Mousumi Poddar Sarkar

Professor

B.Sc, Presidency College (University of Calcutta), Kolkata (1981-84).

M.Sc, University of Calcutta (Ballygunge College of Science), 1984-86.

Ph.D, [Doctoral research at Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata - Ph.D.from Univ. of Calcutta], 1995. 

Down the Memory lane :

Schooling from Bidhan Chandra Memorial Girl's School, Kalyani...then with National Scholarship and District ranking.. took admission to Bethune College, Kolkata for Higher Secondary...then moved to Presidency College, Kolkata. After completion of the journey with PG from Ballygunge Science College joined Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata as a JRF with a dream of good research work. I have got the blessings of many renowned teachers during that time...in pre doctoral phase visited many laboratories of US, Germany, UK to learn many techniques, methodlogies along with instrumentation... Instruments which were not very common in Indian laboratories during the 80s... to complete my Ph.D commitment.. i.e.work with "Pheromone of Tiger"...an unusual subject, National animal...with surmountable obstacles in every step for collection of sample, filed work, permission from different levels for getting samples ...was only possible by the kind cooperation from some research-minded zoo personnel and unmeasurable inspiration from my supervisors..Late RLBrahmachary of ISI Calcutta & Late Prof J.Dutta of Bose Institute, Kolkata... whom I got as the real scientists throughout my life. Then, during post-doc I started work with African Cheetah, Gir Lion and Indian leopard and also took the help of many laboratories, moving abroad time to time...and finally was able to publish some important articles. 

Then, my turning point as a teacher in a UG college of Kolkata under Calcutta University... which I enjoyed a lot by teaching students, coming from different socioeconomic strata of our society...was very precious time to me and then joined again in 2009 at my alma mater, CU. 

In my personal assessment... I am not talented, just like ordinary people but try my best with sincere dedication, try to work hard to fulfil my ambition...what I want! ... sometimes I get, sometimes don't ....but I want to smile throughout my life.... 

• Presented my first lecture (findings on tiger) as JRF from ISI at the Cornell University, USA (Chemical Signals in Vertebrates VII conference) with full financial assistance.
• Indian mentor for IUSSTF intern from Iowa State University, USA in 2011 at Calcutta University by Indo-US exchange programme, Fulbright House, New Delhi.
• Nominated by INSA for teaching and research in Indo-Hungarian Academy of Science Bilateral exchange programme at BRC (Centre for Excellence), Hungary in 2012.
• “Anupama Samman”, 2017 for women empowerment by Turnstone Global and University of Calcutta. 

• National Merit Scholarship, Govt. of India, 1979, 1985-86 for Madhyamik & M.Sc.

• 8th rank in Diploma in the Russian Language (All India Institute of Russian Language, New Delhi), 1985.

Research Interest

Semiochemicals: Pheromone for chemical communication of Big cats; Volatiles and non-volatiles of Plant-insect interactions.

Animal Behaviour of lower and higher group of mammals: Tiger, Leopard, Snow leopard, Lion and Indian porcupine under captive and semi-captive condition.

Lipids & Lipidomics of neutral and membrane phospholipid of plant, animal and microbes for ecological implications.

Head Space analysis by GCMS: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline from aromatic rice and other nutritional parameters by LCMS from indigenous rice landraces cultivated by marginal farmers of our country.

Biodiversity mapping and Taxonomic augmentation of Eastern Himalyan high altitude Mosses:  Chemotaxonomy & DNA barcoding by nuclear & cpDNA gene sequencing.

Oxylipin based signalling behaviour for Climatic Stress of high altitude mosses.

Elemental dynamicity in Mosses by XRD & Proton Induced X-ray Emission and ICP-MS.

Ultratrichometry & Biomarker for Evolutionary biology of mammalian system through SEM and AFM.

Chromatography & Mass spectroscopic analysis for medicinally important compounds from plant resources.

Profiling of aroma molecule & Sensor development for Indian fruits and spices.

·          1995-1997: Research Associate, CSIR, Govt. of India.

·          1997-2009: Surendranath College (University of Calcutta), Kolkata as Lecturer/ Reader

·          2009-2015: Reader/Assoc.Prof., University of Calcutta

·          2015-2019: Professor, University of Calcutta

·          2019-till date: Professor, Presidency University.

Industry Alliance: Details of the technologies developed and transferred to Industry:

·      Coordinating Faculty, nominated by the Vice Chancellor, University of Calcutta, (at her previous affiliation at the University of Calcutta) from 2013-2018 for Calcutta-University-Industry-Partnership-Programme (CUIPP) at the Department of Botany (CU) to extend the Chromatographic facilities to research scholars, teachers and students of other institutes of India by (HPTLC, HPLC, GC-FID & GCMS funded by DST-FIST programme, GoI & UGC-Centre for Advanced Study, GoI).

·      Workshop and Hands-on-training in 2015, 2016 & 2018 were organized to develop human resource for Industry in collaboration with Instrument manufacturing companies for capacity building from young researchers.

·      Instrumental facilities have been extended to Doctoral, Post-Doctoral Scholars and young faculty member of the colleges of remote areas of our state as well as of the other states including North-East (Rajib Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh etc.) related to their research problems during 2014-1018.

Research Group :

Dr.B.D Joshi [Post-Doc, Dr.D.S.Kothari fellow of UGC, Ph.D from Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar] 

Dr.Ishita Paul [Post-Doc, NPDF-SERB, SP Mukherjee fellow of CSIR, Ph.D from IIT(KGP)]

Anup Paine [UGC-JRF, All India Rank 75, M.Sc in Botany] : working on ferns of Darjeeling hillls.

Ritwika Bera [CSIR-JRF, All India Rank 65, M.Sc in Botany]: working on Lipid biochemistry and DNA barcoding of high altitude mosses of Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hot spots.

Sourav Manna [CSIR-JRF, All India Rank 45, M.Sc in Zoology] : working on plant-insect interaction and bioinsecticide formulation.

Subhadeep Das [CSIR-JRF, All India Rank 75, M.Sc in Zoology]: working on volatile low molecular weight pheromonal compounds of snow leopard & fishing cats.

___________

Dr. Payel Das [NET-LS, WBDST Project fellow & CSIR- Direct SRF]: M.Sc in Zoology, Ph.D awarded from University of Calcutta, 2023]: worked on high molecular weight protein component of pheromone of Indian leopards and Snow leopard.

Dr. Sandipan Ray [UGC-JRF, M.Sc in Botany, Ph.D awarded from University of Calcutta, 2021, worked on nutritional parameters of indigenous rice varieties and aroma molecules of Indian basmati rice] now as a Senior Scientist at Industrial & Engineering Services, Wipro Limited, Bengaluru, now as Assistant Professor WB Education service].

Dr. Anashuya Biswas Raha (NET-LS, UGC-BSR-SRF; M.Sc in Botany, Ph.D awarded from University of Calcutta, Kolkata, 2020): worked on rbcL gene of High altitude mosses of Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot (EHBH).

Dr. Sumedha Roy Chowdhuri [NET-LS, Project fellow of WBDST and Dept. of Atomic energy, M.Sc in Biochemistry; Ph.D submitted at University of Calcutta,2019; worked on elemental dynamicity, membrane phospholipid and ecological impact on high altitude mosses of EHBH; now as Scientist at Industrial & Engineering service, Wipro Limited, Bengaluru, now at TCS incubation Centre, Kolkata.

Dr. Biswatosh Ghosh [UGC-JRF, Ph.D awarded 2018 from Jadavpur University, worked on Indian Porcupine and Leopard] : now as Assistant Professor in Zoology at WB Education Service.

Dr. Souvik Mitra [Net-LS, M.Sc in Botany, Ph.D awarded in 2017 from University of Calcutta; worked on Lipid chemotaxonomy and Oxylipin molecules of high altitude mosses of Eastern Himalya] : now working as Assistant Professor in Botany at WB Education Service.  

Dr. Paramaa Raha [M.Phil, M.Sc in Zoology, Ph.D awarded in 2013 from Jadavpur University] : now working as Assistant Professor in Zoology at WB Education Service.  

Reviewer of Journals:

• Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (Springer).
• J. Expt. Nanoscience (Taylor & Francis)
• Natural Product Research (Taylor & Francis).
• J.Functional Food (Elsevier)
• J.Appl.Res.on Med.& Arom.Plants (Elsevier).
• Ind.J.Nat.Prd.Res.(CSIR).
• Cereal Chemistry (Elsevier)
• Frontiers in Ecology & Evolution
• J.Zoology (Zoological Society of London)
• Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, India, Biological Sc.B (INSA).
• Guest Associate Editor : Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

Membership of the Societies:

• Indian Science Congress.
• Electron Microscopy Society of India.
• Ethological Society of India.
• Botanical Society of Bengal, Kolkata.
• P. Chatterjee Memorial Research Foundation, Ballygunge Sc. College.

