Staff profile

Research Interests

I am deeply passionate about exploring the intricate dynamics of plant-microbe interactions. My academic journey and research have been dedicated to unraveling the complexities of how plants and microbes coexist, compete, and collaborate within their ecosystems. A significant portion of my work has been focused on the genetic diversity of Rhizoctonia solani, the pathogen responsible for sheath blight disease in rice. I have pioneered innovative strategies to suppress the pathogenicity determinants of R. solani during its infection process, thereby opening new avenues for disease management in critical agricultural systems.In addition, I have designed and implemented novel reporter systems to meticulously study the colonization mechanisms of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, the pathogen behind the devastating black rot disease in crucifers. My development of a comprehensive toolkit for characterizing the race determinants of Xanthomonas represents a leap forward in our understanding of pathogen variability and host specificity.Currently, my research is delving into the sophisticated world of post-translational modifications of defense proteins, investigating how these modifications regulate plant immune responses. This cutting-edge work is poised to reveal novel insights into the molecular underpinnings of plant defense mechanisms, offering potential strategies for crop protection. Throughout my career, I have remained committed to advancing our understanding of plant-microbe interactions, with the ultimate goal of developing sustainable solutions for agriculture. I look forward to continuing this journey, exploring new horizons in plant science, and contributing to the resilience of our global food systems.

Journal Article

• Ghosh, S., Mellado Sanchez, M., Sue-Ob, K., Roy, D., Jones, A., Blazquez, M. A., & Sadanandom, A. (2024). Charting the evolutionary path of the SUMO modification system in plants reveals molecular hardwiring of development to stress adaptation. The Plant Cell, 36(9), 3131-3144. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae192
• Das, J., Ghosh, S., Tyagi, K., Sahoo, D., & Jha, G. (2024). Methionine biosynthetic genes and methionine sulfoxide reductase A are required for Rhizoctonia solani AG1‐IA to cause sheath blight disease in rice. Microbial Biotechnology, 17(4), Article e14441. https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.14441
• Francis, A., Ghosh, S., Tyagi, K., Prakasam, V., Rani, M., Singh, N. P., Pradhan, A., Sundaram, R., Priyanka, C., Laha, G., Kannan, C., Prasad, M., Chattopadhyay, D., & Jha, G. (2023). Evolution of pathogenicity-associated genes in Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA by genome duplication and transposon-mediated gene function alterations. BMC Biology, 21, Article 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-023-01526-0