Brief Profile
I work as an Assistant Professor of Plant Science at Central University of Kerala. I have obtained Ph.D. degree from School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi where I worked on Capsicum fruit development and ripening under the guidance of Dr. Nirala Ramchairy, a renowned crop scientist. My current areas of research include mangroves genomics, sustainability, traditional food plants, abiotic stresses and food security.
Research team:
Dr. Meera SP, KSCSTE Post Doctoral Fellow
Anju T, PhD Scholar
Malini B, PhD Scholar
Ashifa N, PhD Scholar
Recent peer-reviewed articles
*Corresponding author, #Equal contribution
1. Meera SP, Bhattacharyya M, and Kumar A* (2023). Dynamics of mangrove functional traits under osmotic and oxidative stresses. Plant Growth Regulation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-023-01034-9
2. Nizam A, Haritha K, Kumar A* (2023). A modified method for efficient RNA isolation from mangrove root tissues rich in secondary metabolites. Biotechniques. 74(6):302-316 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2144/btn-2022-0078
3. Islam K, Rawoof A, Kumar A, Momo J, Ahmad I, Dubey M, Ramchiary N (2023). Genetic regulation, environmental cues, and extraction methods for higher yield of secondary metabolites in Capsicum. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 71 (24) 9213–9242 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01901
4. Nizam A, Anju T, Kumar A* (2023). Gene expression pattern, lignin deposition and root cell wall modification of developing mangrove propagules under salinity stress. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-023-11021-z
5. Yadav BG, Aakanksha, Kumar R, Yadava S, Kumar A, Ramchiary N (2023). Understanding the proteomes of plant development and stress responses in Brassica crops. Journal of Proteome Research. 22(3) 660–680. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00684
6. Ahmad I, Rawoof A, Priyanka, Islam K, Momo J, Anju T, Kumar A, Ramchiary N (2023) Diversity and expression analysis of ZIP transporters and associated metabolites under zinc and iron stress in Capsicum. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. 196: 415-430. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.01.060
7. Momo J, Rawoof A, Kumar A, Islam K, Ahmad I, and Ramchiary N (2023). Proteomics of Reproductive Development, Fruit Ripening and Stress Responses in Tomato. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 71(1): 65–95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c06564
8. Anju T and Kumar A* (2022). Traditional Food Plants in the Face of Global Change: Past, Present, and Future. Annual Plant Reviews Online. 5: 383–454. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119312994.apr0796
9. Saritha GNG, Anju T and Kumar A* (2022). Nanotechnology - Big Impact: How nanotechnology is changing the future of agriculture? Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. 10: 100457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2022.100457
10. Rawoof A, Ahmad I, Islam K, Momo J, Kumar A, Jaiswal V, Ramchiary N (2022). Integrated omics analysis identified genes and their splice variants involved in fruit development and metabolites production in Capsicum species. Functional and Integrative Genomics. 22: 1189–1209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10142-022-00902-3
11. Cherian I, Premarajan V, Anitha B , Nizam A, Girish D, Kumar A, Suresh PS, Venkatesh T (2022). In silico identification of rice and human miRNAs sequences within tRFs of O. sativa and expression analysis of rice tRFs with their corresponding miRNAs. South African Journal of Botany. 149: 487-495 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2022.06.033
12. Anju T, Prabhakar P, Sreedharan S, Kumar A* (2022). Nutritional, antioxidant and dietary potential of some traditional leafy vegetables used in ethnic culinary preparations. Food Control. 141:109161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109161
13. Momo J#, Kumar A#, Islam K, Ahmad I, Rawoof A and Ramchiary N (2022). A Comprehensive Update on Capsicum Proteomics: Advances and Future Prospects. Journal of Proteomics. 261: 104578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jprot.2022.104578
14. Anju T, Rai NKSR and Kumar A* (2022). Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr.: a multipurpose plant with multiple uses in traditional ethnic culinary and ethnomedicinal preparations. Journal of Ethnic Foods. 9: 10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42779-022-00125-8
15. Kumar A*, Sreedharan S, Kashyap AK, Singh P and Ramchiary N (2021). A review on bioactive phytochemicals and ethnopharmacological potential of Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.). Heliyon. 8(1): e08669. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08669
16. Anju T, Rai NKSR, Uthirchamkavu I, Sreedharan S, Ndhlala AR, Singh P and Kumar A* (2021). Analysis of nutritional and antioxidant potential of three traditional leafy vegetables for food security and human wellbeing. South African Journal of Botany. 145: 99-110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2021.11.042