Patent: Intellectual Property, Govt.of India, No: 426217 granted on 22.03.2023, Application Number: 201731031937 filled dated 09.09.2017; “A method for isolating the chemical compounds from the fresh root of Acalypha indica Linn.” Publication date 15.03.19, IPC No: A23L33/00.

International recognition certificate of compliance for Access & Benefit-sharing-UID No: ABSCH-IRCC-IN-262310-1 by National Biodiversity Board, Govt.of India. 

Seven semivolatile compounds from fresh root were isolated and identified which have hallucinogenic, antispasmatic and anti-inflamatory effect on domestic cat.

Other Article Information:

Soso Simone B, Poddar-Sarkar Mousumi and Koziel Jacek A. (2012). Determining an optimal method for the detection of odorous volatile organic compounds in tiger marking fluid in an effort to aid conservation. Iowa State University Digital repository, USA. No: 5-2012. [Soso S. B as RISE intern under Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, Fulbright House].

Guest Editorial (2017):  as a Member of The Bengaluru Consortium, New Frontiers for Chemical Ecology: Reaffirming a Commitment to the Göteborg Resolution, Journal of Chemical Ecology, 43(1): 2-3, DOI 10.1007/s10886-016-0813-9. 

Interview for Nature India, 15th May, 2019. "Why lemon grass and snow leopards are aroma twins" ; doi:10.1038/nindia.2019.57; https://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2019.57.

"Howraher grame Himalayer sajaru" Eisomoy, Nov.2018 - A report on identification of Himalayan  Crestless porcupine from lower Bengal.https://eisamay.com/west-bengal-news/howrah-news/himalayan-hedgehog-found-at-howrah/articleshow/66586686.cms

PUBLICATION FROM THIS LAB. between 2019-2024.

Geeta A, Mukherjee M, Das B, Dutta S, Prusty A, Ghosh S, Biswas Raha Anashuya, Poddar Sarkar Mousumi, Tripathy, S, 2024,  Distinct genome trichotomy in members of Hapalosiphonaceae is guided by habitat adaptation with Mastigocladus laminosus UU774 as a case study, Algal Research, 82, 103603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2024.103603

Paine A.K, Mitra, S, Bera, R, Paul, I and Poddar Sarkar Mousumi (2024). Metabolic insights into high-altitude adaptation of Himalayan ‘Horsetails’[Equisetum diffusum D. Don] with a special reference to the fatty acid dynamicity, South African Journal of Botany 171, 267-276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2024.06.009

Paul I, Manna S, Bera R, Paine A.K, Mridha D, Gorain P.C, Roychowdhury T and Poddar Sarkar Mousumi (2024), Floral scents, specialized metabolites and stress?response activities in Heritiera fomes and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza from Sundarban mangrove ecosystem Journal of Plant Research, 137:463–484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-024-01527-2

Manna, Sourav, Paine, A.K., Bera, R. and Poddar Sarkar Mousumi. 2024. Head-Space Volatile Milieu from Leaves: A Case Study of Eggplant Infestation by Mealybug. Proc Zool Soc.   https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-023-00512-2

Das Subhadeep, Manna, S., Chowdhury, S.P. and Poddar Sarkar Mousumi (2023). Sulfur-Markers, From Urine of Fishing Cat: the Putative Pheromonal Compounds of Water-Loving, Vulnerable State Animal of West Bengal, Proc. Zool. Soc. 76(4): 448-452. DOI:10.1007/s12595-023-00503-3.

Payel Das, Subhadeep Das, Sourav Manna, Pranita Gupta, Mousumi Poddar Sarkar, (2023), Semiochemicals from Urine and Hair of Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa Griffith, 1821), Proc.Zool.Soc.76, 43–48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-022-00462-1

Ritwika Bera, Anashuya Biswas Raha, Anup Kumar Paine, Jayashree Datta and Mousumi  Poddar Sarkar (2022), Bartramidula roylei (Hook. f.) Bruch & Schimp.: An addition to the Moss Diversity of Darjeeling hills. J. Botan. Soc. Bengal 76(1): 44-48, ISSN 0971-2976. (Calcutta University-UGC listed)

Ishita Paul, Mousumi Poddar Sarkar and Pratap Bhanu Singh Bhadoria, Nov. 2021, Floral secondary metabolites in context of biotic and abiotic stress factors. Chemoecology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-021-00366-0.

Mousumi Poddar Sarkar,  Anashuya Biswas Raha, Jayashree Datta and Souvik Mitra, 2021 Chemotaxonomic and evolutionary perspectives of Bryophyta based on multivariate analysis of fatty acid fingerprints of Eastern Himalayan mosses.  Protoplasma.  doi.org/10.1007/s00709-021-01723-0.

