Scientist V
Ph.D: University of Calcutta, Department of Biochemistry
Postdoctoral Fellow: The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, USA
- 91-11-26741612,14,17 Ext. - 214
- ssinharoy@nipgr.ac.in
Profile
Research Interests
Nitrogen is essential for life, and only prokaryotes can convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia. Legumes have a unique advantage as they can host biological nitrogen-fixing bacteria, enabling them to generate their own nitrogen supply. The formation of nodules involves the de-differentiation of previously differentiated tissue and significant changes in gene expression.
Our lab addresses several unresolved questions regarding the basic molecular mechanisms of root nodule symbiosis (RNS) in legumes. The specific questions we are exploring include:
- How is plant gene expression regulated during invasion and in the interzone to suppress defense responses and accommodate the symbiont?
- What mechanisms govern nodule meristem development?
- What genetic differences contribute to variations in nitrogen fixation efficiency among legumes?
- What genetic adaptations allow rhizobia to infect plant tissues intercellularly?
- How do different beneficial endosymbiotic events, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and root nodule symbiosis, coexist in legumes, and what are the dynamics of these relationships?
The lab is also studying free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria isolated from Indian soil, concentrating on their genomic adaptations and deciphering the molecular mechanisms to improve our understanding of nitrogen fixation processes in these organisms. Our goal is to develop efficient nitrogen-fixing microbes for use in sustainable agriculture.
Professional & Academic Background
Staff Scientist V (2023 - Present): NIPGR, New Delhi.
Staff Scientist IV (2020 - 2023): NIPGR, New Delhi
Staff Scientist III (2017 - 2020): NIPGR, New Delhi.
Ramalingwaswami Fellow (2015- 2017): University of Calcutta, Department of Biotechnology.
Research Scientist (2015): The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, USA
Post-Doctoral Fellow (2010-2014): The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, USA
Ph.D. (2004-2009): University of Calcutta, Department of Biochemistry.
M.Sc. (2001-2003): in Biochemistry from University of Calcutta, Department of Biochemistry.
Awards & Honors
2024
ASPIRE Award from the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, India
2019
SERB-Early Career Research Award from the Department of Science and Technology, India
2013-14
Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
Current Members
Ms.Priya Upadhyay
Ph.D. student
- priyaupadhyay67@gmail.com
Mr. Vikash Bhadu
Ph.D. student
- vikashbhadu39@gmail.com
Ms. Ahana Sengupta
Ph.D. student
- ahanasg@nipgr.ac.in
Mr. Rudra Narayan Sahoo
Ph.D. student
Ms. Yengkhom Prishilla Devi
Ph.D. student
- prishilla.yengk@gmail.com
Ms. Archana Singh
Ph.D. student
- archanasingh3259211@gmail.com
Mr. