Gopal Chowdhary

Associate Professor

Gopal Chowdhary has obtained his master in Botany and M. Phil from Department of Botany from University of Delhi. He has a Ph.D. in plant Biotechnology. Thereafter he continued as post-doctoral fellow at University of Stavanger, Norway. He has about 8 years of research experience in the field of plant Molecular Biology. He has published his work in journals of international repute. His lab primarily focuses on research related to plant molecular biology and plant proteomics. We work on three different plant species: model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa (rice) and Lyscopersicon solanum (tomato). The priority area is abiotic stress signal transduction with special reference to peroxisome. Peroxisomes are single membrane bound organelle, conventionally considered responsible for beta oxidation. However, with the advent of recent bioinformatics, molecular and biochemical tools newer functions have been attributed to it. With better subcellular prediction algorithms followed by fluorescent fusion protein construct analysis the peroxisomal proteome pool is increasing. Being one of the nodal centre of reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism in plant, it is supposed to play important role in stress tolerance as well. In our lab we use a combination of bioinformatics, molecular, proteomics and metabolomics tools to better understand the plant peroxisome biology. His lab is also involved in understanding the role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in abiotic stress tolerance. Here, we are using rice as a model to study the PGPR-plant interaction. Currently, we are investigating the underlying signal transduction mechanism. His lab is primarily funded by SERB-DST, BIRAC-DBT, Govt. of India, Govt of Ethiopia (Indo-Ethiopian Collaboration) and KIIT Deemed to be University.

Profile Links

Email :
[email protected]
Scopus Id :
6603188971
Google Scholar :
https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=new_profile&hl=en

Social Links

Educational Qualification
PhD

Projects
  1. Phytostabilization of mine tailings in the Sukinda chromite mining area: development and optimization of a PGPR (plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) assisted technology, funded by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.
  2. Functional Characterization of peroxisomal polyamine oxidase mediated abiotic stress tolerance in rice, Funded by Scientific and Engineering research council (SERB), Govt. of India. Polyamines (PAs) are organic compounds having two or more amino groups. In plants they are suggested to play important role in embryogenesis, cell division, organogenesis, flowering, senescence, and also in responses to environmental stresses. Polyamine oxidases (PAO) are the class of enzymes having a crucial role in PA homeostasis in cell. PA metabolism in plant leads to production of hydrogen peroxide, which in turn produces reactive oxygen species (ROS). Peroxisomes are known to be one of the nodal centres (apart from mitochondria and chloroplast) for ROS homeostasis in cell, hence in this project we intend to study the role of peroxisomal PAO is abiotic stress acclimation.
  3. Development of Novel Electromagnetic Wave Based Rapid Tissue Fixation and Processing Device: A biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) Scheme, funded by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), DBT, Govt. of India.
  4. Development of TiO2 Nano-particles Impregnated Surgical Silk Suture - A Novel Approach: A biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) Scheme, funded by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), DBT, Govt. of India.
  5. Matricaria Chamomilla L. (Chamomile) Nanosphere in the treatment of skin hyperpigmentation-A novel approach with stem cells extracts: A biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) Scheme, funded by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), DBT, Govt. of India


Administrative Responsibility
Training and Placement coordinator

Awards & Honours
  1. YGGDRASIL (IS-MOBIL) Fellowship: Sept 2010-May 2011, Awarded by Research Council of Norway, Govt. of Norway, to work at Center for Organelle Research, University of Stavanger, Norway.
  2. National Eligibility Test (NET) December 2002: Awarded jointly by University Grants Commission (UGC), Government of India and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India.
  3. Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE): Qualified, GATE 2002, Percentile score 96.42, All India Rank: 90; awarded by Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Govt. of India.
  4. National Scholarship under Center of Advance Study in Botany for the academic year 2001-2002 and 2002-2003, awarded by University of Delhi, Delhi, India.


