MSc (Bharathiar) PhD (Mysore)
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Pigments
Department of Biotechnology
Gauhati University, Guwahati, 781014
Email: imtiyaj[at]gauhati[dot]ac[dot]in
2013, Ph.D. (Biochemistry), CSIR-CFTRI, Mysore, Thesis title “Studies on pigments from the fruits of Rivina humilis L.: Characterisation, elicitation, stability and safety”.
2006, M.Sc. (Biochemistry), University 9th rank, Bharathiar University (Kongu Arts & Science College, Erode), Tamil Nadu, India. Dissertation title “Effects of blended oils on lipids in rats”.
2004, B.Sc. (Biotechnol., Bot., Chem.), Barkatullah University (Extol Institute of Management), Bhopal, M.P., India.
Assistant Professor - 2014 to till date
Department of Biotechnology, Gauhati University, Guwahati 781014, Assam.
CSIR Postdoctoral Research Associate - Oct. to Dec., 2014.
Characterisation of a PPO involved in betalain biosynthesis and cost effective production of stabilised betalains for food, pharma and cosmetic uses.
Supervisor – Dr P. Giridhar, Principal Scientist, Plant Cell Biotechnology, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, India.
Guest Faculty – Aug. 2013 to May 2014.
Courses taught: Genetically modified organisms, Plant tissue culture, Biophysics and instrumentation, Environmental genetics
Department of Plant Science, Central University of Kerala, Padannakad Post, Kasaragod, Kerala, India.
Senior Research Fellow - July 2009 to July 2012.
Characterisation of plant pigments (betalains), stability, molecular mechanism of pigment elicitation (through gene expression studies), in vitro bioactivity, cytotoxicity assessment through cell culture and in vivo safety in rats. Betalains extract was successfully incorporated in food formulations as bioactive colourant. Major findings of this work form my PhD thesis.
Salient findings include a novel method of stabilising betalains, anti-cancerous betalains, pigment enhancement in ex situ plants by floral dip method and first scientific data on safety of a rich betalains source. Five research papers have been published in reputed journals.
Supervisor – Dr P. Giridhar, Principal Scientist, Plant Cell Biotechnology, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, India.
Project Assistant II - Feb. 2008 to June 2009.
Bio–prospecting of fruits of Santalum album and Tinospora cordifolia, pigment characterisation, and in vitro and in vivo biological activities through different assays. This work required qualitative and quantitative analysis of fruit extracts. For the first time, the pigments in the berries were characterised. The results of this work are published in four research papers in reputed journals.
Supervisor – Dr P. Giridhar, Plant Cell Biotechnology, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, India
Project Assistant II - Aug. 2006 to Dec. 2007.
Structural modification of traditional oils by physical blending and enzymatic interesterification to get desirable consistency for specific end–use and low–calorie fat. GC, HPLC and other instruments/techniques such as dilatation of fats were used to validate this work. Quality parameters were evaluated and culinary performance of the formulated oil was assessed. Four research papers were published based on the findings.
Supervisor - Dr Sakina Khatoon, Retd. Principal Scientist, Lipid Science and Traditional Foods, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, India.
1. Biochemistry and molecular biology of plant pigments.
2. Nutritional biochemistry.
3. Biotransformation of plant secondary metabolites for enhancing bioavailability.
Theory
Practical
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Role |
Project |
Funding Agency |
Status (Duration) |
|
Co-Principal Investigator |
Exploring nutraceutical potential of Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and Maitake (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms and promotion of its production for entrepreneurial and socioeconomic livelihood in northeast India |
DBT, Govt of India, in collaboration with Mushroom Development Foundation, Guwahati. |
Ongoing (2021-2024) |
|
Principal Investigator |
Investigations on metabolite profile and betalains biosynthesis in Basella spp, an edible leafy vegetable |
DBT, Govt of India under DBT-Twinning programme 2015, in collaboration with CSIR-CFTRI, Mysore and RVCE, Bengaluru. |
Completed (March 2017- March 2020) |
|
Principal Investigator |
Studies on betalain biosynthetic enzymes for in vitro pigment production and nanoencapsulaticn of betalains for nutraceutical applications |
SERB, DST, Govt of India under Early Career Research Award scheme. |
Completed (March 2017- March 2020) |
|
Principal Investigator |
Studies on biosynthesis of betalains to develop in vitro bio-mimetic pigment production technology |
UGC, New Delhi under Start-Up Grant scheme. |
Completed (April 2016- March 2018) |
Please visit the link below for updated list of publications and citation index.
scholar.google.com/citations
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=52263832700
10.
