Bioprospecting genes/enzymes from higher altitude microbes. Extreme climatic conditions and topography of higher altitude affect both microbes and plants. In particular, we are interested in higher altitude microbes functional genomics with the major focus on extremozymes of industrial relevance while studying the adaptation of microbes to the extreme Himalayan niches. Currently, we are targeting therapeutic proteins and industrially relevant enzymes from higher altitude microbes. Our strategy includes multi-dimensional approaches such as whole genome sequencing, proteomics, genetics, and bioinformatics to develop a bioprocess for the industrial use.

Selected “Assistant Director” State Forensic Science Laboratory, Junga, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh through Public Service Commission (open competition) in the year 2009.

Awarded “Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship” by Academia Sinica, Taiwan for year 2009-2011.

Awarded “Young Scientist International Travelling Fellowship” by Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS, Japan) for participation in the JSPS-DST Asian Academic Seminar 2008 held at Jawarharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India.

Awarded “International Travelling Fellowship” by Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan for the year 2007.

Selected as Scientist Gr. IV(1) at CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, India (2005).

1.     

Latest papers

1. Darnal S, Patial V, Kumar V, Kumar S, Kumar V, Padwad YS, and Singh D^*(2023). Biochemical characterization of extremozyme L-asparaginase from Pseudomonas sp. PCH199 for therapeutics.AMB Express 13 (1), 22. Publication date 2023/2/24. (IF: 3.7)
2. Ambika, Kumar V, Chandra D, Thakur V, Sharma U, Singh D^* (2023).Depolymerization of lignin using laccase from Bacillus sp. PCH94 for production of valuable chemicals: A sustainable approach for lignin valorization. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 234, 123601.Publication date 2023/4/15. (IF: 8.2)
3. Kumar V, Patial V, Thakur V, Singh R and Singh D^* (2023).Genomics assisted characterization of plant growth-promoting and metabolite producing psychrotolerant Himalayan Chryseobacterium cucumeris PCH239. Archives of Microbiology 205 (4), 108. Publication date 2023/4 (IF: 2.8)
4. Thakur V and Singh D^* (2022). Athermo-alkali stable and detergent compatible processive ß-1,4-glucanase from Himalayan Bacillus sp. PCH94. Frontiers in Microbiology (IF: 6.064). Online available on Nov 9, 2022. 13: 1058249.https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1058249
5. Patial V, Kumar V, Joshi R, Gupta M, and Singh D^* (2022). Acrylamide mitigation in foods using recombinant L-asparaginase: An extremozyme from Himalayan Pseudomonas sp. PCH182 Food Research International (IF: 7.425) Available online 16 Sept 2022. 162: 111936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111936
6. Subhash Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Ambika, Deepika Nag, Virender Kumar, Sanyukta Darnal, Vikas Thakur, Vijeta Patial, Singh D^*(2022). Microbial pigments: learning from the Himalayan perspective to industrial applications. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (IF: 4.25).  https://academic.oup.com/jimb/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jimb/kuac017/6657808
7. Kumar S, Darnal S, Patial V, Kumar Vr, Kumar V, Kumar S, Singh D^*(2022).Molecular cloning, characterization, and in‑silico analysis of L‑asparaginase from Himalayan Pseudomonas sp. PCH44. 3Biotech (IF: 2.89). Available online 09 July, 2022.
8. Kumar V, Kashyap P, Kumar S, Thakur V, Kumar S, and Singh D^*(2022). Multiple adaptive strategies of Himalayan Iodobacter to survive in high-altitude stresses. Frontiers in Microbiology (IF: 6.06). Published online on 8 July, 2022.
9. Thakur V, Kumar Vr,  Kumar V, and Singh D^*(2022). Xylooligosaccharides production using multi-substrate specific xylanases secreted by a psychrotolerant Paenibacillus sp. PCH8. Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications Published in June, 2022.
