Vitae: Niranjan Baisakh

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Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Niranjan Baisakh, Assistant Professor Research focus: Plant stress molecular biology, Functional genomics

Education and Training Institution Major/Area Degree, Year Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar, India Agriculture BS, 1990 OUAT, Bhubaneswar, India Plant Genetics & Breeding MS, 1993 International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines Plant Biotechnology Ph.D., 2000 IRRI, Philippines Plant Mol Biol & Biotech Post-doc, 2000-2004 Louisiana State University AgCenter, Plant Mol Biol & Genetics Post-doc, 2004-2008 Baton Rouge Research and Professional Experience 07/01/2015 – present LSU AgCenter, USA Associate Professor 02/14/2013 –06/31/2015 LSU AgCenter, USA Assistant Professor 05/2008–2/14/2013 LSU AgCenter, USA Assistant Professor-Research 07/2004–04/2008 LSU AgCenter, USA Postdoctoral researcher 03/2000–06/2004 I RRI, Philippines Project scientist (USAID and BMZ-GTZ), Selected publications (from work at the LSU AgCenter) Zandkarimi H, Bedre R, Solis J, Mangu V, Baisakh N* (2015) Sequencing and expression

analysis of salt-responsive miRNAs and target genes in the halophyte smooth cordgrass (Spartina alternifolia Loisel). Molecular Biology Reports 42: 1341-1350.

Zandkarimi H, Ebadi A, Salami SA, Alizade H, Baisakh N* (2015) Analyzing the expression profile of AREB/ABF and DREB/CBF genes under drought and salinity stresses in grape (Vitis vinifera L.). PLOS ONE 10(7) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134288.

Ambavaram MMR, Basu S, Krishnan A, Ramegowda V, Batlang U, Rahman L, Baisakh N, Pereira A (2014) Coordinated regulation of photosynthesis in rice increases yield and tolerance to environmental stress. Nature Communications doi:10.1038/ncomms6302.

Baisakh N*, Avellaneda CA, Gutierrez A, Parco A, Khan N, Hoy J, Kimbneg C, Gravois K (2014) Molecular biology tools to facilitate sugarcane breeding in Louisiana. Louisiana Agriculture, Summer issue.

Parco A, Avellaneda C, Hale AH, Hoy JW, Kimbeng CA, Pontif MJ, Gravois KA, Baisakh N* (2014) Frequency and distribution of brown rust resistance gene Bru1 and implications for the Louisiana breeding program. Plant Breeding doi:10.1111/pbr.12186.

Joshi R, Ramanarao MV, Lee S, Kato N, Baisakh N* (2014) Ectopic expression of ADP ribosylation factor 1 (SaARF1) from smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel) confers drought and salt tolerance in transgenic rice and Arabidopsis. Plant Cell Tissue & Organ Culture 117: 17-30.

Solis S, Villordon A, Baisakh N*, LaBonte D, Firon N (2014) Effect of drought on storage root development and gene expression profile of sweetpotato under greenhouse and field conditions. Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Sciences 139: 317-324.

Khan N, Bedre R, Parco A, Bernaola L, Hale A, Kimbeng C, Pontif M, Baisakh N* (2013) Identification of cold responsive genes in sugar/energycane for their use in genetic diversity analysis and future functional marker development. Plant Science 211: 122-131.

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Hoy JW, Baisakh N, Kimbeng CK (2013) Breeding for disease resistance: Change is coming. Sugar Journal 75: 20-23.

Joshi R, Ramanarao MV, Baisakh N* (2013) Arabidopsis plants constitutively overexpressing a myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase gene (SaINO1) from the halophyte smooth cordgrass exhibits enhanced level of tolerance to salt stress. Plant Physiology & Biochemistry 65: 61-66.

Effendy J, La Bonte D, Baisakh N* (2013) Identification and expression of skinning injury responsive genes in sweetpotato. Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Sciences 138: 1-7.

