AK

Anil Kumar

University of Maryland, College Park, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Panjab University, National Institute of Plant Genome Research

ORCID iD 0000-0002-3835-4280
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About

I have started my scientific carrier during the internship of my Master’s degree in 2012-2013. I did one year of project from National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute Mohali regarding the Identification and partial characterization of TaIPK1 gene to understand the molecular mechanism of phytic acid biosynthesis in wheat. The exposure to the internship inspired me to further continue the work and pursue my Ph.D.
During My Ph.D., I have worked on the expression and functional characterization of yellow stripe-like (YSL) proteins in wheat. YSL genes are known to be involved in Iron (Fe) transport from soil to the vegetative organs and further to the seeds in plants. We prepared a Genomewide inventory of Yellow Stripe like proteins in wheat and identified 26 YSL genes that correspond to 67 homoeologs of the gene family (Kumar et al., Funct. Integr. Genomics 2019). Further, the tissue-specific and Spatio-temporal expression characterization of the genes was performed under various micronutrients starvation conditions including Fe, Zn, Cu, Mg, and Mn. To check the response of the genes for heavy metals, the expression analysis was also performed under the exposure of Cd, Co and Ni. We shortlisted two genes TaYS1A and TaYSL2 based on the expression characterization of the entire family under the exposure of various nutrient starvation and heavy metal treatments. Further, the genes were functionally validated in fet3/fet4 yeast mutants. In planta functional validation was performed in Arabidopsis by using the overexpression approach. I have been exposed to various in-silico analysis and molecular biology techniques including in-silico gene mining using various online tools and high throughput genome browsers, gene cloning, genetic engineering, qRT-PCRs, Gene sequencing, reporter assays including GUS and GFP analysis. Microscopy, yeast complementation assay, ICPMS, plant tissue culture, Arabidopsis and wheat transformation.
Besides my Ph.D. work, I have been involved in standardizing the CRISPR/cas9 based genome editing in wheat. My task was to test the mutability of target sites using RNP based approach, design DNA-based constructs for the selected target sites of the gene/s and further transform these in wheat using Agrobacterium mediated transformation method. We utilized callus-mediated wheat transformation using immature wheat embryos. We successfully generated putative transgenic lines that harbored the desired CRISPR/Cas9 construct. Further work is in progress. Moreover, I have been involved in organizing a CRISPR/Cas9 workshop held at NABI, Mohali in 2019. During the workshop, we conducted various experiments regarding the utilization of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) based genome editing using CRISPR/cas9 system such as designing target sites by using various online tools, preparation of sgRNA, and in-vitro gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 system.
Additionally, in my initial years of Ph.D. I was involved in gene silencing of ABCC13 and TaIPK1 using RNAi in wheat (Bhati et al., JExB 2016; Aggarwal et al., Front. Plant Sci. 2018).
We successfully generated wheat transgenic lines through Agrobacterium-mediated wheat transformation using wheat immature embryos and tissue culture methods.
I also got the opportunity to mentor 2 post-graduate students during my Ph.D. for the completion of their partial fulfillment of the course.
I have worked as a Project Assistant in the project entitled ‘Trait modulation through distant gene silencing using viral vector’. A novel mastrevirus named WDIV (Wheat Dwarf India Virus) was reported from wheat and causing dwarfing (Kumar et. al, Arch.vir. 2012). Observations with modified infectious clones suggested that it was replicating in both monocots as well as dicot plants. Along with the viral genome, certain satellite DNA was also identified, helping viral sustainability and enhanced virulence. I contributed to the cloning and modification of the viral genome and satellite DNA to use as a vector for targeted gene silencing through VIGS for trait modulation.

Employment

  • University of Maryland, College Park Post Doctoral Research Associate
    2024 - Present
  • National Institute of Plant Genome Research Research Associate - I
    2023 - 2023
  • National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute Senior Research Fellow
    2017 - 2020
  • National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute Junior Research Fellow
    2015 - 2017
  • National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute Project Assistant
    2014 - 2015
  • National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute

Education

  • Panjab University Ph.D. titled as 'Expression and functional characterization of yellow stripe like transporters in hexaploidy wheat.'
    2016 - 2021

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (14)