Agrotechnology

Siddhesh Ghag

Siddhesh Ghag
Professor, Faculty of Plant Science & Plant biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences
University of Mumbai, India

Biography

Dr. Siddhesh Ghag completed his graduate and post graduate studies from G. N. Khalsa College (degree awarded from University of Mumbai) in Biotechnology in 2009 and been the University topper at MSc level. He joined as a lecturer in the same college for teaching graduate and post graduates courses of biotechnology. Further, Dr. Ghag was selected to carry out his doctoral research at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai funded by Department of Atomic Energy. During his Ph.D. is developed several transgenic and non-transgenic banana lines resistant to the most devastating Fusarium wilt disease. He authored several publications in reputed peer-reviewed national and international journals. After completion of his Ph.D. in 2014, he moved to Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai as a visiting fellow. Soon after Dr. Ghag received the prestigious DST-INSPIRE faculty award (from Indian National Science Academy, India) which is hosted at UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai. Presently, he is working on a project funded by Department of Science and Technology (India) as a principal investigator to understand the virulence in Fusarium-banana pathosystem so as to develop better management practices to contain this disease. He is faculty member at UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences which caters a 5 year integrated M.Sc. programme and teaches plant sciences, plant biotechnology and molecular biology courses. Dr. Ghag is the recipient of the Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee award-2016 from National Academy of Sciences, India for excellence in the field of Plant Sciences, Agriculture and Environment. His specific research focus includes plant biotechnology, plant disease, plant genetic engineering and plant fungal pathogens.

Research Interest

Plant Pathology & Protection: Molecular cloning, Plant cell & tissue culture, Phytopathogens, Cell death in plants, Fungal resistance in plants, Antifungal peptides in plants, Plant genetic engineering and transgenic crops, Genetic modifications for crop improvement, fungal effectors, fungal disease modelling.