Committees and Directors Index

DIRECTOR OF PLANT BIOLOGY (NATIONAL HEALTH SCIENCE)

Prof. P. Balasubramanian, PhD
Formerly Director, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Doctoral

Ph. D.

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

1985

Plant Pathology

OGPA 4.00/4.00 First Class (Dr. A. N. Puri Prize for best thesis)

Master’s

M. Sc. (Ag.)

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

1979

Plant Pathology

OGPA 4.00/4.00 First Class

Bachelor’s

B. Sc. (Ag.)

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

1977

Agriculture

OGPA 3.70/4.00 First Class

Professional Accomplishment

1. Taking the fruits of modern agriculture, especially the ‘orphan’ crops, to the resource-poor farmers
2. Developed Bt eggplant open pollinated varieties (farmers can save the seed for next sowing) against the fruit borer with a view to reducing farm inputs on insecticides which take away a lion’s share in profit
3. Evolved a transgenic technology to combat bunchytop virus which renders hill banana (the pride of India) sterile
4. Developed transgenic cassava against mosaic disease, a scourge of cassava farmers of India in PPP mode with a seed industry
5. Deployed coat-protein mediated transgenic technology against papaya ringspot virus, an invincible pathogen causing huge losses through global tie-up
6. Developed sheath blight resistant rice
7. Evolved drought resistant sugarcane and rice suitable for India
8. Established a Centre of Excellence (Programme Support) in Agricultural Biotechnology with copious financial grants from DBT, New Delhi
9. Introduced rural bias to raise HRD in transgenic plant technology
10. Guided more than 50 students at PhD and MSc levels in agricultural biotechnology and allied sciences and authored more than 120 research papers published in journals of repute/presented in national/international conferences
11. Adviser to several ministries of Government of India in agricultural research and education including Member, GEAC, RCGM and BIRAC of Central Ministries
12. One of the key players in assisting Government of India in its public-private partnership while taking the fruits of agriculture research to market
13. Brought copious grants to the University through national/international funding agencies for taking up agbiotech research at TNAU
14. Introduced new professional courses in biotechnology in order to cater to the growing needs of the state and to put to maximum use of expertise available in TNAU on the sunrise science

International

Technology transfers from University of California, Davis, the Scripps Research Institute (Prof. Roger Beachy’s Group), La Jolla, California, USA (later the Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre, St. Louis, MI), John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK (Prof. Paul Christou Group) through the Rockefeller Foundation to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and building a transformation capacity at TNAU

Technology transfer from Queensland University of Technology (Dr. Jim Dale’s Group) on banana biofortification to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Key skills acquired

Technology transfer of deliverables
Bio-safety Regulation Compliance
Technical Due Diligence Reporting
HRD in Biotechnology
Environment risk assessment
Food Security issues
Food Safety Standards issues
Crop Biotechnology Project assessment for national funding
Need-based molecular research on social demand

Technology Transfer Efforts

Foreign collaborations established

Country/ Year	Institution	Scientist	Line of Work	Benefit
USA/1991-92	University of California, Davis	W. J. Lucas, Professor of Plant Biology	Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation of Rice	Transfer of technology to TNAU
USA/1995	ILTAB, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California	Roger N. Beachy and Claude M. Fauquet, Co-Directors, ILTAB	Gene Gun method of transformation of rice	Raised transgenic japonica and indica rice lines; Plasmids obtained
UK/1998	John Innes Centre, Norwich	Paul Christou, Director, Molecular Biotech	Pyramiding of disease resistance gene with other useful genes	Evolving transgenic disease resistance rice lines; Technology transfer.
Australia	Centre for Application of Molecular Biology to International Agriculture	R. A. Jefferson, Professor of Molecular Biology	Plant Transformation Vectors development	Plasmids obtained for rice transformation
USA	University of California, Davis	Pamela Ronald, Plant Pathologist	Rice Bacterial blight resistance gene	Xa21 clones for evolving BLB resistance rice lines
USA	KansasStateUniversity	S. Muthukrishnan, Professor of Biochemistry	Rice Sheath blight resistance gene	Plasmid with a Chitinase gene obtained through IRRI
IPM-CRSP	WashingtonStateUniversity	Dr. Naidu Rayapati, Virologist	Virus Vector relationship	Two scientists were trained in this field at WSU,USA
Australia	QUT via DBT	Dr. James Dale	Banana biofortification	Transfer of banana transgenic technology to India