Baisakh N*, RamanaRao MV, Rajasekaran K, Subudhi P, Galbraith D, Jonda J, Vanier C, Pereira A (2012) Enhanced salt stress tolerance of rice plants expressing a vacuolar H+-ATPase subunit c1 (SaVHAc1) gene from a halophyte grass Spartina alterniflora Löisel. Plant Biotechnology Journal 10: 453-464.

Suman A, Ali K, Arro J, Parco A, Kimbeng C, Baisakh N* (2012) Molecular diversity among members of the Saccharum complex assessed using TRAP markers based on lignin-related genes. Bioenergy Research 5: 197-204.

Gravois K, Baisakh N, Waguespack H, Hoy J, Kimbeng C (2012) L01-283 - Effects of off-types on cane yield, sucrose content and fiber Content. Journal of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 32: 86.

Lee S, Rajasekaran K, Ramanarao MV, Bedre R, Bhatnagar D, Baisakh N* (2012) Identifying cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genes induced in response to Aspergillus flavus infection. Physiological & Molecular Plant Pathology 80: 35-40.

RamanaRao MV, Weindorf D, Breitenbeck G, Baisakh N* (2012) Differential expression of the transcripts of Spartina alterniflora Loisel (smooth cordgrass) induced in response to petroleum hydrocarbon. Molecular Biotechnology 51:18-26.

Bertrand-Garcia SE, Knott CA, Baisakh N, Subudhi P, Harrison S, Materne M, Utomo H (2012) Selection of genetically diverse sea oats lines with improved performance for coastal restoration in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Euphytica 185: 103-117.

Knott CA, Materne MD, Utomo H, Subudhi PK, Baisakh N, Harrison SA (2012a) Registration of smooth cordgrass cultivars LA11-101, LA11-102, and LA11-103. Journal of Plant Registrations 6: 252-258.

Knott CA, Materne MD, Subudhi PK, Baisakh N, Utomo H, Harrison SA (2012b) Registration of sea oats cultivars LA12-201, LA12-202, and LA12-203. Journal of Plant Registrations 6: 289-293.

Knott CA, Materne MD, Utomo H, Subudhi P, Baisakh N, Harrison SA (2012c) Registration of ‘St. Bernard’, ‘Las Palomas’, and ‘Lafourche’ smooth cordgrass cultivars. Journal of Plant Registrations 7: 12-17.

Parco A, Arro JA, Patil SB, Bernaola L, Kimbeng CA, Baisakh N* (2011) Genetic diversity of commercial sugarcane cultivars of Louisiana analyzed using SSR markers. Journal of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 31: 59.

Baisakh N*, Subudhi PK, Parco AP, Arumuganathan K, Harrison SA, Knott C, Materne MD. (2009a) Development and interspecific transferability of genic microsatellite markers in Spartina spp. with different genome sizes. Aquatic Botany 91:262-266.

Baisakh N, Subudhi P, Varadwaj P (2008) Primary response to salt stress in a halophyte, smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel). Functional & Integrative Genomics 8: 287-300.

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Baisakh N, Subudhi P, Parami N (2006) cDNA-AFLP analysis reveals differential gene expression in response to salt stress in a halophyte Spartina alterniflora Loisel. Plant Science 170: 1141-1149.

* Corresponding author Invited Book Chapters (from LSU AgCenter) Joshi R, Pilcher W, Ramanarao MV, Bedre R, Sanchez L, Baisakh N (2014) Functional genomic

approaches towards unraveling the salt adaptation mechanisms of halophytes to improve salt tolerance in crop plants. In: “Elucidation of Abiotic Stress Signaling in Plants” Pandey G (ed), Springer. (In press).

Batlang U, Baisakh N, Ambavaram MMR, Pereira A (2012) Phenotypic and physiological evaluation for drought and salinity stress responses in rice. In “Rice Methods” Yinong Yang (ed), Humana Press. pp. 209-226.

Kang MS, Subudhi PK, Baisakh N*, Priyadarshan PM (2007) Crop breeding methodologies: classic and modern. In “Breeding major food staples” MS Kang and PM Priyadarshan (eds), Blackwell publ. pp. 1-22.

