Director's Profile
Prof. Manoj Prasad, FNA
Director
BRIC-National Institute of Plant Genome Research
Prof. Manoj Prasad is an internationally recognized plant molecular biologist whose research has significantly advanced the understanding of crop stress biology, plant-virus interactions, functional genomics, and molecular breeding. Over a scientific career spanning more than two and a half decades, he has integrated fundamental discoveries with translational approaches to address challenges related to crop resilience, productivity, and nutritional security. Prof. Prasad obtained his Ph.D. in Botany, with specialization in rice biology, from the University of Calcutta in 1999. He subsequently pursued research in wheat, barley, and cereal genomics at the Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany, initially as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and later as a Research Scientist. He joined NIPGR in 2004 and served the Institute in progressively senior scientific positions, eventually becoming Staff Scientist VII. Before assuming charge as Director of BRIC-NIPGR, he served as a Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of Delhi, South Campus, New Delhi.
Prof. Prasad is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, the National Academy of Sciences, India, and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. His major recognitions include the JC Bose National Fellowship, awarded twice; the INSA Silver Jubilee Commemoration Medal; the DBT-Tata Innovation Fellowship; the DBT National Bioscience Award; the Birbal Sahni Medal; the Golden Peacock Award for contributions to underutilized crops; and the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship.
His research integrates genetics, genomics, epigenetics, small RNA biology, and functional biotechnology, with a major focus on tomato and foxtail millet. His group has made key contributions to deciphering molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus, including miRNA-mediated defense, autophagy, RNA-directed DNA methylation, ubiquitin-proteasome pathways, and host-susceptibility factors. These insights have been translated into crop improvement strategies using molecular markers, artificial microRNAs, transgenic approaches, and genome editing. Prof. Prasad has also played a pioneering role in establishing foxtail millet as a model system for functional genomics and climate-resilience research. His work has generated genomic and marker resources, open-access databases, transformation platforms, and candidate genes associated with abiotic stresses, nitrogen-use efficiency, yield, and grain nutritional quality. His research exemplifies a mechanism-to-application continuum in which fundamental biological discoveries are developed into crop-improvement tools and technologies.
He has authored over 230 scientific publications, including research articles, reviews, books, book chapters, and scientific perspectives. He is associated with three patent-based innovations, two granted patents and one published patent application, covering virus resistance in tomato and heat-tolerance technology derived from foxtail millet. He has mobilized substantial competitive research funding from the Department of Biotechnology, DST-SERB/ANRF, ICAR, and international collaborative programs.
Beyond research, Prof. Prasad has extensive experience in institutional governance, research administration, and national science policy. He has served on expert committees and task forces of DBT, ANRF, CSIR, ICAR, and the national science academies. His administrative responsibilities have spanned institutional governance, infrastructure development, technology transfer, ethics, finance, academic administration, and student welfare.
As a committed mentor, he has trained numerous doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers who now occupy independent scientific and academic positions globally. His approach to leadership emphasizes scientific integrity, empathy, open communication, accountability, and the creation of an enabling environment in which young researchers can pursue ambitious ideas.
As Director, Prof. Prasad brings to BRIC-NIPGR a combination of scientific depth, institutional experience, and a strong commitment to translating plant-genome research into technologies that meaningfully contribute to agriculture, society, and the national bioeconomy.