Curriculum Vitae Dharmendra Pratap (PhD) Personal Information Date of Birth: April 02, 1980 Personal Status: Male, Married Address for communication: Department of Horticulture, Sikkim University (A Central University), 6th Mile, Samdur, PO- Tadong, Gangtok, 737102, Sikkim, India Telephone (office): +91 3592 250060 Mobile: +91 8972887254 Fax: +91 3592 251438/251067 Email: [email protected] & [email protected] Details of employments and nature of duties 1. Assistant Professor, April 30th 2012 to till date at Department of Horticulture, Sikkim University (A Central University), Gangtok Teaching to UG, PG and PhD (Horticulture) students. The major courses taught are: Elementary biochemistry, microbiology and biotechnology; Intellectual property rights; Principles of plant biotechnology, Plant Pathology, Molecular basis of host pathogen interaction; Environmental Sciences; Genomics and Bioinformatics. Principal investigator in DST, New Delhi funded project which deals with the molecular characterization of the viruses associated with chirke and foorkey disease of large cardamom in North East India. The aim of the project is early detection of viral disease and development of sensitive diagnostic kits for virus indexing. 2. Research Coordinator, July 29th 2011 to April 28th 2012 at Ankur Seeds Private Limited, Nagpur. To develop resistance against tomato leaf curl virus in tomato plants through artificial microRNA approach. 3. Post-doctoral Research Analyst, Oct 22nd 2009 to July 28th 2011 at International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi component Supervisor: Dr. Sunil Kumar Mukherjee, PMB Group, ICGEB, New Delhi Molecular characterization and rolling circular amplification of begomovirus causing infection to brinjal and construction of agro infectious dimeric clones. Establishment of GFP silencing reversal assay in GFP silenced Nicotiana tabacum using 2b suppressor protein of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) through Agrobacterium mediated transient expression. Methods involves: Rolling circular amplification of virus (begomovirus), construction and validation of agro-infectious clone, cloning of CMV 2b gene in binary vector, Expression of CMV 2b protein.

Educational Qualifications Ph.D. Thesis Title: Molecular characterization of a Cucumovirus causing fern leaf/ shoestring in tomato and development of resistance in tomato plants utilizing viral capsid protein gene Place: National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI-CSIR), Lucknow, India. Thesis Advisor’s: Dr. S.C. Srivastava (Department of Botany, University of Lucknow), Dr. S.K Raj (Plant virology, NBRI). Master of Science (2004) Biotechnology Kumaun University, Naintal (India). Major courses studied during M.Sc. Fundamentals of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Plant Physiology, Plant biotechnology, Molecular Cell Biology, Immunology, Principles of Genetic Engineering, Molecular and Microbial Genetics, Bioinformatics, Computer application, basic statistics and scientific communication. Bachelor of Science (2000) Chemistry, Botany and Zoology University of Lucknow, Lucknow (India) Awards, membership and fellowships: Fellow of the Society of Applied Biotechnology, India (FSAB). Life member of Indian Virological Society, New Delhi, India National Eligibility Test (NET-JRF, 2003) conducted by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and University Grants commission (CSIR-UGC), New Delhi for the award of Junior Research Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship and giving the eligibility to work as Assistant Professor in Indian University DBT fellowship for pursuing M.Sc. (Biotechnology), 2002-04, admitted by combined entrance examination (CEE) conducted by JNU, New Delhi, India

List of best five research publications 1. Pratap D, Raj S. K, Kumar S, Snehi S. K, Gautam K. K & Sharma A.K (2012). Coat proteinmediated transgenic resistance in tomato against a IB subgroup Cucumber mosaic virus strain. Phytoparasitica 40(4), 375-382. IF 0.527, ISSN: 0334-2123 (Print) 1876-7184 (Online) 2. Pratap D, Kumar S, Snehi S. K & Raj S. K (2012). Biological and Molecular Characterization of Cucumber mosaic virus Isolate Causing Shoestring Disease of Tomato in India which has Closer Affinity to European or East Asian Isolates of CMV. Indian J of Virology 23(1), 5763. IF 1.33, ISSN: 0970-2822 3. Pratap D, Kumar S, Raj S. K & Sharma A.K (2011). Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of eggplant (Solanum melongena L) using cotyledon explants and coat protein gene of

Cucumber mosaic virus. Indian Journal of Biotechnology 10, 19-24. IF 0.385, ISSN: 09750967 (Online) 0972-5849 (Print) 4. Pratap D, Kashikar A & Mukherjee S. K (2011). Molecular characterization and infectivity of a Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus variant associated with newly emerging yellow mosaic disease of eggplant in India. Virology Journal 8 (305), 1-11. IF 2.56, ISSN: 1743-422X 5. Pratap D, Kumar S & Raj S.K (2008). First molecular identification of a Cucumber mosaic virus isolate causing shoestring symptoms on tomato in India. Australasian Plant Disease Notes 3, 57-58. IF 0.2, ISSN: 1833-928X