Memberships
SPPS

Outreach Activity
Popular Science projects with KIIT International School
Journals/Conferences :
• Shrutakirti Saha, Ishita Samanta, Sabiha Tarafdar, Sasmita Mishra, Gopal Chowdhary (2024). Predicting the peroxisome proteome in the legume Vigna radiata: exploring peroxisomal roles in abiotic stress tolerance. J. Plant Biochem. Biotechnol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13562-024-00937-6

• Pamela Chanda Roy, Deepak Kumar Ojha, Welka Sahu, Mohammad Khalid Al-Sadoon, K. Sony Reddy, Gopal Chowdhary (2024). Overexpression, purification and characterization of a heat-stable peroxisomal glutathione reductase from Oryza sativa involved in multifactorial abiotic stress tolerance. Journal of King Saud University - Science, Vol – 36, Issue – 11, 103575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2024.103575, ISSN - 1018-3647 IF (3.7).

• Sasmita Mishra, Kim Spaccarotella, Jaclyn Gido, Ishita Samanta and Gopal Chowdhary (2023). Effects of Heat Stress on Plant-Nutrient Relations: An Update on Nutrient Uptake, Transport, and Assimilation. Int. J. Mol. Sci, Vol – 24, 15670, 27th October 2023, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115670 , IF -5.6.

• Arka Mukhopadhyay, Abikshyeet Panda, Pallavi Mishra, Gopal Chowdhary, Aishwariya Mohanty, Pravudeva D. Sahoo (2023) Comparative immunohistochemical analysis of WT‑1, Syndecan and Snail in Ameloblastoma and odontogenic keratocyst: A retrospective study. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Vol. 27, no. 2: 295-301. April 1st 2023, DOI: 10.4103/jomfp.jomfp_301_22,

• Ishita Samanta, Shweta Chaturvedi, Pamela Chanda Roy and Gopal Chowdhary (2023). Molecular cloning, subcellular localization, and abiotic stress induction analysis of a polyamine oxidase gene from Oryza sativa. Int. J. of Agronomy, Vol. 2023: 1-9, Article ID 5686484, April 17, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/5686484

• Ishita Samanta, Pamela Chanda Roy, Eshani Das, Sasmita Mishra, and Gopal Chowdhary (2023). Plant Peroxisomal Polyamine Oxidase: A Ubiquitous Enzyme Involved in Abiotic Stress Tolerance. Plants 12, no. 3: 652. February 1st 2023, https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030652.

• Pamela Chanda Roy, Gopal Chowdhary (2023) Molecular cloning of glutathione reductase from Oryza sativa, demonstrating its peroxisomal localization and upregulation by abiotic stresses. Acta Biochimica Polonica, 2023 Jan 8. doi: 10.18388/abp.2020_6441. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36617358.

• Berhanu Girma, Ananta N. Panda, Pamela Chanda Roy, Lopamudra Ray, Sasmita Mohanty, Gopal Chowdhary (2022) Molecular, biochemical, and comparative genome analysis of a rhizobacterial strain Klebsiella Sp. KBG6.2 imparting salt stress tolerance to Oryza sativa L.; Environmental and Experimental Botany, 203 Article number 105066. 5th September 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2022.105066.

• Sabiha Tarafdar and Gopal Chowdhary (2022) Translating the Arabidopsis thaliana Peroxisome Proteome insights to Solanum lycopersium: Consensus versus Diversity; Frontiers in cell and Developmental Biology; 10, Article number 909604, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.909604

• Madhurima Chatterjee, Jyoti Yadav, Maniraj Rathinam, Kesiraju Karthik, Gopal Chowdhary, Rohini Sreevathsa, Uma Rao (2022) Amenability of Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to gene silencing through exogenous administration and host-delivered dsRNA in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.); Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, epub ahead of print, 28 (1), 189-202. Feb 2 2022. Doi: 10.1007/s12298-022-01133-3. ISSN - 0974-0430/0971-5894

