Career

  • Scientist (Feb 2013-present): National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India.
  • Scientist (Aug 2007-Jan 2013): CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, H.P, India.
  • Visiting Scientist (July 2010-June 2011): The Sainsbury Laboratory, John Innes Centre, Norwich, U.K.

Award

  • INSA (Indian National Science Academy) medal for Young Scientist 2010
  • NASI (National Academy of Science, India) Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award 2007
  • BOYSCAST Fellowship from Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India (2010-2011)
  • Gold Medal: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Research

Understanding the mechanisms by which pathogens cause disease and plants defend themselves is an interesting area of research in modern biology. Important practical implications are emerging out from such researches which are helpful in strategizing plant diseases management to ensuring food security. Rice Sheath Blight disease caused by the Basidiomycete fungus Rhizoctoniasolani remains a threat to global sustainable agriculture and food security. It has complex biology and highly destructive lifestyle and has been reported occurring world-wide causing necrosis and damping-off on numerous plant species. The exact mechanisms by which this fungus establishes and maintains a necrotrophic interaction with their hosts is completely unknown. We endeavour to use the available genome sequences to identify and study the candidate pathogenicity determinant of the pathogen and explore their role in governing virulence and host specificity.  Furthermore, we would focus on understand how this pathogen manipulate rice cellular and molecular process to establish sheath blight disease.

Career Opportunity

We are a growing lab and can provide an exciting platform for those interested in studying the molecular intricacies of host pathogen interactions. Interested and motivated people are encouraged to contact the PI for joining the lab.

Group Members





Current Lab Members

Research Fellows

Ms. Poonam Kanwar
DBT – RA
Ph.D. (Department of Plant molecular biology); University of Delhi, Delhi
Understanding virulence mechanism of Rhizoctonia solani, the rice sheath blight pathogen
Email:- poonam.du2014@gmail.com

Mr. Rahul Kumar
CSIR – SRA
Ph.D. Tezpur University, Assam
Bacterial mycophagy
Email:- rahuls697@gmail.com

Mr. Durga Madhab Swain
DBT – SRF
(Ph.D), Plant Molecular Biology, ICGEB, NEW DELHI
Characterising novel antifungal proteins isolated from mycophagous bacterium
Email:- dsnanowizard@gmail.com

Dr. Ravi Kant
DST- NPDF
Ph.D. (Department of Plant molecular biology), University of Delhi
Understanding key pathogenicity genes involved in tomato – R. solani interaction
Email:- ravikanthpu@gmail.com

Dr. Ankita Magotra
NIPGR - Short term research fellow

Ph.D. CSIR - Indian Institute of Integrative medicine , Jammu
Understanding bacterial mycophagy

Email:- magotraankita15@gmail.com

Dr. Mamta Rani
DBT- RA
Ph.D, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
Understanding virulence mechanisms of Rhizoctonia solani and Exploring plant metabolic pathways for resistance against sheath blight disease
Email:- mamta.hcu@gmail.com

Ms. Aiswarya krishnan
DBT - JRF
MSc Microbiology, Periyar University, TN
Understanding the molecular intricacies of Rice-R. solani interactions

Email:- aiswaryakrishnan25@gmail.com

Ph. D. Students

Mr. Srayan Ghosh
CSIR – SPM Fellow
M.Sc. (Botany), Delhi University, India
Understanding the molecular intricacies of Rice-Rhizoctonia solani interactions 
Email:- srayan@nipgr.ac.in

Ms. Isha Tyagi
CSIR – SRF Fellow
M. Tech. (Biotechnology), Gautam Budhha University, India
Understanding bacterial mycophagy and its utilization in disease management
Email:- isha@nipgr.ac.in

Mr. Sunil Kumar Yadav
DBT – SRF Fellow
M.Sc Tezpur University , India
Understanding Rice-Burkholderia gladioli interaction
Email:- sunilkumar@nipgr.ac.in

Ms. Kriti Tyagi
DBT – JRF Fellow
M.Tech Biotechnology, Gautam Budhha University, India 
Functional genomics of Rice- Rhizoctonia solani interaction
Email:- kriti10@nipgr.ac.in

Ms. Joyati Das
DBT – JRF Fellow
M.Sc. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, India
Bacterial mycophagy
Email:- jdas@nipgr.ac.in

Lab Alumni


  • Dr. Santosh Kumar Gupta : DBT - Post Doctoral Fellow
  • Rajeev Kumar : NIPGR JRF
  • Mr. Md Iqbal Raja Khan : DBT - RA
  • Ms. Pramila Yadav : DBT - SRF
  • Ms. Ganga Devi Sinniah : NAM-ST, RTF-DCS Fellowship awardee 2016-17
  • Ms. Pramila Yadav : DBT - RA

