards.
My vast research experience and academic qualifications paved the way for a PhD position through Industry-University engagement scholarship at the University of Newcastle, where I got the opportunity to collaborate with The Hunter Water Corporation, Newcastle. My PhD research focuses on the emerging threat- fate and behaviour of microplastics in the wastewater treatment plants and its implications for wastewater reuse and biosolids for agriculture. There are more 0.129 billion particles released through a single wastewater plant in Australia; my PhD research will equip wastewater industries to implement management measures to stop the microplastics flow into the environment. Based on my first research report, hunter water corporation has identified top10 microfibre releasing industries and taking steps to manage at the source. The recognition of my research achievements, over the years, as well as my Ph.D. research led to the award of an Association Commonwealth Universities Blue Charter Fellowship in January 2019. I worked with Eminent Prof. Richard Thompson (renowned microplastics Researcher) at the University of Plymouth, UK. During this period, I interacted with industry experts and research fellows and investigated effluent and biosolid microplastic profiles of wastewater plants.