Published abstracts: 40 Conferences and seminars attended: 38 Invited oral presentations and seminars at regional, national and international levels: 18 Awards. recognitions, or prizes that show recognition of scholarly achievement

1. Featured in the LSU AgCenter Headline News, June 18, 2013 for work on drought tolerance in rice. http://www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/2014/June/headline_news/Biologist-works-to-make-rice-drought-tolerant.htm

2. Travel award to attend the 1st international workshop on Engineered Crops, April 27-29, 2014, Des Moines, IA.

3. Teacher Merit Honor Roll, LSU chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, April 24, 2014.

4. Featured in the LSU AgCenter Headline News, Feb 06 and 20, 2014 for work on molecular breeding of brown rust resistance in sugarcane. http://www.lsuagcenter.com/news_archive/2014/february/headline_news/Researcher-works-to-make-sugarcane-resistant-to-brown-rust-disease.htm, http://m.myarklamiss.com/display/13343/story/898092ca786ddabb884c8db74844e6be

5. Featured in national media/newspaper for molecular genetics research in wheat http://www.hannapub.com/franklinsun/article_e28d6a78-cfc5-11e3-a9c5-0017a43b2370.html; http://deltafarmpress.com/wheat/breeding-wheat-resist-diseases

6. Featured in the July 2013 issue of Sugar Bulletin, Thibodaux, LA.

7. Best poster award at the ASSCT joint annual meeting, June 11-14, 2013, Panama beach, FL

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8. 2011 Third award in poster competition at ASA.CSSA.SSSA International Annual

Meeting, San Antonio, TX

9. 2011 LSU Campus-wide first Laboratory Safety Accreditation Award

10. 2010 Travel award from the NSF to attend the 2nd pan American Congress on Plants and Bioenergy, Sao Pedro Brazil.

11. 2007 Tipton Team Research Award, LSU AgCenter

Synergistic activities Member: American Society of Plant Biology; Crop Science Society of America; Rice Genetics Inc, Japan. Sigma Xi honor society – Louisiana Chapter Editorial Board: PLOS ONE (2014 - ); PLOS ONE; The Scientific World Journal – Biotechnology (2013 - ); HortScience (2010); Journal of Crop Improvement (2009-2012). Ad-hoc Reviewer for many plant science journals since 2003. Graduate students and postdoctoral associates Graduate students Major advisor: Lina Alvarado Bernaola – MS, graduated spring 2012; Michael Polozola (LSU Graduate school – graduated Summer 2014). Current: Nathanael Fickett – Ph. D. (USA, sugarcane); Andres Gutierrez – Ph. D. (Columbia, sugarcane); Renesh Bedre – Ph. D. (India, cotton and cordgrass); Luis Eduardo Sanchez (Ecuador, rice). Co-advisor: Current – Carolina Avellaneda (Columbia, sugarcane), Ph. D.; Alejeandro Castro (Honduras, wheat), MS. Past – Hanamareddy Biradar – Ph. D. (India, rice), graduated Spring 2013. Committee member: Dr. Julio Solis, Dr. Seokhyun Lee and Mr. Reeve Legend (all graduated). Postdoctoral associates sponsored: Current – Drs. Arnold Parco (sugarcane); Drs. Mangu Venkata Ramanarao and Sonali Sengupta (rice) Past: Dr. Nisar Ahmad Khan (sugarcane), Dr. Julio Solis (rice); Dr. Rohit Joshi (rice); Seokhyun Lee (cotton). International short-term interns, Borlaug fellows and visiting scientists trained: 14 Courses instructed AGRO7073 Topics in Plant Breeding; AGRO4091 Special topics in Crop Science; Guest-lectured in the Plant Breeding course AGRO7064 (Instructor – Steve Harrison) during fall of 2011 and 2012. Team teaching (with Gerald Myers) AGRO8091 – Special Topics in Plant Breeding. University/School service: Member of the Inter-institutional Biosafety and Recombinant DNA Safety Committee (IBRDSC); Member of the LSU AgCenter Biotechnology Research Safety (BRS) Committee; Chair of the Plant Breeding and Genetics Faculty of the SPESS; SPESS Graduate Students Recruitment Committee; A member of the SPESS Planning and Resources Committee.