Selected Publications

  • Swain DM, Sahoo R, Chandan R, Ghosh S, Kumar R, Jha G*, and Tuteja N*. 2019. Concurrent overexpression of rice G-protein β and γ subunits provide enhanced tolerance to sheath blight disease and abiotic stress in rice. Planta. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-019-03241-z. (Accepted).
  • Kant R, Tyagi K, Ghosh S and Jha G*. 2019. Rhizoctonia solani exploits host alternative NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase to promote pathogenesis in tomato. Phytopathology. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-02-19-0055-R (Accepted).
  • Saggu SK, Jha G and Mishra PC. 2019. Enzymatic degradation of biofilm by metalloprotease from Microbacterium sp. SKS10. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (Accepted).
  • Rani M, Tyagi K and Jha G*. 2019. Advancement in Plant Disease Control Strategies. Book chapter in Advancement in Crop Improvement Techniques, to be published by Elsevier Inc. (In Press)
  • Ghosh S, Malukani KK, Chandan RK, Sonti RV and Jha G*. 2019. How plants respond to pathogen attack’, book chapter in Sensory Biology of Plants. Springer Nature Publishing Group (In Press).
  • Ghosh, S., Kanwar, P., Mirza, N., Tyagi K. and Jha, G*. 2019. Genome analysis provides insight about pathogenesis of Indian strains of Rhizoctonia solani in rice. Functional and Integrative Genomics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10142-019-00687-y
  • Chandan RK, Singh AK, Patel S, Swain DM, Tuteja N, Jha G*. 2019. Silencing of tomato CTR1 provides enhanced tolerance against Tomato leaf curl virus infection. Plant Signal Behav. 19:1-7. doi: 10.1080/15592324.2019.1565595.
  • Kanwar, P., and Jha, G*. 2018. Alterations in plant sugar metabolism: signatory of pathogen attack. Planta.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-018-3018-3.
  • Kumar R, Yadav SK, Swain DM and Jha G* (2018). Burkholderia gladioli strain NGJ1 deploys a prophage tail-like protein for mycophagy. Microbial Cell, 5: 116 - 118; DOI: 10.15698/mic2018.02.617.
  • Kumar R, Swain DM, Yadav SK, Tyagi I, Kumar R, Das J, Ghosh S and Jha G* (2018). Bacteria-fungal Confrontation and Fungal Growth Prevention Assay. Bio-protocol 8(2): e2694. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.2694.
  • Ghosh S, Kanwar P, Jha G*. Identification of candidate pathogenicity determinants of Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, which causes sheath blight disease in rice. Curr Genet. 2017. doi: 10.1007/s00294-017-0791-7.
  • Swain DM, Yadav SK, Tyagi I, Kumar R, Kumar R, Ghosh S, Das J and Jha G *. 2017. A prophage tail-like protein is deployed by Burkholderia bacteria to feed on fungi. Nature communications. 8: 404.
  • Ghosh S, Kanwar P, and Jha G* (2017) Alterations in rice chloroplast integrity, photosynthesis and metabolome associated with pathogenesis of Rhizoctonia solani". Scientific Reports (Accepted).
  • Kumar R, Barman A, Phukan T, Kabyashree K, Singh N, Jha G,  Sonti R.V,  Genin S and Ray R.K. (2016). Ralstonia solanacearum virulence in tomato seedlings inoculated by leaf clipping. Plant Pathology. DOI: 10.1111/ppa.12628.
  • Jha G*, Tyagi I, Kumar R, and Ghosh S. (2015).Draft genome sequence of broad spectrum antifungal bacterium Burkholderia gladioli strain NGJ1, isolated from healthy rice seeds. Genome announcement. (Accepted).
  • Ghosh S, Gupta SK and Jha G* (2014) Identification and functional analysis of AG1-IA specific genes of Rhizoctonia solani. Current Genetics 60: 327-341. DOI: 10.1007/s00294-014-0438-x.
  • Kumar R, Barman A, Jha G, Ray SK (2013). Identification and establishment of genomic identity of Ralstonia solanacearum isolated from a wilted chilli plant at Tezpur, North East India. Current Science 105: 1571-1578.
  • Thakur K, Chawla V, Bhatti S, Swarnkar MK, Kaur J, Shankar R, Jha G* (2013).  De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis for Venturiainaequalis, the devastating apple scab pathogen. PLoS ONE 8(1): e53937. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053937.
