Dr.
K. Ulaganathan has 16 years of teaching and research experience at
Osmania University. His Research group has been working on molecular
basis of plant microbe interaction concentrating on diseases like grain
mold of sorghum, leaf spot of groundnut and antagonistic microbes for
important plant pathogenic fungi. Many antagonistic microbes and
antifungal proteins showing toxicity to plant pathogenic fungi have
been identified. Seven students have been awarded PhDs and 5 students
are perusing PhD under the guidance of Dr. Ulaganathan. Several
students got trained in his lab in the area of genome analysis. Dr.
Ulaganathan has been associated with 16 National and one International
training course conducted by the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology for
training Scientists, Teachers and Technical Assistants in recombinant
DNA technology. Lately, the main focus of the group is on genome
analysis for understanding and improvement of plants. Using information
generated in heterologous systems, intensive genomewide analysis has
been carried out on spliceosomal genes of rice, cell cycle genes of
rice, photosynthetic genes of rice, trichome development genes of
rice, sorghum and maize, gametophyte development genes of rice,
nucleoporin complex of rice, meat quality genes of chicken, muscle
development genes in human and chicken, root development genes in
rice. The current work of the group is on utilization of genome
information for understanding and resolving complex traits like hybrid
sterility, root development, drought tolerance in rice and cotton.
Extensive analysis of root development QTLs of rice resulted in
integration of more than 800 QTLs to rice genome and prediction of
probable candidate genes. His group does functional validation of genes
associated with complex traits like root development using molecular
markers and RNA interference. Many online resources and tools to
facilitate genomic research in plants have been developed. ROOTBROWSE-
the rice root development QTL analysis tool and TRANSLATEBASE, the
plant translational signals database are available online at
www.ricebrowse.org.
Dr. Ulaganathan’s group collaborate with leading biotechnology industry
in utilizing genome information for precise molecular breeding to
develop stress tolerant rice and cotton and to harness hybrid vigour.
The work is supported by a strong interdisciplinary network with
breeders, physiologists and molecular biologists from Academics and
Industry.