17. Nizam A, Meera SP and Kumar A* (2021). Genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying mangrove adaptations to intertidal environments. iScience. 25(1): 103547. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.103547
18. Meera SP, Bhattacharyya M, Nizam A and Kumar A* (2021). A review on microplastic pollution in the mangrove wetlands and microbial strategies for its remediation. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 29: 4865–4879 DOI: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17451-0
19. Kumar A* (2021). How Can India Leverage Its Botanic Gardens for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Wild Food Plant Resources through the Implementation of a Global Strategy for Plant Conservation? Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens. 2(4):586–599. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg2040042
20. Vijay A, Nizam A, Radhakrishnan AM, Anju T, Kashyap AK, Kumar N, and Kumar A* (2021). Comparative Study of Ovule Development between Wild (Passiflora foetida L.) and Cultivated (P. edulis Sims) Species of Passiflora L. Provide Insights into Its Differential Developmental Patterns. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens. 2(3): 502-516. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg2030036
21. Kumar A*, Sreedharan S, Singh P, Achigan-Dako EG and Ramchiary N (2021). Improvement of a Traditional Orphan Food Crop, Portulaca oleracea L. (Purslane) Using Genomics for Sustainable Food Security and Climate-Resilient Agriculture. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 5: 711820. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.711820
22. Kumar A*, Anju T, Kumar S, Chhapekar SS, Sreedharan S, Singh S, Choi SR, Ramchiary N and Lim YP (2021). Integrating Omics and Gene Editing Tools for Rapid Improvement of Traditional Food Plants for Diversified and Sustainable Food Security. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 22(15): 8093. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22158093
23. Kumar A, Kumar S, Anju T and Ramchiary N (2021). Genetic, Epigenetic, and Hormonal Regulation of Fruit Development and Ripening in Capsicum L. Species. Annual Plant Reviews Online. 4(2): 295–356. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119312994.apr0782
24. Kumar A*, Kumar S, Komal, Ramchiary N and Singh P (2021). Role of Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Indigenous Communities in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability. 13(6): 3062. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063062
25. Chhapekar SS, Kumar N, M S, Brahma V, Rawoof A, Jaiswal V, Kumar A, Sarmah BK and Ramchiary N (2021) Profiling of miRNAs in Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense) and Kon Jolokia (C. frutescens) of Northeast India. Scientia Horticulturae. 281:109952. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.109952
26. Chhapekar SS, Brahma V, Rawoof A, Kumar N, Gaur R, Jaiswal V, Kumar A, Yadava SK, Kumar R, Sharma V, Babu SS and Ramchiary N. (2020). Transcriptome profiling, simple sequence repeat markers development and genetic diversity analysis of potential industrial crops Capsicum chinense and C. frutescens of Northeast India. Industrial Crops and Products. 154: 112687. DOI:10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112687
27. Dubey M, Jaiswal V, Rawoof A, Kumar A, Nitin M, Chhapekar SS, Kumar N, Ahmad I, Islam K, Brahma V and Ramchiary N (2019). Identification of genes involved in fruit development/ripening in Capsicum and development of functional markers. Genomics. 111(6): 1913–1922. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygeno.2019.01.002
28. Singh P, Singh VK, Singh R, Borthakur A, Kumar A, Tiwary D and Mishra PK (2018). Biological degradation of toluene by indigenous bacteria Acinetobacter junii CH005 isolated from petroleum contaminated sites in India. Energy, Ecology and Environment. 3(3): 162–170. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40974-018-0089-8
29. Sarpras M, Gaur R, Sharma V, Chhapekar SS, Das J, Kumar A, Yadava SK, Nitin M, Brahma V, Abraham SK and Ramchiary N (2016). Comparative Analysis of Fruit Metabolites and Pungency Candidate Genes Expression between Bhut Jolokia and Other Capsicum Species. PLoS One. 11(12): e0167791. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167791
30. Ramchiary N, Pang W, Nguyen VD, Li X, Choi SR, Kumar A, Kwon M, Song HY, Begum S, Kehie M, Yoon MK, Na J, Kim H and Lim YP (2015). Quantitative trait loci mapping of partial resistance to Diamondback moth in cabbage (Brassica oleracea L). Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 128(6): 1209-18. DOI:10.1007/s00122-015-2501-5
Books
1. Kumar A*, Singh P, Singh S, Singh B (eds) (2023) Wild Food Plants for Zero Hunger and Resilient Agriculture. Springer Nature, Singapore. https://link.springer.com/book/9789811965012; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6502-9
2. Swamy MK, Kumar A (eds) (2022) Phytochemical Genomics: Plant Metabolomics and Medicinal Plant Genomics. Springer Nature Singapore, Singapore. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5779-6
3. Kumar A (2022) Flore du campus: Flowering Plants of Central University of Kerala. Central University of Kerala Press, Kerala, India