10.
Session Chair (Technical Session I), International Conference on “Advances in Plants, Microbes and Agricultural Sciences” organised by Department of Botany, University of North Bengal scheduled from 2nd-4th March, 2023.
9.
Review Editor, Frontiers in Nutrition, Food Chemistry section, September 2021 - September 2023.
8.
Life member, Society of Biological Chemists (SBC), Bengaluru.
7.
Life member, Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India), AFST(I), Mysore.
6.
Certificate of Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing awarded in July 2017 in recognition of the contributions made to the quality of the journal Food Chemistry (Elsevier).
5.
Recognised PhD guide at Gauhati University.
4.
Invited to attend and contribute to Brainstorming Meeting on “Renewing the tradition of natural product research in India" on Jan. 21 – 23, 2016 at CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow, India.
3.
Member (Alumni representative) of Board of Studies in Biochemistry (July 2014-Feb. 2017), Biochemistry Dept, Kongu Arts and Science College, Nanjanapuram, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India.
2.
Reviewer of reputed international journals published by Elsevier (Food Chemistry, Food Research International), Springer (3 Biotech), and others.
1.
Reviewer of the DST-SERB (Govt of India), and the National Science Centre (NCN, Poland) projects.
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13 |
March 01-07, 2024. National Level Hands on Training on RNA-seq Data Analysis organised by Dept of Botany and Bioinformatics Centre, Gauhati University and sponsored by DBT, Govt of India and DST-Purse, Govt of India. |
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12 |
Five days Hands-on Workshop on Protein and Cell Analysis as part of Industry-Academia Interaction 2023 held at Dept of Biotechnology, Gauhati University from March 20th to 24th, 2023. |
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11 |
R&D funding opportunities by SERB-DST: Awareness workshop for researchers from North-East institutions held at Radisson Blu, Guwahati on July 14-15, 2022 organised by IASST, Guwahati. |
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10 |
Workshop on "Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: Technique and its Application” held from 23rd to 24th August 2021, organized by North East Centre for Biological Sciences and Healthcare Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam, in collaboration with Bruker, India, with support of Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India. |
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9 |
Grant writing workshop for young investigators, conducted by EMBO-IndiaBioscience (Online) on Sept. 22, and Oct. 22, 2020. |
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8
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June 07-21, 2021. Interdisciplinary Refresher Course on Curriculum and Pedagogy in online mode, organised by Teaching Learning Centre, Tezpur University, Assam. |
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7
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August 19-September 1, 2020. Refresher Course on Research methodology (multidisciplinary) in online mode under UGC-STRIDE scheme, organised by Department of Zoology, Mizoram University in collaboration with UGC-HRDC, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram. |
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6 |
Workshop on Recent Advances in Food Engineering in North-East India, conducted by Centre for the Environment, IIT Guwahati, sponsored by “Knowledge Incubation for TEQIP, Centre for Educational Technology” December 17th - 19th, 2020 Online Workshop (through Google Meet). |
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5 |
March 2-6, 2020. Hands-on Training on Product validation and quality control at KIIT-TBI, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar sponsored by National Biopharma Mission of the Govt of India. |
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4 |