Sandipan Ray, Debal Deb, Amarnath Nandy, Debopriya Basu, Agnideep Aich, Sudipta Tripathi, Sugata Sen Roy and Mousumi Poddar Sarkar (2021). Rare and neglected rice landraces as a source of fatty acids for undernourished infants. Current Science, 121(5), September, 660-666.   

Nilava Debabhuti, Sumani Mukherjee, Swarnali Neogi, ProlaySharma, Ugir Hossain Sk, Soumen Maiti, Mousumi Poddar Sarkar, BipanTudu, NabarunBhattacharyya and R. Bandyopadhyay. (2021). A study of vegetable oil modified QCM sensor to detect β-pinene in Indian cardamom. Talanta, 236, 1 January 2022, 122837 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122837].

Ray Sandipan, Deb Debal, Sarkar, Mousumi Poddar, (2021), Colour based nutraceutical potential of some traditional rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) varieties of India, Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources (IJNPR, CSIR) Vol.12(1) [March, 2021], 153-157. 

Nilava Debabhuti, Swarnali Neogia, Sumani Mukherjee, Abhishek Dhara, Prolay Sharmaa, Rohit L.Vekariyac, Mousumi Poddar Sarkar, Bipan Tudu, Nabarun Bhattacharya, R. Bandyopadhyay, Mohd.Muddassirg (2021), Development of QCM sensor to detect α-terpinyl acetate in cardamom. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 319,112521.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2020.112521.

Gautam Arunodaya, Ray Abhishek, Manna Sourav, Poddar Sarkar Mousumi, Ghosh AR, Ray M, Ray Sajal (2020), Shift in phagocytosis, lysosomal stability, lysozyme activity, apoptosis and cell cycle profile in the coelomocytes of earthworm of polluted soil near a tannery field of India. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 200: 110713, doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110713.

Durba Banerjee, R.Datta Chaudhuri, S.Niyogi, Sumedha Roy Chowdhuri, Mousumi Poddar Sarkar, R.Chatterjee, P.Chakrabarti, Sagarthirtha Sarkar (2020). Metabolic impairment in response to early induction of C/EBPβ leads to compromised cardiac function during pathological hypertrophy, Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 139: 148-163.

K.Paul, Chinmoy Saha, M.Nag, D.Mandal, H.Naiya, D.Sen, Souvik Mitra, M.Kumar, D.Bose, G.Mukherjee, N.Naskar, S.Lahiri, U. Das Ghosh, S. Tripati, Mousumi Poddar Sarkar, M. Banerjee, A.Kleinert, A.Valentine, S.Sinharoy, Anindita Seal. A Tripartite Interaction among the Basidiomycete Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, N2-fixing Endobacteria, and Rice Improves Plant Nitrogen Nutrition. November 2019. The Plant Cell. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00385.

Anashuya Biswas-Raha, Souvik Mitra and Mousumi Poddar Sarkar, Ecological Impact on Fatty Acid Composition of Mosses from Two Biodiversity Hotspots of Hungary and India (2019). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India - Section B: Biological Sciences. DOI: 10.1007/s40011-019-01080-2.

Priyankar Dey, Manas Ranjan Saha, Sumedha Roy Choudhuri, Indrani Sarkar, Biswajit Halder, Mousumi Poddar-Sarkar, Arnab Sen, and Tapas Kumar Chaudhuri  (2019), Oleander Stem and Root Standardized Extracts Mitigate Acute Hyperglycaemia by Limiting Systemic Oxidative Stress Response in Diabetic Mice, Advances in Pharmacological Sciences: Article ID 7865359, Volume 2019. Jan 8, DOI: 10.1155/2019/7865359.

Chapters in books: [2015-2019]

Ghosh Biswatosh, Poddar-Sarkar Mousumi, Ray S, Brahmachary RL (2016) Putative Pheromone of the    Indian Crestless Porcupine, Hystrix brachyura. In: Schulte BA, Goodwin T, Ferkin    MH (eds) Chemical Signal in Vertebrates 13. Springer, Basel, Switzerland, pp 137-144.

Subhadeep Das, Sourav Manna, Sandipan Ray, Payel Das, Upashna Rai, Biswatosh Ghosh and Mousumi Poddar Sarkar (2019). Do Urinary Volatiles Carry Communicative Messages in Himalayan Snow Leopards [Panthera uncia, (Schreber, 1775)]?. In: Buesching Christina (ed) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 14. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham. pp 27-37.