Shashi Kumar

Group leader, Metabolic Engineering

International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Aruna Asaf Ali Marg
110 067 New Delhi, India

E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +91-11-26741358/26742357 ext 475

Education

University of Delhi South Campus, Department of Genetics, New Delhi, India, PhD, 1998
India Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Biosciences and Biotechnology, MSc, 1991
CCS University, Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, BSc, 1988

Career History

2011- Group Leader, Metabolic Engineering, ICGEB New Delhi, India
2009-2011
  Scientist, Malaria Group, ICGEB New Delhi, India
2006-2009
  Senior Scientist, USDA Albany California, USA and Yulex Inc., USA
2005-2006
 Research Specialist, University of California Berkeley, USA
2001-2005
Research Associate, University of Central Florida, USA
1998-2001
  Research Associate, University of Virginia, VA, USA

Scientific Activity

Metabolic engineering
Synthetic biology
Genome editing
Chloroplast genome engineering
RNAi Technology
Sustainable algae biofuel technology
Carbon capture by genetically modified algae
Drugs biosynthesis in plants

Selected publications

Gómez et al., 2021. Contributions of the international plant science community to the fight against human infectious diseases – part 1: Epidemic and pandemic diseases. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13657 [IF: 10]

He et al., 2021. Contributions of the international plant science community to the fight against infectious diseases in humans – part 2: Affordable drugs in edible plants for endemic and re-emerging diseases. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 1-20, https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13658 [IF: 10]

Khanra A, Vasistha S, Kumar S, Rai MP (2021) Cultivation of microalgae on unhydrolysed waste molasses syrup using mass cultivation strategy for improved biodiesel 3 Biotech. 11: 287 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-021-02823-7 [IF: 2.5]

Yadav H, Malik K, Parmar S, Kumar S, Jaiwal PK (2021). Generation of polyclonal antibodies against recombinant Agrobacterium tumefaciens decaprenyl diphosphate synthase produced in Escherichia coli. Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 30(30: 487-495.  DOI: 10.1007/s13562-020-00635-z [IF:1]

Nawkarkar P, Chugh S, Sharma S, Jain M, Kajla S, Kumar S (2020). Characterization of the Chloroplast Genome Facilitated Genetic Transformation of Parachlorella kessleri-I, A Potential Marine Alga for Biofuel Production. Current Genomics, 21: 610-623, DOI: 10.2174/1389202921999201102164754 [IF:3.3]

Kaushal C, Abdin MZ. Kumar S (2020) Chloroplast genome transformation of medicinal plant Artemisia annua. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 18(11): 2155-2157. doi: 10.1111/PBI.13379 [IF: 10]

Yadav H, Malik K, Kumar S, Jaiwal PK (2020) Comparative regeneration in six bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties from immature and mature scutella for developing efficient and genotype-independent protocol prerequisite for genetic improvement of wheat. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11627-020-10070-3 [IF: 2]

Adeniran  AA, Sonibare MA, Kumar S (2020) Comparative analysis of the constituents of two cultivars of Dioscorea dumetorum (Kunth) Pax. and their molecular barcoding. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 93 (2020) 104140. Doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2020.104140 [IF:1]

Bhatnagar VP, Bandyopadhyay P, Rajacharya GH, Sarkar S, Poluri KM, Kumar S (2019) Amelioration of biomass and lipid in marine alga by an endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica. Biotechnology for Biofuels,  2019 Jul 8;12:176. doi: 10.1186/s13068-019-1516-6. eCollection 2019. PMID: 31316583, PMCID: PMC6613240, DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1516-6 [IF:6]

Ahmad J, Nasrullah N, Quadri N, Nissar U, Kumar S, Abdin MZ. (2019) Selection of suitable reference genes for reverse transcription- quantitative polymerase chain reaction normalization in Artemisia annua L. plants at different stages of growth and development. Phcog Mag 15: S377‐85 (doi 10.4103/pm.pm_600_18) [IF:1.5]

Augustine A, Tanwar A, Tremblay R, Kumar S. (2019) Flocculation processes optimization for reuse of culture medium without pH neutralization. Algal Research, 39: 101437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2019.101437 [IF:5]

Nawkarkar P, Singh AK, Abdin MZ, Kumar S (2019) Life cycle assessment of Chlorella species producing biodiesel and remediating wastewater. Journal of Biosciences, 44: 89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-019-9896-0 [IF:2]

Adeniran AA, Sonibare MA, Rajacharya GH, Kumar S (2018) Assessment of genetic fidelity of Dioscorea bulbifera L. and Dioscorea hirtiflora Benth and medicinal bioactivity produced from the induced tuberous roots. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult. 132: 343-357.DOI: 10.1007/s11240-017-1334-0 [IF:2]

Tanwar A, Sharma S, Kumar S (2018). Targeted Genome Editing in Algae using CRISPR/Cas9. Ind J Plant Physiol. 23(4): 653-669. DOI: 10.1007/s40502-018-0423-3

Kaushik P, Kumar S (2018) Transcriptome Analysis of Bael (Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr.) a Member of Family Rutaceae. Forests, 9(8): 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/f9080450 [IF:3]

Kunrunmi O, Adesalu T, Kumar S (2017). Genetic identification of new microalgal species from Epe Lagoon of West Africa accumulating high lipids. Algal Research, 22: 68-78. [IF:5]

Singh AK, Sharma N, Farooqi H, Abdin MZ, Mock T, Kumar S (2017) Phycoremediation of municipal wastewater by microalgae to produce biofuel. International J Phytoremediation. 19(9): 805-812. PMID: 28156133 [IF:2]