Professional Experience

At the national level

Position	National Body	Role
The Member (from 2018)	Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change	GM crop Regulation at National Level
The Founder Member	South Asia Biotechnology Centre, New Delhi	Spreading the cause of agBiotech in enhancing resource-poor farmers’ livelihood
The Chairman (2008-11) the Standing Committee of GEAC	Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee Sub-committee on Bt cotton hybrids (EBAM system)	The Standing Committee was empowered to approve Bt cotton hybrids specific to various agroclimatic zones as per terms of reference prescribed by the GEAC
The Member, Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation,	Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India	Regulation of GM crops
The Member, BIRAC Due Diligence Committee and Member in various sub-committees of BIRAC (current)	BIRAC, a wing of DBT	To examine the proposals submitted by business houses either in stand alone or joining hands with an academic institution (PPP mode) which envisages deliverables in agbiotech sector
The Member, DBT TasK Force on Crop Biotechnology (current)	DBT, Chairman: Dr. S. Nagarajan, Chairperson, PPV and FR	To examine and recommend to DBT the R&D proposals on agbiotech submitted by the academia
The Member, DBT Task Force on HRD (current)	DBT, Chairman: Dr. K. Dharmalingam Senior Professor, School of Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University	To advise DBT on various HRD programmes of DBT at various levels namely, MSc, PhD and Post-doc
The Member, FSSAI Panel GM Foods and crops (current)	Food Safety Standards Authority of India	To advise FSSAI on biosafety of GM crops
The Founder Member, NAGE	National Association of Genome Entrepreneur(NAGE) of India under the Chairmanship of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan	To advise Indian agbiotech entrepreneurs
The Member, Reconstituted Task force on Biopesticides and crop Management of DBT, Govt. of India, New Delhi (2003-06)	DBT Chairman: Dr. SN Puri, Vice-Chancellor, Central University, Manipur	To examine and recommend to DBT the R&D proposals on biopesticides submitted by the academia
The Member (2006)	Tamil Nadu Biotechnology Board; Chiarman Dr. MS Swaminathan	To advise the state government on agbiotech policies
The Member (2006)	Andhra Pradesh Netherlands Biotechnology Programme-Project Review Committee	To advise the APNBP on R&D proposals from the state.

At the international level

Reviewer of European Union Project Proposals (FP7)	European Union	To review projects submitted by member nations of the Union in collaboration with developing nations for competitive grants from EU
The Member of the Indian Delegation to EU	Represented Indian Agriculture	In order for forging collaborations with European Union.

At the university

Research Associate, School of Genetics, AC&RI Coimbatore	July, 1980	Oct., 1980	Sunflower pathology; research and extension
ICAR Senior Research Fellow, AC&RI, Coimbatore	Oct., 1980	Oct., 1983	Black gram pathology
Assistant Professor, Cotton Research Station, Srivilliputtur	Oct., 1983	March, 1987	Cotton pathology-research; plant clinic centre-extension
Assistant Professor, Horticultural Research Station, Periyakulam	Apr., 1987	Jan., 1989	Citrus and mango pathology-research and extension
Associate Professor, Horticultural Research Station, Thadiyankudisai	Jan., 1989	Aug. 1991	Banana bunchy top eradication-research and extension
Post doctoral visitor, University of California, Davis	Sept, 1991	Aug. 1992	Rice biotechnology research
Associate Professor, AC&RI, Coimbatore	Sept., 1992	Feb., 1995	Rice biotechnology-research and teaching
Visiting scientist, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California	Feb., 1995	Aug. 1995	Rice biotechnology-research
Associate Professor , CPMB AC&RI, Coimbatore	Aug. 1995	July, 1998	Rice biotechnology-research and teaching
Professor, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology, TNAU, Coimbatore	July 1998	April, 2003	Agricultural biotechnology-research and teaching
Rockefeller Career Fellow, John Innes Centre UK	Aug., 1998	Nov. 1998	Rice Biotechnology
Rockefeller Career Fellow, John Innes Centre UK	Nov., 1999	Feb. 2000	Rice Biotechnology
Rockefeller Career Fellow, John Innes Centre UK	Aug., 2001	Oct., 2001	Rice Biotechnology
Professor and Head, Department of Biotechnology, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology, TNAU, Coimbatore	April, 2003	09^th March 2006	Agricultural biotechnology-research and teaching
Director, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology, TNAU, Coimbatore	10^thMarch2006	4^th July 2009	Agricultural biotechnology-administration, research and teaching
Professor, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, TNAU, Coimbatore	5^th July 2009	Oct, 2014	Agricultural biotechnology- research and teaching
Professor, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Vazhavachanur, TNAU	2014	April 2016 (till superannuated)	Agricultural biotechnology teaching

Agriculture Technology Correspondence

DIRECTOR OF PLANT BIOLOGY (NATIONAL HEALTH SCIENCE) Prof. P. Balasubramanian, PhD Formerly Director, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

DIRECTOR OF PLANT BIOLOGY (NATIONAL HEALTH SCIENCE)

Prof. P. Balasubramanian, PhD
Formerly Director, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University