Research interest:

Microbial biotechnology; PGPR biodiversity and antimicrobial potential of actinomycetes.

Technical expertise:

Isolation and culture of bacterial cells, Genomic DNA isolation, RNA isolation, Protein isolation, PCR, SDS-PAGE, 2-DE, PCR-DGGE, RT-PCR, gene cloning, genetic engineering of Arabidopsis, protein-protein interaction, confocal imaging, gene sequence submission, paper chromatography, thin layer chromatography, HPLC, and use of different softwares for research purpose such as MEGA 4.0, CLUSTAL-X, PDQuest, Snap gene and Primer3 etc.

Research/ Teaching experience:

Publications

1. Xue Z.-Y., Wu W. Q., Zhao X.-C., Kumar A., Ran X., Zhang X.-H., Zhang Y., Guo L.-J. (2020) Single-molecule probing the duplex and G4 unwinding patterns of a RecD family helicase. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 164, 902-910. (IF 8.02)
2. Kumar A., Rai L. C. (2020) Soil organic carbon and phosphorus availability regulate abundance of culturable phosphate solubilizing bacteria in paddy fields. Pedosphere 30, 405-413. (IF 5.51)
3. Zhang M-L., Xu Y.P., Kumar A., Wu W.Q. (2019) Studying the potassium-induced G-Quadruplex DNA folding process using microscale thermophoresis. Biochemistry 58, 3955-3959. (IF 3.32)
4. Li B., Fan R., Guo S., Wang P., Zhu X., Fan Y., Chen Y., He K., Kumar A., Shi J., Wang Y., Li Luhan, Hu Z., Song C. P. (2019) The Arabidopsis MYB transcription factor, MYB111 modulates salt responses by regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. Environmental and Experimental Botany 166, 10380. (IF 6.03)
5. Lu L., Wen-Wen Y., Peng L., Ya-Wei G., Kumar A., Wei G. (2019) Transcriptome analysis reveals differentially expressed transcription factors associated with salt response in cotton. Plant Science 281, 72-81. (IF 5.36)
6. Kumar A., Rai L. C. (2017) Organic carbon and nitrogen availability determine bacterial community composition in paddy fields of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. 3Biotech 7, 199. (IF 2.89)
7. Kumar A., Kumar A. (2017) Structure, composition and biodiversity of tree species inside Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (GGV) campus, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. International Research Journal of Biological Sciences 6, 32-39.
8. Kumar A. (2016) Phosphate solubilizing bacteria in agriculture biotechnology: Diversity, mechanism and their role in plant growth and crop yield. International Journal of Advanced Research 4, 116-124.
9. Kumar A., Rai L.C. (2015) Proteomic and biochemical basis for enhanced growth yield of Enterobacter sp. LCR1 on insoluble phosphate medium. Microbiological Research 170, 195-204. (IF 5.07)
10. Kumar A., Bhargava P., Rai L. C. (2010) Isolation and molecular characterization of phosphate solubilizing Enterobacter and Exiguobacterium species from paddy fields of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. African Journal of Microbiology Research 4, 820-829. (IF 0.54)
11. Srivastava A.K., Bhargava P., Kumar A., Rai L.C., Neilan B.A. (2009) Molecular characterization and the effect of salinity on cyanobacterial diversity in rice fields of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. Saline Systems, doi: 10.1186/1746-1448-5-4. 
12. Bhargava P., Kumar A., Mishra Y., Rai L. C. (2008) Copper pretreatment augments ultraviolet B toxicity in the cyanobacterium Anabaena doliolum: a proteomic analysis of cell death. Functional Plant Biology 35, 360-372. (IF 3.10)

Book Chapters:

• Kumar A. (2020) Myco-degradation of lignocelluloses: An update on the reaction mechanism and production of lignocellulolytic enzymes by fungi. In; Narain R. (Eds.), Mycodegradation of lignocelluloses, Fungal Biology. Springer nature, pp. 81-117.
•  Kumar A., Narain R. (2020) Producers of bioactive compounds. In: Gupta, V.K., Anita, P., (Eds.), New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering- Microbial Secondary Metabolites Biochemistry and Applications. Elsevier, pp. 205-221.
•  Kumar A., Kumar A., Singh R., Singh R., Pandey S., Rai A., Singh V.K., Bhadouria R. (2020) Genetically engineered bacteria for the degradation of dye and other organic compounds. In: Singh, P., Kumar, A., Borthakur, A., (Eds.), Abatement of Environmental Pollutants: Trends and Strategies. Elsevier, pp. 331-350.
• Kumar A., Narain R. (2019) Differential expression of the microbial β-1,4-xylanase and β-1,4-endoglucanase genes. In: Singh, H.B., Gupta, V.K., Jogaiah, S. (Eds.), New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering- Microbial Genes Biochemistry and Applications. First Edition, Elsevier, pp. 95-111.

Awards/ Scholarship/fellowship

• Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded by Ministry of Science and Education, Goverment of China (2018).
• Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) awarded by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India (2010).
• Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) awarded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Government of India (2009).
• University Grant Commision’s Research Fellowship for Meritorious Students at Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (2009).
• Project Fellow in Unversity Grant Commission funded project at Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University (2006).
• Qualified Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering conducted by Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (2006).
• Qualified National Eligibility Test for Lectureship conducted by CSIR-UGC (2004).