• Pamela Chanda Roy, Shweta Chaturvedi, Ishita Samanta, Gopal Chowdhary, (2021) Effect of abiotic stress on polyamine oxidase activities in rice; Int. J. Botany Stud., 6 (6):445-449 (corresponding author). Doi: https://www.botanyjournals.com/archives/2021/vol6/issue6/6-5-307. ISSN - 2455-541X

• Madhurima Chatterjee, Jyoti Yadav, Maniraj Rathinam, Abhishek Mandal, Gopal Chowdhary, Rohini Sreevathsa, Uma Rao (2021) Exogenous administration of dsRNA for the demonstration of RNAi in Maruca vitrata (lepidoptera: crambidae); 3Biotech., 11 (4), 197. ISSN: 2190-5738, doi: 10.1007/s13205-021-02741-8.

• Berhanu Girma, Ananta N. Panda, Sasmita Mohanty, Lopamudra Ray, Gopal Chowdhary, (2020) Draft Genome Sequence of the Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium Klebsiella sp. Strain KBG6.2, Imparting Salt Tolerance to Rice; Micro Res Announcement., 9: 35. 10.1128/MRA.00491-20. (corresponding author). doi: 10.1128/MRA.00491-20

• S. Reumann and G. Chowdhary (2018): Prediction of Peroxisomal Matrix Proteins in Plants. Subcell Biochem.;89:125-138.
• Chowdhary, G. and Lingner T. (2016) Characterization, prediction andevolution of plant peroxisomal targeting signals type 1 (PTS1s) Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) -Molecular Cell Research 1863, 790–803.
• Skoulding, NS, Chowdhary, G, Deus MJ, Baker, A Reumann S, Warriner, SL (2015) Experimental Validation of Plant Peroxisomal Targeting Prediction Algorithms by Systematic Comparison of in Vivo Import Efficiency and in Vitro PTS1 Binding Affinity, J. Mol Biol. .13;427(5):1085-101
• Chowdhary G., Kataya, ARA, Lingner, T and Reumann (2012) Non-Canonical Peroxisome Targeting Signals: Identification of Novel PTS1 Tripeptides and Characterization of Enhancer Elements by Computational Permutation Analysis; BMC Plant Biol., 11; 12(1):142.
• Chowdhary, G and Kundu CN (2012) Induction of a C-Repeat Binding Factor Gene by Calcium to resist Low Temperature stress in rice: Int. J. Plant Physiol. Biochem., (6) 142-145.
• Deswal, R, Chowdhary, G and Sopory SL (2004) Purification and characterization of a PMA stimulated kinase and identification of PMA induced phosphorylation of a polypeptide that is dephosphorylated by low temperature in Brassica juncea,. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 322: 420-427.

Books :
Pamela Chanda Roy, Deepak Kumar Ojha, Welka Sahu, Mohammad Khalid Al-Sadoon, K. Sony Reddy, Gopal Chowdhary (2024). Overexpression, purification and characterization of a heat-stable peroxisomal glutathione reductase from Oryza sativa involved in multifactorial abiotic stress tolerance. Journal of King Saud University - Science, Vol – 36, Issue – 11, 103575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2024.103575, ISSN - 1018-3647 IF (3.7).

Chowdhary G and Reumann S Prediction of Peroxisomal Matrix Proteins in Plants (2019) in the book: Proteomics of Peroxisomes

Sharma P, Chowdhary G, Parveen, I, Bhanu, Kumar P and Deswal R (2008) A step towards growing crops where no crops grow : fishing out targets for manipulation of low temperature stress signaling pathways in plants (2008) Book : n book: Utilization of Biotechnology in Plant Sciences

Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory

Research Thrust Area:

  • Our lab primarily focuses on research related to biotic stress signal transduction. We work on three different plant species: model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa (rice) and Lyscopersicon solanum (tomato). Our priority area is abiotic stress signal transduction with special reference to peroxisome. Peroxisomes are single membrane bound organelle, conventionally considered responsible for beta oxidation. However, with the advent of recent bioinformatics, molecular and biochemical tools newer functions have been attributed to it. With better subcellular prediction algorithms followed by fluorescent fusion protein construct analysis the peroxisomal proteome pool is increasing. Being one of the nodal centre of reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis in plant, it is supposed to play important role in stress tolerance as well. In our lab we use a combination of bioinformatics, molecular, proteomics and metabolomics tools to better understand the plant peroxisome biology.
  • Our lab is also involved in understanding the role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in abiotic stress tolerance. Here, we are using rice as a model to study the PGPR-plant interaction. Currently, we are investigating the underlying signal transduction mechanism.
  • Our lab is primarily funded by SERB-DST, BIRAC-DBT, Govt. of India, Govt of Ethiopia (Indo-Ethiopian Collaboration) and KIIT Deemed to be University.

Collaborators

  • Dr. Sasmita Mohanty, Professor and Head, Department of Biotechnology, Rama Devi Women’s University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
  • Dr. Sigrun Reumann, Professor, Plant Biochemistry and Infection Biology, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Department Biology, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
  • Dr. Ram Singh Purty, University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sec -16C, Dwaraka, New Delhi – 110078, India.
  • Dr. Sridev Mohapatra, Department of Biological Sciences, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Jawaharnagar, Hyderabad, Telangana-500078, India.
  • Dr. Sasmita Mishra, Department of Biological Sciences, Bruce Hall B-120B, Kean University 1000 Morris Avenue, Union NJ 07083, USA.
  • Dr. Abikshyeet Panda, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences, Campus 5, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha, India.
  • Dr. Vidya K.C., Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Kalinga Institute of Dental Sciences, Campus 5, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha, India.

Lab Members :

Berhanu Girma Shewakena, Ph.D. Candidate
Berhanu comes from Ethiopia. He earned his Master of Science in Forestry and comes with six years of teaching experience. He is pursuing his doctoral research on isolation and characterization of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and their role in abiotic stress adaptation using biochemical, molecular and bioinformatics tools. He is using rice as model for investigation. Berhnu is funded by Indo-Ethiopean research collaboration. He is co-supervised by Dr. Sasmita Mohanty.

E mail: [email protected]

Ishita Samanta, Ph.D Candidate

Ishita comes from Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. She has earned her Master of Science in Biotechnology from KIIT deemed to be University. Ishita is working on studying the role of peroxisomal polyamine oxidase in abiotic stress tolerance in rice. She is using bioinformatics, molecular biology and biochemical tools to decipher the signal transduction pathway for peroxisomal PAO in rice and Arabidopsis. Ishita is funded by SERB-DST, GoI project.

E mail: [email protected]

Sabiha Tarafdar, Ph.D. Candidate
Sabiha comes from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. She has earned her master in Applied Microbiology from KIIT-DTU. Her research area is tomato peroxisome proteome. She is using bioinformatics and molecular tools to identify novel peroxisomal proteins in tomato. She is also working on identification of suitable plant extract coating for titanium mini-plates for dental implants.  She is co-supervised by Dr. Vidya K.C. She is funded by BIRAC-DBT, GoI funded project.

E mail: [email protected]

Pamela Chanda Roy, Ph.D. Candidate
Pamela comes from Siliguri, West Bengal, India.  She is an M. Tech in Biotechnology from School of Biotechnology, KIIT DTU. She is currently working on role of peroxisomal glutathione reductase in abiotic stress tolerance in rice. She is using bioinformatics, molecular biology and proteomics tools to decipher the signal transduction pathway for peroxisomal GR in rice and Arabidopsis.

Email: [email protected]

(From left to right: Sabiha, Eshani (lab intern), Shweta (former student), Gopal, Pamela and Berhanu at Life Tech 2020 conference)