Malhotra K, Subramaniyan M, Rawat K, Kalamuddin M, Qureshi MF, Malhotra P, Mohmmed A, Cornish K, Daniell H, Kumar S (2016). Compartmentalized metabolic engineering for artemisinin biosynthesis and effective malaria treatment by oral delivery of plant cells. Molecular Plant, 9(11): 1464-1477.  [IF: 14]

Singh, D., Kumar, S., Daniell, H. (2016) Expression of Beta-glucosidase increases trichome density and artemisinin content in transgenic Artemisia annua plants. Plant Biotechnology Journal,16: 1034-1045. [IF: 10]

Ahmad, I., Sharma, A., Daniell, H., Kumar, S.(2015) Altered Lipid Composition and Enhanced Lipid Production in Microalga by Introduction of Brassica Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase 2.Plant Biotechnology Journal, 13: 540-550. [IF: 10]

Shao, M., Kumar, S., Thomson, J.G. (2014) Precise excision of plastid DNA by the large serine recombinase Bxb1. Plant Biotechnology Journal 12, 322-329. [IF: 10]

Turan, S., Cornish, K., Kumar, S. (2014) Highly efficient callus-mediated genetic transformation of Parthenium argentatum Gray, an alternate source of latex and rubber. Industrial Crops and Products 62, 212-218. [IF: 4.2]

Turan, S., Kumar, S. Cornish, K., (2014) Photosynthetic response of in vitro guayule plants in low and high lights and the role of non-photochemical quenching in plant acclimation. Industrial Crops and Products 54, 266–271. [IF: 4.2]

Heikrujam, M., Kumar, D., Kumar, S., Gupta, S.C., Agrawal, V.  (2014) High efficiency cyclic production of secondary somatic embryos and ISSR based assessment of genetic fidelity among the emblings in Calliandra tweedii (Benth.). Scientia Hort, 177, 63-70. [IF: 2]

Saxena, B., Subramaniyan, M., Malhotra, K., Bhavesh, N.S., Potlakayala, S.D., Kumar, S. 2014. Metabolic engineering of chloroplasts for artemisinic acid biosynthesis and impact on plant growth. J Biosci 39, 1-9. [IF: 2]

Ahmad, I., Fatma, Z., Yazdani, S., Kumar, S. (2013) DNA barcode and lipid analysis of new marine algae potential for biofuel. Algal Research. 2, 10-15. [IF: 5.0; ISSN 2211-9264]

Kumar, S., Baidoo, E., Hahn, F.M., Kahlon, T., Wood, D., McMahan, M.C., Cornish, K., Keasling, J., Daniell, H., Whalen, M.C. (2012) Remodeling the isoprenoid pathway in tobacco by expressing the cytoplasmic mevalonate pathway in chloroplasts. Metabolic Engineering 14: 19-28. [IF: 10]

Singh, D., Singh, P.K., Chaudhary, S., Mehla, K., Kumar, S. (2012) Exome sequencing and advances in crop improvement. Advances in Genetics 79, 87-121. [IF: 5]

Kumar, S., Kahlon, T and Chaudhary, S. (2011) DNA barcodes for unmasking the adulteration in olive oil. Food Chemistry 127: 1335–1341.  [IF: 6.3]

Kumar, S., McMahan, M.C., Cornish, K. and Whalen, M.C. (2009) Comparative analysis of the complete sequence of the plastid genome of Parthenium argentatum and identification of DNA barcodes to differentiate Parthenium species and lines. BMC Plant Biology2009, 9:131 doi:10.1186/1471-2229-9-131 [IF: 4.0]

Daniell, H., Kumar, S. and Dufourmantel, N. (2005) Breakthrough in chloroplast genetic engineering of agronomically important crops. Trends in Biotechnology 23: 238-245.  [IF: 19.5]

Daniell, H., Chebolu, S., Kumar, S., Singleton, M., Falconer, R. (2005). Chloroplast-derived vaccine antigens and other therapeutic proteins. Vaccine 23:1779-1783. [IF: 4]

Kumar, S., Dhingra, A. and Daniell, H. (2004) Plastid expressed betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase gene in carrot cultured cells, roots and leaves confers enhanced salt tolerance. Plant Physiology 136:2843-2854 [IF: 7.0]

Kumar, S., Dhingra, A. and Daniell, H. (2004) Stable transformation of the cotton plastid genome and maternal inheritance of transgenes. Plant Molecular Biology 56: 203-216. [IF: 3

Kumar, S. and Timko, M.P. (2004) Enhanced Tissue-Specific Expression of the Herbicide Resistance bar Gene in Transgenic Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L cv. Coker 310FR) Using the Arabidopsis rbcS ats1A Promoter. Plant Biotechnology 21: 251-260. [IF: 1.0]

Kumar, S. and Daniell, H. (2004) Engineering the chloroplast genome for hyper-expression of human therapeutic proteins and vaccine antigens in Recombinant Protein Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 267: 365-383. [IF: 38.3]

Kumar, S., Agrawal, V. and Gupta, S.C. (2002) Somatic embryogenesis in the woody legume Calliandra tweedii.Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture. 71:77-80.  [IF: 2]

Kumar, S.  and Pental, D. (1998) Regeneration of Indian Cotton Variety MCU-5 through Somatic Embryogenesis. Current Sci 74: 538-540. [IF: 1]

Kumar, S., Sharma, P. and Pental, D. (1998) A Genetic Approach to In Vitro Regeneration of Non-Regenerating Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Cultivars.  Plant Cell Rep 18: 59-63. [IF: 3.8]

Patents

Kang B, McMahan CM, Whalen MC, Dong N, Kumar S (2016). Engineering rubber production in plants. WO 2014152747 and US 20140325699

Kumar S and Singh AK. Method of Utilization of Carbon Concentration Mechanism in Micro-Algal Species to Increase Production of Lipids and Obtain Bio-Fuel. Indian Patent Application No: 2856/DEL/2015