Yogi Vemana University

2006 – Ph.D in Molecular Genetics from Department of Molecular Genetics, Rheinisch Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH), Aachen, Germany - Magna-cum-Lauda (Very Good Grade).

Research Experience : . April 2003 - December 2006: Ph.D student on the project “Molecular And Biochemical Analyses Of Transgenic Nicotiana Tabacum Plants Metabolizing Glycolate In The Chloroplasts” in association with Prof. Fritz Kreuzaler, Head, Institute of Biology I, Department of Molecular Genetics, RWTH, Germany.

. July 2002 - March 2003: Scientific Assistant on the project “Cloning of differentially expressed salt stress responsive genes” funded by BMBF in association with Prof. Jürgen Bernhagen, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular cell biology, RWTH Uniklinik, Aachen, Germany.

. April 2001 – June 2002: Project Assistant on the topic “Role of Topoisomerase III in Relation to Ageing in Rat Brain” in association with Dr. Anand Kumar Kondapi, Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad.

. December 2000 - May 2001: M.Sc project student on “Cloning of CryIAc Gene Into Chloroplast Transformation Vector And Its Introduction Into Tobacco By Biolistic Method” in association with Prof. V. Sekar, School of Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai.

. June 2000 - July 2000: Summer project on “Isolation and identification of potential lignin degrading micro-organisms from paper mill effluents” in association with Dr. Anand Kumar Kondapi, Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad.

Teaching experience :
. 2007 July - present: Assistant professor, Department of Biotechnology, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa.
May – June 2007: Involved in teaching of theory and laboratory practicals for B.Tech Biotechnology students, Rai foundation college, Hyderabad, India.

Her research interest includes Genetic engineering approaches for crop improvement, Stress biology and Molecular Genetics.

1) Phytoremediation of Uranium enriched soils: Molecular, Biochemical and Transgenic approach. Department of Biotechnology (D.B.T), Govt. of India, New Delhi. Budget -25, 00,000 -00, Period: 2009-2012.

2) Development of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea, L.) transgenics carrying HD-START transcription factor for improved drought stress tolerance. Department of Science and Technology (D.S.T), Govt. of India, New Delhi. Budget -26,60,000 -00, Period: 2009-2012.

3) Submitted 1151 rice ESTs from drought stressed indica variety to GenBank from BU672765 to BU673915 in NCBI dbest database. Reddy, A. R., Markandeya, G., Ramakrishna, W., Nagabhushana, I., Ravindra Babu, P., Madana Mohan Reddy, A., Chandra Sekhar, A. and Bennetzen, J. L. (2002). Novel EST enrichment with normalized cDNA libraries from drought stressed rice (Oryza sativa L.cv Nagina 22) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dbest.

4) Submitted one full-length rice cDNA of DRE-binding protein 1B gene to GenBank accession no. AY166833. Ravindra Babu, P., Markandeya, G., Ramakrishna, W., Nagabhushana, I., Chandra Sekhar, A., Madana Mohan Reddy, A., Bennetzen, J. L. and Reddy, A. R. (2002). Isolation and characterization of mRNA of a DRE-binding protein 1B (DREB 1B) of indica rice. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

5) Submitted 1577 rice ESTs from drought stressed indica variety to GenBank from BI305180 to BI306756 in NCBI dbest database. Reddy, A. R., Ramakrishna, W., Chandra Sekhar, A., Nagabhushan, I., Ravindrababu, P. and Bennetzen, J. L. (2001). Novel EST enrichment with normalized cDNA libraries from drought stressed rice (Oryza sativa L.cv Nagina 22) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dbest.

6) P. Ravindra Babu, A. Chandra Sekhar, Nagabhushan. Ithal, G. Markandeya and Reddy. A. R. (2002). Annotation and BAC/PAC localization of norredundant ESTs from drought-stressed seedlings of an indica rice. Journal of Genetics 81: 25-44.

7) H.S. Talwar, A. Chandra Sekhar and R.C. Nageswara Rao., (2002). Genotypic variability in membrane thermostability in groundnut. Indian J. Plant Physiol., 7(2): 97-102.

Best poster presentation award for “Glycolate Oxidation in mitochondria: A novel photorespiratory pathway in higher plants?” at Plant Genetic conference in Kiel, Germany 2006.

Best poster presentation award for “Chloroplast genome transformation of crop plants with cry genes of Baccillus thuringiensis: Use of novel chloroplast transformation vector” in Aqua terr annual symposium, Center for Advanced studies in Functional Genomics, School of Biological sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University under Microbiology and Genetic Engineering category in April 2001.

Received DBT Scholarship during M.Sc Biotechnology course (1999-2001) from Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.

Selected for M.Sc Biotechnology through All India Entrance Examination Conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi with 25 th rank in May 1999

Certificate of merit for Certificate of merit for First prize in Botany and Zoology (1996-1997), First prize in Botany and Chemistry and second prize in General proficiency (1998-1999) from Govt. College for Women, Nagarjuna University.

1. Rashad Kebeish, Markus Niessen, Krishnaveni Thiruveedhi, Rafijul Bari, Heinz-Josef Hirsch, Ruben Rosenkranz, Norma Stäbler, Barbara Schönfeld, Fritz Kreuzaler and Christoph Peterhänsel (2007): Chloroplastic photorespiratory bypass increases photosynthesis and biomass production in Arabidopsis thaliana Nature Biotechnology, 25 (5): 593-599.

2. Markus Niessen, Krishnaveni Thiruveedhi, Ruben Rosenkranz, Rashad Kebeish, Heinz-Josef Hirsch, Fritz Kreuzaler and Christoph Peterhänsel (2007): Mitochondrial glycolate oxidation contributes to photorespiration in higher plants, Journal of Experimental Botany, 58 (10): 2709-2715.

3. Krishnaveni Thiruveedhi (July 2007): Improvement of biomass production in transgenic plants by diverting photorespiratory pathway in C3 plants: Transgenic approaches, Technology Spectrum, 1(2):1-11.

1. Markus Nießen, Rashad Kebeish, Krishnaveni Thiruveedhi, Norma Stäbler and Christoph Peterhänsel “Glycolate Oxidation in mitochondria: A novel photorespiratory pathway in higher plants?” Plant Genetic Conference, Kiel 2006

2. Rashad Kebeish, Rafijul Bari, Markus Niessen, Krishnaveni Thiruveedhi, Heinz. J. Hirsch, Fritz Kreuzaler, and Christoph Peterhänsel “Glycolate oxidation in the chloroplast decreases photorespiration, increases photosynthesis, and enhances biomass production in C3 plants” 15th Photosynthese Workshop, Nord-West, Aachen, Germany, September 2006.

3. Rafijul Bari, Rashad Kebeish, Rainer Kalamajka, Thomas Rademacher, Krishnaveni Thiruveedhi, Christoph Peterhänsel “A glycolate dehydrogenase in the mitochondria of Arabidopsis thaliana” Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen" vom 09.03.2004 – 12.03.2004 in Dabringhausen, Germany.

4. Rashad M Kebeish, Rafijul Bari, Krishnaveni Thiruveedhi, Fritz Kreuzaler and Christoph Peterhänsel “Glycolate oxidation inside the chloroplasts: A novel method for the suppression of photorespiratio” University of Essex, Colchester U.K September 2003.

5. M.Sadik, Krishnaveni Thiruveedhi, Prof.V.Sekar “Chloroplast genome transformation of crop plants with cry genes of Baccillus thuringiensis: Use of novel chloroplast transformation vector” in Aqua terr annual symposium, Center for Advanced studies in Functional Genomics, School of Biological sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, April 2001.