List of five selected Abstracts 1. Pratap D (2014) Molecular characterization of virus responsible for foorkey disease of large cardamom in Sikkim and Darjeeling hills. International Conference on Horticulture for Nutritional, Livelihood and Environmental Security in Hills: Opportunity and Challenges organized by Uttar Banga Krishi Vishvidyalaya (Hill Campus), Kalimpong, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India, 22-24 May 2014 2. Pratap D (2013) Study of viruses responsible for the foorkey and chirke disease of large cardamom in north east India. National Conference on New Frontiers in Medicinal Plant Research (NCMPR-2013) organised by Sikkim University, Gangtok, India, 3 - 5 October 2013. 3. Pratap D and Raj SK (2008). Development of transgenic tomato plants for resistance against Cucumber mosaic virus. National symposium on advance in microbial diversity and disease management for sustainable crop production. College of Forestry and Hill Agriculture, G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Hill campus, Ranichauri, Tehri Garhwal, India 4. Pratap D, Kumar S and Raj S K (2007) Cloning and sequencing of complete RNA 3 genome for molecular identification of Cucumber mosaic virus causing shoestring on tomato in India. 10th International plant virus epidemiology symposium, ICRISAT, A.P, India, 15-20 October 2007 5. Pratap D, Kumar S, and Raj SK (2006). Molecular characterization of virus causing shoestring in tomato. XVIth Annual Convention of Indian Virological Society, ICRISAT, India, 7-10 Feb 2006 Technical expertise Molecular Biology 1. Extensive experience in recombinant DNA technology. 2. Designing of constructs, cloning and expression of genes in plant cells. 3. Experienced in mini and large scale preparation of plasmid. 4. Isolation of genomic DNA, genomic DNA PCR, and Southern hybridization. 5. Total RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, Reverse-Transcriptase-PCR and Northern blotting. 6. Extensive experience using PCR, Nested and Real Time-PCR. Biochemistry 1. Purification of virus 2. Protein purification and Expression. 3. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting 4. ELISA and Production of polyclonal antibodies.

Plant Molecular Virology 1. Mechanical sap transmission and aphid transmission. 2. Host range and symptom studies. 3. Serological and molecular characterization. 4. Construction of agroinfectious dimeric clones for begomovirus Plant tissue culture and plant transformation 1. Media preparation 2. Regeneration of tobacco, tomato and brinjal 3. Callus culture and induction of somatic embryogenesis. 4. Binary vector construction and their mobilization in agrobacterium and agroinfiltration. 5. Agromediated transformation of tomato and brinjal. 4. Production of virus free plants (chrysanthemum) through tissue culture by means of chemotherapy, heat treatment and meristem tip culture. Other Scientific and Teaching Skills 1. Nucleic acid and protein sequence analysis by bioinformatics tools. Submission of nucleotide sequences in Gen Bank. Phylogenetic analysis, Primer designing. 2. Capable of planning and executing independent research projects. 3. Enjoy teaching and supervising undergraduate and post graduate students in University.

Research Summary Assistant Professor Molecular characterization of plant viruses, In vitro regeneration of large cardamom, banana and bulbous ornamentals. Post Doc Molecular characterization and rolling circular amplification of Geminivirus causing infection to tomato and construction of agro infectious dimeric clones. Expression of CMV 2b suppressor proteins and establishment of GFP silencing reversal assay. Screening of TasiRNA expressed transgenic lines and evaluation of resistance by challenging the transgenic plants with virus (Tomato leaf curl virus) to evaluate the resistance. (Pratap et al. 2011b) Ph.D. The major research was focused on molecular characterization of Cucumber mosaic virus associated with mosaic disease of tomato and development of virus resistant transgenic plants on the basis of pathogen derived resistance. Tomato is one of the important vegetable crop of world. In recent years, in spite of its high demand, a decline in production has been observed. So keeping this point in mind the molecular characterization of the CMV isolate infecting tomato was done and virus resistant plant on the basis of pathogen derived resistance was developed that showed resistance to CMV. (Pratap et. al., 2008, 2011a, 2012a &2012b)

The research projects and education played a key role in increasing my confidence and helping me to understand various concepts in plant molecular biology, plant tissue culture and plant transformation. Hence, I strongly believe that with my diverse work experience in different fields has given me flexibility and maturity to adapt new circumstances. I am confident that I will meet the high standards set by the lab. I hereby declare that the given information is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

December 25, 2014

(Dharmendra Pratap)

References

Dr. Sunil Kumar Mukherjee NASI-Senior Scientist Platinum Jubilee Fellow Department of Genetics University of Delhi-South Campus Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan New Delhi-110021 India Mob: +919871995629 Email: [email protected]

Dr. S. Manivannan Head, Department of Horticulture Sikkim Central University 6th Mile, Samdur, PO- Tadong Gangtok-737102 India Mob: +917602878189 Email: [email protected]

Dr. Abdul Samad Chief Scientist & Head, Plant Pathology Division CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, PO CIMAP, Lucknow-226015 India Mob: +919415911805 Email: [email protected]

Dr. S. C. Srivastava 19/738, Sector 19, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016 India Mob: +919695515878 Email: [email protected]