Profile
We are a synthetic biology and metabolic engineering research group at ICGEB. Our research has been focused on two of the most pressing issues faced by the world today: climate change and antimicrobial drug resistance. A promising approach to address climate change will require the substitution of fossil fuels with renewable technologies. Sources such as agricultural waste, forest residues, household waste-derived biomass, and microorganisms such as yeast, algae, and bacteria can be used as bio-based sources to generate energy. Meanwhile, antifungal drug-resistant isolates of several other yeast species belonging to the genus Candida (C. albicans and C. auris and C. glabrata) have emerged as clinical pathogens imposing threats to human health. Consequently, this host’s significance and practical use in basic and applied sciences piqued my curiosity to learn more about it.
Current Focus Areas
1. Development of microbial cell factories for ethanol production from agricultural waste, grains and molasses
2. Biorefinery validation for sustainable and economical biobased fuel and chemical production.
3. Combating fungal multiple drug resistance (MDR)
Selected Publications
1. Singh, A. K., Deeba, F., Kumar, M., Kumari, S., Wani, S. A., Paul, T., Gaur, N. A. (2024) Development of engineered Candida tropicalis strain for efficient corncob-based xylitol-ethanol biorefinery. Microbial Cell Factories 22 (1), 1-16 (IF-6.2)
2. Kumari, P., Sharma, J., Singh, A. K., Pandey, A. K., Yusuf, F., Kumar, S., Gaur, N.A. (2023). Tailored designing of a diploid S. cerevisiae natural isolate for increased production of fatty acid ethyl ester. Chemical Engineering Journal. Volume 453, Part 2, 1 February 2023, 139852 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2022.139852(IF-16.74)
3. Deeba, F., Kumar, K. K., Wani, S. A., Kumar, A. K., Sharma, J., Gaur, N. A. (2022). Enhanced biodiesel and β-carotene production in Rhodotorula pacifica INDKK using sugarcane bagasse and molasses by an integrated biorefinery framework. Bioresource Technology. 127067. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127067. PMID: 35351564 (IF-11.8)
4. Pandey, A. K., Kumar, M., Kumari, S., Gaur, N. A. (2022). Integration of acid pre-treated paddy straw hydrolysate to molasses as a diluent enhances ethanol production using a robust Saccharomyces cerevisiae NGY10 strain. Renewable Energy. 186; 790-80. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.01.039 (IF-8.6)
5. Kumari, S., Kumar, M., Esquivel, B. D., Wasi, M., Pamdey, A. K., Khandelwal, A. K., Mondal, A. K., White. T. C., Prasad, R., Gaur, N. A*. (2022). Unmasking of CgYor1-Dependent Azole Resistance Mediated by Target of Rapamycin (TOR) and Calcineurin Signaling in Candida glabrata. mBio. 18;13(1):e0354521. doi: 10.1128/mbio.03545-21. PMID: 35038899 (IF-7.7)