Team KFRI » Scientist Profile

Dr. Donald James

Junior Scientist/Scientist B
Department of Biotechnology
Forest Genetics and Biotechnology Division
 Phone: 91-487-2690192
 Mobile: 9873699119
e-mail: donald@kfri.res.in, donjamdj23@gmail.com
Whatsapp No. 9873699119
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Dr Donald James’s research focuses on utilizing sustainable biotechnologies for improving health and productivity of forests. His broad area of research interests includes molecular basis of stress adaptation in forest plant species; plant microbial interactions and metagenomics; endophyte-plant interaction in forest trees; utilizing conventional and new breeding techniques (NBTs) including marker assisted selection, genomic selection and genome editing for improvement of planted trees and medicinal species; bioprospection and synthetic biology for sustainable production of high value-secondary metabolites.

Focused areas: Sustainable biotechnologies for forest health management; Plant-microbe interactions and metagenomics; Implementing New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) like Genome editing and Genomic Selection for tree and medicinal plant improvement; molecular basis of stress adaptation in forest species; Genomics of biotic and abiotic stress tolerance; Bioprospection and synthetic biology for sustainable production of high value-secondary metabolites; whole-genome sequencing of rare and endangered endemic species of medicinal and cultural importance; Low input-Plant Tissue Culture for biodiversity conservation of endemic and RET species and micropropagation of commercially important species; Timber and Wildlife Forensics;

Total number of publications: 10 Research articles, 2 Review articles and 4 book chapters.

Academics and profession:
Education:

  • PhD from International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2018).
  • MSc Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi (2012).
  • BSc Agriculture from Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur (2009).

Recent positions:
  • SERB-National Postdoctoral fellow at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad (2020-2022)
  • Project Research Associate-I at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad (2019-2020)
  • Assistant Professor (contract) at Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, KAU, Thrissur (2018-2019).

Other information:

  • Life member of Society for Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India.
  • Life member of Biotech Research Society of India, Trivandrum, India.
  • Life member of Society for Biotechnologists (India), Kochi, India.