Dr Khirod Kumar Sahoo |  Plant Biotechnology | Best Researcher Award

Ravenshaw University, Cuttack,  India

Dr. Khirod Kumar Sahoo is an esteemed Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany at Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, with over 14 years of research experience. His work primarily focuses on plant biotechnology and molecular biology, including the development of transgenic rice for salinity and drought tolerance. He has a robust publication record with more than 26 peer-reviewed international journal articles and holds 2 national patents.

Profile:

• Scopus

Education:

• Ph.D. in Life Sciences: ICGEB, New Delhi (2011).
• M.Sc. in Biotechnology: North Orissa University, Odisha (2004).
• B.Sc. in Botany (Honours): North Orissa University, Odisha (2002).

Professional Memberships:

• Life Member, Odisha Botanical Society
• Life Member, Indian Society of Biological Chemist
• Member Secretary, IBSC, DBT, Govt of India

Research Guidance:

• Ph.D. Students: 3 awarded, 1 thesis submitted, 4 ongoing
• M.Phil Students: 5 awarded
• M.Sc. Students: 30 completed dissertation projects

Dr. Sahoo continues to contribute significantly to the field of plant biotechnology through his research, teaching, and collaborative projects.

Plant Biotechnology Research Focus:

Dr. Khirod Kumar Sahoo’s research in plant biotechnology encompasses developing transgenic plants to enhance tolerance to environmental stresses such as salinity and drought. His notable work includes:

1. Transgenic Rice Development:
   • Ph.D. Research: Developed salinity and drought-tolerant transgenic rice through gene pyramiding at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, in collaboration with the School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
   • Postdoctoral Research: Furthered this work by developing transgenic rice with enhanced environmental stress tolerance at ICGEB.
2. Hydroponics Cultivation:
   • Current Research: Since 2020, Dr. Sahoo has been optimizing hydroponic cultivation methods for high-yield strawberry production. This research led to a recent publication in the South African Journal of Botany.
3. Micropropagation Techniques:
   • Developed efficient micropropagation systems for strawberry plants, resulting in a provisional patent application.
4. Phytoremediation Studies:
   • Recent Project: Received funding from the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) to screen and characterize various Brassica species for phytoremediation of toxic heavy metals in industrial and mining areas of Odisha. This project aims to reduce the negative impact of heavy metals on the food chain and environment.
5. Gene Silencing for Enhanced Yield:
   • Postdoctoral Project: Worked on enhancing grain yield in salinity-tolerant rice by silencing the cytokinin oxidase gene using RNA interference (RNAi) technology.

Research Metrics:

• Citations: 701 (cited by 657 documents)
• Documents: 20
• h-index: 11

Publication Top Notes:

• Silicon nutrition stimulates Salt-Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway to enhance salinity stress tolerance and yield in rice
  • Gupta, B.K., Sahoo, K.K., Anwar, K., …, Pareek, A., Singla-Pareek, S.L.
  • Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2021, 166, pp. 593–604.
  • 31 Citations
• Isolation of a broad spectrum antimicrobial producing thermophilic Bacillus and characterization of its antimicrobial protein
  • Ojha, P., Kar, N.P., Nayak, S., Patra, A.K., Sahoo, K.K.
  • Archives of Microbiology, 2021, 203(5), pp. 2059–2073.
  • 5 Citations
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Rice Research
  • Donde, R., Gouda, G., Sabarinathan, S., …, Vadde, R., Behera, L.
  • Applications of Bioinformatics in Rice Research, 2021, pp. 239–275.
  • 2 Citations
• Identification of QTLs for high grain yield and component traits in new plant types of rice
  • Donde, R., Mohapatra, S., Yasin Baksh, S.K., …, Behera, L., Dash, S.K.
  • PLoS ONE, 2020, 15(7 July), e0227785.
  • 18 Citations
• Enhancing trehalose biosynthesis improves yield potential in marker-free transgenic rice under drought, saline, and sodic conditions
  • Joshi, R., Sahoo, K.K., Singh, A.K., …, Pareek, A., Singla-Pareek, S.L.
  • Journal of Experimental Botany, 2020, 71(2), pp. 653–668.
  • 86 Citations