Saturday, February 13, 2010

Late Dr. G. K. Podila’s background

Dr. G. K. Podila was an alumnus of the Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) in Andhra Pradesh from where he received a BSc in biological sciences before coming to the US for an a graduate degree in plant pathology from Louisiana State University in 1983 and a doctorate in molecular biology from Indiana State University in 1987.

The youngest of four children, Podila leaves behind wife Vani, a chartered accountant, and two daughters — Bindu, 16, and Anila, 13.

After his early education in Kakinada and Visakhapatnam, Podila graduated in botany from Hindu College in Guntur between 1974-77 and went on to do his post-graduation from ANU in Guntur between 1977-79.

A gold medalist, he was taught by his father P S Prakash Rao, who was head of the biological sciences at ANU.

Podila’s father and brother used to live in a rented house in Pandaripuram area of Guntur and moved back to Kakinada after the father’s retirement in 1980.

The grief-stricken family members are rushing to the US for the last rites of the professor. Hindu College in Guntur, of which he was an alumnus, declared a holiday on Saturday after receiving the tragic news of his death.

Dr. Podila’s Professional Background

Research Areas
Engineering tree Biomass for Bioenergy. Functional Genomics of Plant-microbe interactions, Plant Molecular biology and Biotechnology

Research Description
(1) Functional genomics of plant-microbe interactions: Under beneficial interactions, our lab is studying early gene expression resulting from ectomycorrhizal formation, in order to identify genes essential for ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. Our lab is one of the first labs to genetically engineer mycorrhizal fungi for functional genomic studies. Most recently, our lab is involved in coordinating the first genome-sequencing project on ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor by Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute. The L. bicolor genome sequence is now publicly available at JGI web site. Dr. Podila’s lab is a member of International Steering committee involved in genome projects of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices and also poplar rust fungus Melampsora. Funding:NSF

(2) Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: Our lab is pursuing molecular basis of developmental control of reproductive tissues and vascular tissues (wood formation) using poplar as a model system. Studies include cloning, characterization, and protein-protein interaction of MADS-box family transcription factors that control these processes. We are also pursuing characterization of promoters from these genes that can be used for targeted gene expression in transgenic trees and to regulate woody biomass and reproductive development. For the last 12 years our lab is involved in developing genetically engineered conifers and hardwood trees, through gene stacking techniques for increasing cellulosic biomass for bioenergy. Other ongoing projects in our lab include cloning and characterization of plant defense genes and antioxidant genes from aspen and developing transgenic trees with enhanced Resistance to pests and oxidative stresses and increased carbon sequestration. Current Funding:DOE.

(3) Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics: Our lab is currently collaborating with INRA France, CNRS, Italy, DOE Oak Ridge National labs and Michigan Tech University in developing EST databases and microarray analysis for symbiotic, plant pathogenic and plant stress related differentially expressed genes and to apply these studies for Systems Biology approach to understand functioning at organismal level.

Selected Publications

Jain P, Wadhwa P, Aygun R, Podila G.K. 2008. Vector-G: Multi-Modular SVM-Based Heterotrimeric G-Protein Prediction. In silico Biology 8, 0013.

Martin F. et. al. (2008). The genome of Laccaria bicolor provides insights into mycorrhizal symbiosis. Nature 452(7183):88-92.

Pandey, A., White, H., Podila G.K. 2007. Functional Genomic Approaches for Mycorrhizal Research. In Plant Surface Microbiology, Springer-Verlag, Germany.

Cseke, L.J., Ravinder, N., Pandey, A.K., and Podila, G.K. 2007. Identification of PTM5 protein interaction partners, a MADS-box gene involved in aspen tree vegetative development. GENE 391: 209-222.

Hiremath ST, Balasubramanian S, Zheng J, Podila G K. 2006. Symbiosis-regulated expression of an acetylCoA acetyltransferase gene in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor. Canadian Journal of Botany 84: 1405-1416.

Gupta, P., Duplessis, S., White, H., Martin, F., Karnosky, D.F., Podila, G. K. 2005. Gene expression patterns of trembling aspen trees following long-term exposure to elevated CO2 and tropospheric O3. New Phytologist 167(1): 129-142.

Cseke LJ, Cseke SB, Ravinder N, Taylor LC, Shankar A, Sen B, Thakur R, Karnosky DF, G. K. Podila. 2005. Sep-Class Genes in Populus Tremuloides and Their Likely Role in Reproductive Survival of Poplar Trees. GENE 358: 1-16.

P. Lammers, G. A. Tuskan, S. P. DiFazio. G. K. Podila , F. Martin. 2004. Mycorrhizal symbionts of Populus to be sequenced by the United States Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute. Mycorrhiza 14:63 n 64.

G.K. Podila, L. Lanfranco. 2004. Genomics approaches to unravel mycorrhizal symbiosis. In Plant Surface Microbiology, Springer-Verlag, Germany. Pp 561-592.

S. Sundaram, Brand, J.H, Hymes, M.J, S.T. Hiremath, G.K. Podila. 2004. Isolation and Analysis of A Symbiosis-Regulated and Ras Interacting Vesicular Assembly Protein Gene from the Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Laccaria bicolor. New Phytologist 161:529-538.

Cseke, L.J., Zheng, J., Podila, G.K. 2003. Characterization of PTM5 In Aspen: A MADS-Box Gene Expressed During Woody Vascular Development. GENE 318 (2003) 55-67.

Peter M, P-E Courty, A. Kohler, C. Delaruelle, D. Martin, D. Tagu, P. Frey-Klett, S. Duplessis, M. Chalot, G.K. Podila, F. Martin. 2003. Analysis of expressed sequence tags from the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes Laccaria bicolor and Pisolithus microcarpus. New Phytologist 159: 117-129

 

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