• Our laboratory research focused on microbial and plant bioengineering for the production of beneficial products. We are interested to develop different microbial strains, including bacteria, fungi and microalgae, for the production of beneficial and value-added products. For this purpose, in addition with standard molecular biology techniques, we are utilizing flow cyotmetry-based high-throughput screening methods, genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic tools. We are also focusing on production of beneficial products at large-scale level. Please find our recent papers for more information’s.

• Our research group looking for Post-Doc’s and Graduate Students who are willing to pursue their Ph.D. in microbial bioengineering. We are also welcome M.Sc. students for their dissertation works and undergraduate students for summer/winter training. Interested candidates can directly contact Dr. Natarajan Velmurugan, and send their CV along with research interest to velmmk@gmail.com, natarajan@neist.res.in

• Expanding endophytes of Paris polyphylla as a model to study co-evolution relationship with emphasis on functional metabolites production. DST-Early Career Research Grant (SERB-ECR), Govt. of India. Principal Investigator (2017-2020).

• DST-INSPIRE Faculty project, (DST/INSIPIRE Faculty Award/2016/DST/INSPIRE/04/2015/000033), Govt. of India. Principal Investigator2015-2020

• Development of multiple abiotic and biotic stress resistance in tomato (Soanumlycopersicum L.) crop model through dual-gene multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. DST-Early Career Research Grant (SERB-ECR), Govt. of India. Co-Principal Investigator (2017-2020).

• Sustainable utilization of medicinal aromatic & economic plants: Exploration & utilization of medicinal & economic plants of Arunachal Pradesh through development of agro-technology and chemical investigation, 2012-2017 (MLP 8000 B).

Total No. of Publications: 26, Patent Filled: 01

• S Sonowal, C Chikkaputtaiah, N Velmurugan (2018) Role of flow cytometry for the improvement of bioprocessing of oleaginous microorganisms. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology. Accepted.
• N Velmurugan, D Deka (2018) Transformation techniques for metabolic engineering of diatoms and haptophytes: current state and prospects. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. Accepted.
• M Arriola, N Velmurugan, Y Zhang, MH Plunkett, H Hondzo, B Barney (2018) Genome sequence of Chlorella sorkiniana UTEX 1602 and Micractiniumconductrix strain SAG 241.80: a potential pathway to maltose excretion by a green algae. Plant Journal. 93: 566-586.
• N Velmurugan, HM Lee, HJ Cha, YS Lee. Proteomic analysis of the marine derived fungus Paecilomyces sp. Strains SF-8 in response to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Botanic Marina. 60: 381-392.
• B Barney, M Plunkett, N Velmurugan, F Mus, J Peters. (2017) Transcriptional analysis of an ammounium-excreting strain of Azotobactervinelandii deregulated for nitrogen fixation. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 83: e01534-17
• N Velmurugan, M Sung, SS Yim, MS Park, JW Yang, KJ Jeong (2014) Systematically programmed adaptive evolution reveals potential role of carbon and nitrogen pathways during lipid accumulation in Chlamydomonasreinhardtii. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 7: 117.
• N Velmurugan, Y Sathishkumar, SS Yim, YS Lee, MS Park, JW Yang, KJ Jeong (2014) Study of cellular development and intracellular lipid bodies accumulation in the thraustochytridAurantiochytrium sp. KRS101. Bioresource Technology, 161: 149-154.
• Y Sathishkumar, N Velmurugan, HM Lee, K Rajagopal, CK Im, YS Lee (2014) Effect of low shear modeled microgravity on phenotypic and central chitin metabolism in filamentous fungi Aspergillus niger and Penicilliumchrysogenum. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology, 106: 197-209.
• N Velmurugan, M Sung, SS Yim, MS Park, JW Yang, KJ Jeong (2013) Evaluation of intracellular lipid bodies in Chlamydomonasreinhardtii strains by flow cytometry. Bioresource Technology, 138: 30-37.
• JH Lee, N Velmurugan, KJ Jeong (2013) Novel strategy for production of aggregation-prone proteins and lytic enzymes in Escherichia coli based on an anchored periplasmic expression system. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 116: 638-643.
• N Velmurugan, HS Kim, KJ Jeong (2011) Enhanced production of human FcγRIIa receptor by high cell density cultivation of Escherichia coli. Protein Expression and Purification, 79(1): 60-65.
• N Velmurugan, D Kalpana, JH Han, HJ Cha, YS Lee (2011) A novel low temperature chitinase from the marine fungus Plectosphaerella sp. strain MF-1. Botanica Marina, 54: 75-81.
• N Velmurugan, D Kalpana, JY Cho, GH Lee, SH Park, YS Lee (2011) Phylogenetic analysis of culturable marine bacteria in sediments from South Korean Yellow Sea. Microbiology, 80(2): 261-272.

Book chapter: Published
• N Velmurugan, YS Lee (2012) “Enzymes from marine fungi: current research and future prospects” in marine fungi and fungal-like organisms (Eds. EB Gareth Jones and Ka Lai Pang), Chapter 21, page no. 441-474, Botanica Marina, De Gruyter, Genthiner Strabe 113, 10785 Berlin, Germany.

• YS Lee, N Velmurugan, CY Choi (2011) Korean patent (10-2008-0074258) – Wood Antimicrobe Containing Chitosan and Silver Particles and Method Thereof. (Korean title - 은나노입자와 키토산이 함유된 목재방미제 및 그 제조방법).

• DST-INSPIRE Faculty Award, 8th Batch, Plant and Agriculture Division, 2015-2020.
• MPGI Travel Grant Award to attend Algal Biomass Summit 2015 (ABO 2015) held in Washington D.C., award provided by Microbial and Plant Genomic Institute, MN.
• Best Poster Award in 3rd Asian-Oceania Algae Innovation Summit – AOAIS 2014 held in Daejeon, South Korea.
• Best Poster Award in Young Asian Biochemical Engineers Conference – YABEC 2012 held in Tokushima, Japan.
• CityU-Molitoris Scholarships for Marine Mycology (2011), provided by City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
• Outstanding Poster Award in Asian Mycological Congress 2011 and 12th International Marine and Freshwater Mycological Symposium (AMC and IMFMS 2011) held in Incheon, South Korea.
• BK21 Post Doctoral Fellowship from Dec. 2010 to Feb. 2013, and BK21 Plus Post Doctoral Fellowship from Jun. 2014 to Sep. 2014 at Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST.
• Research Training Fellowship Award 2005, provided by University of Madras, Chennai, and worked in Department of Biotechnology, University of Madras during May 2005 to June 2005 – Research title “Molecular characterization of Vibrio sp.”

• Lab Members
• Mr. ShashankaSonowal, AcSIR Ph.D. student and project fellow
• Ms. DeepiDeka, AcSIR Ph.D. student and project fellow