Dr Channa Chikkaputtaiah

Senior Principal Scientist &  Professor (AcSIR)

CRISPR/Cas & Plant Functional Genomics Lab, 

Biological Sciences and Technology Division, 

CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, 785 006, Assam, India  

Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201 002, India 

Qualification:

• PhD (Dr.rer. nat.) (Plant Molecular Genetics), University of Cologne, Germany (2004-2008) 

• Postdoc Fellow (PD1) in Plant Molecular Biology, UCC Cork & NUI Galway, Ireland (2009-2012) 

• Postdoc Fellow (PD2) in Biotechnology, USB, Czech Republic  & Uni. Verona, Italy (2013-2015)

 Area of Research: 

• Cell and molecular level understanding of biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in plants

• CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing and functional genomics for crop improvement and climate resilience

• Nutritional enhancement and quality trait improvement in crops

• Plant biotechnology and metabolic engineering of aromatic and medicinal plants

Awards/Recognitions:

• Ramanujan Fellowship, SERB, Govt. of India (2015–2020)

• Young Investigator Meet, India BioSciences, Govt. of India (2019)

• SFI-TIDA Entrepreneurship & Career Development Award, Dublin, Ireland (2011)

• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Science Foundation Ireland, Ireland (2009-2012)

• International PhD Fellowship, University of Cologne, Germany (2004-08) 

PhDs awarded under the AcSIR Program as Major Advisor:

• Dr Vishal Das (2021)

• Dr Indrani Baruah (2022)

• Dr Johni Debbarma (2023)

• Dr Banashree Saikia (2023)

• Dr Riwandahun Marwein (2024)

• Dr Yogita N Sarki (2025)

Academic-related/Leadership Activities:

• Secretary, Research Council, CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat (Feb 2025- Present)

• Head, Biological Sciences & Technology Division, CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat (Aug 2024- Jan 2025)

• Organizing Secretary & Convenor of International Conference on CRISPR/Cas-based Plant Functional Genomics and Computational Modeling, CSIR-NEIST Jorhat (17-21, Jan 2023)

• Chairman, International Science and Technology Affairs Group (ISTAG), CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat (August 2024-present)

• Research Advisory Council (RAC) Member, Central Muga Eri Research & Training Institute, Central Silk Board, Jorhat, Assam (Feb 2024- present)

• Member of Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC), DBT, Govt. of India (Dec 2023-present)

• Member Secretary of Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC), CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat (Jan 2021-present)

• External Member of IBSC, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat (Jan 2022- present)

• Review Editor, Frontiers Editorial Board, Frontiers in Plant Science (IF: 5.60) (April 2022-present)

• National Advisory Board Member of International Seminar on “Innovation & Impacts: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Sustainable Development Goals”, Rabindranath Tagore University, Hojai, Assam, March 2025

• Countries Visited: Germany, Ireland, Italy, Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, USA, Canada, UAE, China, Singapore