Chithira M. S.

Project Associate

Developmental biology of marine macroalgae Sargassum wightii at molecular level and identification of growth factors and microbiome for application in micro- propagation

The current study involves

  • Identification of unique metabolites linked to growth and differentiation in Sargassum wightii through metabolome analysis
  • Transcriptome analysis during growth and maturation for identification of genes linked to growth and differentiation
  • Characterization of endophytic microbes in Sargassum wightii for identification of unique microbial metabolites promoting macroalgal growth
  • Development of micro-propagation protocols and establishment of optimal controlled conditions for the growth of young seedlings in indoor tanks

Awards / Honours/ Fellowships/ Scholarships:

  • Qualified NTA UGC NET in Environmental Science (December 2019)
  • Student Project Fellowship offered by Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE)

Publications

  • Chithira M. S, Aishwarya P. V, Anjali S. Mohan, Swapna P Antony (2021) Metagenomic analysis of microbial communities in the sediments of a semi- intensive penaeid shrimp culture system. Journal of Genetic engineering and biotechnology, 19(1), 1-4 view
  • Chithira M. S, Aishwarya P. V, Mohan, A, S and Antony, S. P. (2021). Profiling bacteriome associated with the sediments of a mangrove ecosystem in Kerala, India. Ecological Genetics and Genomics, 21, 100103. view

Supervising Guide

Prof. Valsamma Joseph  

 

Technical Skills

  • Scuba Diving
  • Marine animal sampling by Snorkeling
  • Plankton sampling by using plankton net
  • Molecular Biology techniques-Isolation of DNA/RNA, PCR