About
"Born in the holy Gaya district of Bihar, India, as the youngest of three, I emerged from a nurturing environment crafted by my teacher father and nurse mother. My academic journey took root at VIT University (Vellore), India, where I earned a Bachelors (B. Tech) in Biotechnology. Building upon this foundation, I embarked on a transformative Ph.D. pursuit at the Academia Sinica, Taiwan, with the esteemed Taiwan International Graduate Fellowship Program (TIGP). This journey embodies resilience, global connections, and an unending quest for discovery."
My research journey
In July 2021, I successfully completed my graduate studies in Plant Biotechnology at Academia Sinica in collaboration with National Chung Hsing University (Taiwan). I was a Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP) fellow. During my time there, my research revolved around understanding the molecular regulation of rhizospheric pH-dependent nutrient (Iron) uptake in A. thaliana. I investigated the significance of coumarin secretion, which is regulated by the IRONMAN peptide, in facilitating iron uptake from the rhizosphere.
My academic background encompasses plant physiology, nutrition, as well as hands-on experience in confocal microscopy and molecular biology.
Currently, I am working as a postdoc at the North Dakota State University (USA) where I have been able to apply my expertise in plant nutrition to the specialized field of AM symbiosis. My research centers on exploring the "regulation of Iron-Phosphate crosstalk during AM symbiosis, facilitated by leucine-rich repeats-receptor-like proteins (CLAVATA), using the M.truncatula and R.irregularis system".
Organizations worked/ associated with
VIT University, Vellore, India
CFTRI, Mysore, India
IPMB, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Dept. of Biology, University of Miami, Florida, USA
Youth Red Cross Society, Vellore, India
ClayLabs, Mumbai, India
American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)
The World in Your Class Room, Taiwan
Taiwan Society of Plant Biologists (TSPB)
Work Experiences
Postdoctoral Fellow, North Dakota State University, USA Nov 2023- present
Postdoctoral Associate, University of Miami, USA Apr 2022- Nov 2023
Initiated and executed a project on deciphering the role of iron-phosphate nutrients crosstalk on beneficial microbes associated with legumes
Optimized plant growth conditions for long term phenotypic analysis of Medicago truncatula (legume) undergoing AM symbiosis
Improved protocols for fungal spore isolation, phosphate, and iron quantification
Served as subject expert for 15th annual Undergraduate Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum, 2023
Taught coursework and mentored students in lab
Demonstrated research to high school kids as part of outreach programs (BioReach)
Postdoctoral Fellow, Academia Sinica, Taiwan Aug –Dec 2021
Laid groundwork for studying interplay between the enzymatic, and coumarins mediated reduction of Fe3+ during iron uptake from rhizosphere.
Moderated an official discussion session between the academic advisory committee (AAC) and the institute of plant and microbial biology (IPMB, Taiwan) for the progress evaluation and setting future goals for the institution.
Contributed 2 guest articles for the Global Plant Biology Council, and 1 article in Bio-protocol journal.
Delivered invited guest lecture to Masters’ students from VIT University, Vellore, India
Education
PhD in Plant Biotechnology Jul 2021
Academia Sinica & National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan (GPA: 4.04/4.3)
Thesis title: Orchestration of the Arabidopsis iron deficiency responses in correspondence with external pH
Supervisor: Prof. Wolfgang Schmidt
Bachelor’s in Biotechnology Jul 2015
Vellore Institute of Technology University, India (GPA: 8.43/10)
Thesis title: Studying the mechanism of chromosomal segregation in Mycobacterium smegmatis
Supervisors: Dr. Jabez Osborne (Asst. Prof., School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore, India) &
Dr. Ravi Kumar (Scientist, Dept. of Molecular Nutrition, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India)
Bashyal S#, Gautam CK# and Müller LM*. CLAVATA signaling in plant-environment interactions; Plant Physiol. 2023
Gautam CK#, Tsai HH# and Schmidt W*. A quick method to quantify iron in Arabidopsis seedlings; Bio-protocol 12(05), 2022
Gautam CK, Tsai HH and Schmidt W*. IRONMAN tunes responses to iron deficiency in concert with environmental pH; Plant Physiol. 187(3), 2021
@Recommended in Faculty Opinions
@Highlighted in News and Views, Plant Physiology, 187(3)1281–1283, 2021
Gautam CK, Madhav M, Sinha A, and Osborne WJ*. VIT-CMJ2: endophyte of Agaricus bisporus in production of bioactive compounds; Iran. J. Biotechnol. 14(2) 2016
Gautam CK* and Rajan AP. Ecocentrism in India: an incredible model of peaceful relation with nature; Univers. j. environ. res. technol. 4(2) 2014
Humayun A*, Gautam CK, Madhav M, Sourav S and Ramalingam C. Effect of citric and malic acid on shelf life and sensory characteristics of Orange juice; Int. J. of Ph. and Ph. Sciences. 6(2) 2014
Vaibhav V, Gautam CK, Madhav M, Ramalingam R, Karuppasamy R and Veerappapillai S*. Structural and functional impact of genetic variations in FOX C2 gene: a computational study; Int. J. of Ph. Sciences Rev. and Res. 25(1) 2014
Madhav M, Soni S, Singhal M, Gautam CK, and Veerappapillai S *. Study of operational parameters and kinetics of biosorption of Acid orange 7 by untreated sugarcane bagasse; J. chem. pharm. res. 5(11) 2013
Gautam CK, Srivastav AK, Bind S, Madhav M and Veerappapillai S*. An insight into biofilm ecology and its applied aspects; Int. J. of Ph. and Ph. Sciences. 5(4) 2013
Gautam CK, Balem J, and Müller LM*. Integration of nutrient and symbiosis signaling by CLAVATA receptors; Plant Biology 2023, 5 – 9 Aug 2023, Savannah, Georgia, USA (Poster)
Gautam CK, Grillet L and Schmidt W. Unleashing the power of IRONMAN in rice; Japan-Taiwan Plant Biology, 14-16 March 2019, Nagoya, Japan, (Oral)
Gautam CK, Grillet L, and Schmidt W. Fighting iron deficiency with Ironman: From Arabidopsis to rice; 5th International Rice Congress (IRC2018)15-17 Oct 2018, Singapore, (Oral)
Gautam CK, Grillet L and Schmidt W. Functional characterization of AtIMAs involved in coumarins production under iron-limited conditions; 19th International Symposium on Iron nutrition and Interactions in Plants (ISINIP), 9-13 July 2018. Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, (Poster)
Gautam CK, Grillet L, and Schmidt W. Ironman vs hidden hunger: Generation of bio-fortified rice adapted to soil with low iron availability; 19th International Symposium on Iron Nutrition and Interactions in Plants (ISINIP), 9-13 July 2018. Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, (Poster)
Gautam CK, Vaibhav V, Jha S and Vuppu S. Yellow ornamental Lantana camara as a potential source of omega-3-fatty acid and erucamide; 3rd VIT Biosummit, 7-8 August 2014, VIT University, Vellore, TN, India, (Poster)
Vaibhav V, Gautam CK, Madhav M, Jha S and Lakshemi V. Extraction of nano-sized silica from bamboo leaves and its characterization; International Conference on Emerging Trend in Bioengineering (ETBIO-OP 5), 9-10 August 2013, Sastra University, Thanjavur, TN, India, (Poster)