| Qualification |
Ph.D. |
| Specialization / Discipline |
Tissue culture and Molecular Biology |
| Department |
Crop Improvement |
| Official email |
saraswathimse@gmail.com, Saraswathi.MS@icar.gov.in |
Salient Research Achievements
(in bullets) |
- Shoot tip and ECS based methodology for the successful creation of Fusarium wilt resistant mutants in banana cvs. Rasthali and Grand Naine
- Developed variety specific DNA fingerprints, using SSR and ISSR markers.
- Established a core collection a true representative of the Indian Musa germplasm based on morphotaxonomic and molecular charaterization data.
- Developed DUS guidelines for banana and plantain.
- Variety specific tissue culture protocol has been developed using various explants like shoot tips, cormlets and male flower buds.
- Low cost tissue culture protocol has been developed for commercial varieties.
- Standardized protocol for the Genetic fidelity Testing of tissue culture plants.
- Developed macropropagation techniques in commercial banana varieties using steam sterilized suckers.
|
Current Research
Projects(Institute) |
- Improvement of cv. Grande Naine (Cavendish - AAA) for Fusarium wilt resistance through non-conventional breeding (PI)
- Development of trait specific markers for fusarium wilt resistance through association mapping studies in banana (Musa spp.) (PI)
- Improvement and management of banana genetic resources in Indian Subcontinent (Co-PI)
- Identification and evaluation of superior clones of cv.Ney Poovan (AB) and Grand Naine (AAA) (Co-PI)
- Production of doubled haploids for improvement of bananas (Musa spp.) (Co-PI)
|
Current Research
Projects(External) |
- Framing crop specific DUS guidelines for Banana (Musa spp.) (PI)
- DBT funded project on Collection, evaluation, documentation and conservation of banana genetic resources from north eastern region (PI)
- DBT funded project on Diversity assessment, germplasm conservation and database development on banana resources of north eastern India (PI)
- DBT funded project on Genetic resource assessment, in-situ on-farm conservation and Impact of banana waste as a feed for animals in Northeast region of India (PI).
- DBT funded project on In vitro mass multiplication if high value hill area bananas of the NER (PI).
- DBT funded project on Consortium for managing Indian banana genetic resources (Co-PI).
- Network project on Transgenic in crops – Banana functional genomics (Sigatoka & Drought component) (Co-PI)
- Development and Transfer of Technology from Queensland University of Technology to India for Bio fortification and Disease Resistance in Banana (Phase II) Component-3: Development of efficient ECS for Rasthali and providing to Indian Partners (Co-PI)
|
| Area of Interest |
Tissue culture and application of molecular markers in crop improvement |
| Total Research Publications |
95 |
| Best five Publications |
- Saraswathi. M.S., Uma, S Ramaraj, P Durai, MM Mustaffa, K.Kalaiponmani and A. Chandrasekar. 2019. Inter retrotransposon based genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis among the Musa germplasm accessions. Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology 29 (1), 114-124.
- Saraswathi Marimuthu Somasundaram Uma Subbaraya Sharmila Gayatri Durairajan Soundaryan Rajendran Jithu Gopalakrishnan Bahrudeen Shahul Hameed Durai Palani Backiyarani Suthanthiram. 2019. Comparison of two different electrophoretic methods in studying the genetic diversity among plantains (Musa spp.) using ISSR markers. Electrophoresis 40 (9): 1265-1272
- M. S. Saraswathi, S. Uma, G. Kannan, M. Selvasumathi, M.M. Mustaffa & S. Backiyarani, 2016. Cost-effective tissue culture media for large-scale propagation of three commercial banana (Musa spp.) varieties. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology. 91: 23-29.
- M.S.Saraswathi, G. Kannan, S. Uma, R. Thangavelu and S. Backiyarani. 2016. Improvement of banana cv. Rasthali against FoC (VCG 0124/5) through induced mutagenesis: Determination of LD50 specific to mutagen, explants, toxins and in vitro and in vivo screening for Fusarium wilt resistance. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology . 54: 345-353
- M. S. Saraswathi, S. Praveena, S. Uma, R. Thangavelu G.Kannan, S. Backiyarani and T.Arivazhagan. 2014. Development of an efficient micropropagation technique for Musa cv.Udhayam (ABB). Indian Journal of Horticulture. 71:452-457
- M. S. SaraswathiS. Uma, K. Prasanya Selvam, S. Ramaraj, P. Durai and M.M.Mustaffa. (2011). Assessing the robustness of IRAP and RAPD marker systems to study intra group diversity among Cavendish (AAA) clones of banana. Journal of Horticulture Science and Biotechnology. 86: 7-12.
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| Awards |
- HSI Award (2018)
- CHAI Fellow (2018)
- Best Ph.D. Dissertation Award (2009)
- Thiru. T. Gopalan Nair memorial medal
- Indo-American hybrid seeds medal
|