10. Ambika, Kumar V, Jamwal A, Kumar Vr and Singh D^* (2022). Green bioprocess for degradation of synthetic dyes mixture using consortium of laccase-producing bacteria from Himalayan niches. Journal of Environmental Management(IF: 8.91).310:114764. Online on 23 Feb 2022.
11. Deepika Nag, Abhishek Goel, Yogendra Padwad and Singh D^*(2022). In-vitro characterization revealed Himalayan dairy Kluyveromyces marxianus PCH397 as potential probiotic with therapeutic properties. Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins (IF: 4.60). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-021-09874-5. Published on Jan 18 2022.
12. Kumar V, Kumar S, and Singh D^*(2021). Metagenomic insights into Himalayan glacial and kettle lake sediments revealed microbial community structure, function, and stress adaptation strategies. Extremophiles (IF: 2.39). Accepted on Nov 13, 2021.
13. Deepika Nag, Abhishek Goel, Yogendra Padwad and Singh D^*(2021). In-vitro characterization revealed Himalayan dairy Kluyveromyces marxianus PCH397 as potential probiotic with therapeutic properties. Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins (IF: 4.60), accepted on Nov 09 2021
14. Nag D, Kumar V, Kumar V, Kumar S and Singh D^* (2021).A new extracellular β-galactosidase producing Kluyveromyces sp.PCH397 from yak milk and its applications for lactose hydrolysis and prebiotics synthesis. Indian Journal of Microbiology (IF: 2.46). Accepted in June 07, 2021.
15. Thakur V, Kumar V, Kumar V. and Singh D^*(2021).Genomic insights driven statistical optimization for production of efficient cellulase by Himalayan thermophilic Bacillus sp. PCH94 using agricultural waste. Waste and Biomass Valorization (IF: 3.70). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-021-01491-1. Accepted on May 29, 2021.
16. Kumar V, Darnal S, Kumar S, Kumar S and Singh D^*(2021). Bioprocess for co-production of polyhydroxybutyrate and violacein using Himalayan bacterium Iodobacter sp. PCH194. Bioresource Technology (IF: 9.64). Jan 319:124235.
17. Kumari M, Kumar R, Singh D, Bhatt S and Gupta M (2020). Physiological and genomic characterization of an exopolysaccharide-producing Weissella cibaria CH2 from cheese of the western Himalayas. Food Bioscience, accepted article (IF: 4.24).
18. Singh D, Murashko O N, and Lin-Chao S (2020). Post-transcriptional regulation of tnaA by protein-RNA interaction mediated by ribosomal protein L4 in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol (IF: 3.49).
19. Kashyap P, Kumar S and Singh D (2020). Performance of antifreeze protein HrCHI4 from Hippophae rhamnoides in improving the structure and freshness of green beans upon cryopreservation. Food Chemistry (IF: 7.51).
20. Kumar V, Kumar  S, and Singh D (2019). Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates from extreme niches: bioprospection status, opportunities and challenges. Available online 15 November https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.09.253 Int J Biol Macromol (IF: 6.95)%MCEPASTEBIN%

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PhD Fellows: Shamli Chandel,  Tamanna Negi, Matruprasad Mohanty, Ravi Raj

Project Fellows:  Palak Sangrai, Shubham Thakur

PhD awarded

1. Dr. Ambika 

2. Dr. Sanyukta Darnal

3. Dr. Vijeta Patial

Past Members:

Post-doctoral Fellows:  Dr. Vijay Kumar  (JSPS Fellow, Japan)

                                      Dr. Virender Kumar (Tenure Track  Faculty, Denmark)

                                      Dr. Prakriti Kashyap (Research Specialist, University of Pennsylvania, USA )

Ph.D. : Dr. Deepika Nag (Post Doc Fellow, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, USA)

            Dr. Vikas Thakur (Post Doc Fellow,  Indiana University, USA)

            Dr. Subhash Kumar (Post Doc Fellow, Yeungnam University, South Korea)

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PhD/Post Doctoral Position is available in the lab. Interested candidate may contact me on my email (; ).