  • Kumar S, Haque AS, Jha G, Sonti RV and Sankaranarayanan R (2012) Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies on CbsA, a secretory exoglucanase from Xanthomonasoryzae pv. oryzae. ActaCrystallographica Section F. 68: 1191-1194.
  • Bogdanove AJ, Koebnik R, Lu H, Furutani A, Angiuoli SV, Patil PB, Van Sluys MA, Ryan RP, Meyer DF, Han SW, Aparna G, Rajaram M, Delcher AL, Phillippy AM, Puiu D, Schatz MC, Shumway M, Sommer DD, Trapnell C, Benahmed F, Dimitrov G, Madupu R, Radune D, Sullivan S, Jha G, Ishihara H, Lee SW, Pandey A, Sharma V, Sriariyanun M, Szurek B, Vera-Cruz CM, Dorman KS, Ronald PC, Verdier V, Dow JM, Sonti RV, Tsuge S, Brendel V, Rabinowicz PD, Leach JE, White FF, Salzberg SL. (2011). Two new complete genome sequences offer insight into host and tissue specificity of plant pathogenic Xanthomonas spp. J. Bacteriology. 193: 5450-5464. Doi:10.1128/JB.05262-11.
  • Bhatti S and Jha G* (2010) Current trends and future prospects of biotechnological interventions through tissue culture in apple. Plant Cell Reports 29: 1215-1225.
  • Jha G, Patel H K, Dasgupta M, Palaparthi R and Sonti RV (2010) Transcriptional profiling of rice leaves undergoing a hypersensitive response like reaction induced by Xanthomonasoryzaepv. oryzaecellulase. Rice (springer). 3, 1-21. DOI 10.1007/s12284-009-9033-z. (Published in the special issue: biotic stress).
  • Jha G*,Thakur K and Thakur P (2009) The Venturia apple pathosystem: pathogenicity mechanisms and plant defense responses. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology.   Article ID  680160, doi:10.1155/2009/680160 (A review article).
  • Jha G and Sonti RV (2009) Attack and defense in Xanthomonas-rice interactions. Proc. Indian NatnSciAcad 75: 49-68 (Invited Review).
  • Salzberg SL, Sommer DD, Schatz M C Phillippy AM, Rabinowicz PD, Tsuge S, Furutani A, Ochiai H, Delcher AL, Kelley D, Madupu R, Puiu D, Radune D, Shumway M, Trapnell C, Aparna G, Jha G, Pandey A, Patil PB, Ishihara H, Meyer DF, Szurek B, Verdier V, Koebnik R, Dow JM, Ryan RP, Hirata H, Tsuyumu S, Won Lee S, Ronald PC, Sonti RV, Van Sluys M -A, Leach JE, White FF and Bogdanove AJ (2008) Genome sequence and rapid evolution of the rice pathogen Xanthomonasoryzaepv. oryzaePXO99A. BMC Genomics 9: 204. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-9-204 (highly accessed article).
  • Jha G, Rajeshwari R and Sonti RV (2007) Functional interplay between two Xanthomonasoryzaepv. oryzaesecretion systems in modulating virulence on rice. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 20: 31-40 (A cover page article).
  • Aparna G, Chatterjee A, Jha G, Sonti RV and Sankaranarayanan R (2007) Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies on LipA, a secreted lipase/esterase from Xanthomonasoryzaepv. oryzae. ActaCryst Sec F. F63, 708-710.
  • Subramoni S, Jha G, and Sonti RV (2006) Virulence functions of Xanthomonads. Book chapter in Plant Associated Bacteria, 535-571. Edited by Sam Gnanamanickam Published by Springer NL.
  • Jha G, Rajeshwari R and Sonti RV (2005) Bacterial type two secretion system secreted proteins: double-edged swords for plant pathogens. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 18:891-898 (an invited review).
  • Rajeshwari R, Jha G and Sonti RV (2005) Role of an in plantaexpressed xylanase of Xanthomonasoryzaepv. oryzaein promoting virulence on Rice. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 18: 830-837.

Patents

  • Durga Madhab Swain, Sunil Kumar Yadav, Gopaljee Jha. 2016. Novel Protein Against Fungal Pathogens. Provisional Indian Patent Application no. 201611024726.
  • Pramila Yadav, Ashish Bedi, Gopaljee Jha, Subhash C Yadav. A conjugate comprising gold nanoparticles and Venturia inaequalis specific probes and kits comprising the same for the detection of apple scab. Indian Patent (File No: 361/DEL/2015)
  • Karnika Thakur and Gopaljee Jha, Method for detecting fungal pathogens. WIPO patent pub no: WO/2011/098907

Research in News