Jan. 21-Feb.1, 2019. Hands-on Training Programme on Molecular biology, protein expression, characterization, structural biology and bioinformatics at ACTREC, Mumbai sponsored by the DBT, Govt of India. |
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3 |
Young Investigators’ Meeting 2019, organised by IndiaBioscience on March 6-8 at Radisson Blu, Guwahati. |
|
2 |
Jan. 21-Feb.1, 2019. Hands on Training Programme on Molecular biology, protein expression, characterization, structural biology and bioinformatics at ACTREC, Mumbai sponsored by the DBT, Govt of India. |
|
1 |
Brainstorming meeting on “Renewing the tradition of natural product research in India” on Jan. 21 – 23, 2016 at CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow, India |
Ph.D. students
3. Ms Sehenaj Sultana
2. Ms Monika Kumari
1. Mr Hidam Bishworjit Singh
M.Sc. dissertations guided
19. Jebina Yasmin (Jan. 2023 to Jul. 2023)
18. Abu Mujadid Choudhury (Jan. 2023 to Jul. 2023)
17. Sachin Dowarah (Jan. 2023 to Jul. 2023)
16. Dipsikha Goswami (Jan. 2022 to Jul. 2022)
15. Nishita Deka (Jan. 2022 to Jul. 2022)
14. Anubha Rabha (Jan. 2022 to Jul. 2022)
13. Akash Keot (Jan. 2022 to Jul. 2022)
12. Himadri Barman
11. Shubham Roy Choudhury
10. Abhilasha Saikia
9. Priyanka Das (Jan. 2020 to Jul. 2020)
8. Makson Jigdung (Jan. 2020 to Jul. 2020)
7. Jitu Moni Das (Jan. 2019 to Jun. 2019)
6. Shuhada Begum (Jan. 2019 to Jun. 2019)
5. Deepak Kumar Sharma (Jan. 2018 to Jun. 2018)
4. Jusmitha Maibangsa (Jan. 2018 to Jun. 2018)
3. Monika Kumari (Jan. 2017 to Jun. 2017)
2. Naseema Yasmeen (Jan. 2017 to Jun. 2017)
1. Sanchari Das (Jan. 2016 to Jun. 2016)
| 6. | Invited lecture on ‘Phenylalanine affects betalain biosynthesis and related metabolites in Amaranthus tricolor seedlings’ in the International Conference on “Advances in Plants, Microbes and Agricultural Sciences” organised by Department of Botany, University of North Bengal scheduled from 2nd-4th March, 2023. |
| 5. |
Invited lecture on ‘Learning ABC of plant pigments for waste to wealth generation’ at Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, China on July 15, 2019 and Chongqing Institute of Chinese Traditional Materia Medica, Chongqing, China on July 18, 2019. |
| 4. |
Counselling/Interactive session on ‘Career prospects for BSc and MSc Biochemistry graduates in industry and academia’, at Dept of Biochemistry, Kongu Arts and Science College (Autonomous), Erode, Tamil Nadu, India on Feb. 18, 2017. |
| 3. |
Invited lecture on ‘Biology concepts for civil service exam aspirants’ at Integrated Development Organisation (IDO), Lilong (Opposite Madrassa Alia), Lilong, Manipur, India. September 2016. |
| 2. |
Invited lecture on ‘Learning ABC of plant pigments’ at Dept of Biochemistry, Kongu Arts and Science College (Auonomous), Erode, Tamil Nadu, India on Feb. 26, 2016. |
| 1. |
Counselling/Interactive session on ‘Career prospects and preparation after 10+2/Higher Secondary’, at Lilong Higher Secondary Madrassa, Lilong, Manipur, India. 2015. |
| 4. |
Published a collaborative research paper in 2023 with Prof. Jun Liu, College of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, People’s Republic of China. |
| 3. |
Published a collaborative review paper in 2022 with Prof. Jun Liu, College of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, People’s Republic of China. |
| 2. |
Published a joint corresponding authorship research paper in 2021 with Prof. Samuel F. Brockington, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, U.K. |
| 1. | Dec. 9, 2019 to Jan. 4, 2020. Visit to School of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, Yunnan province, China for initiating research collaboration on chemical transformation of structures of bioactive molecules for enhanced bioavailability and biological activity, invited by Prof. Baomin Fan. |
Dec. 9, 2019 to Jan. 4, 2020. Visit to School of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, Yunnan province, China for initiating research collaboration on chemical transformation of structures of bioactive molecules for enhanced bioavailability and biological activity, invited by Prof. Baomin Fan.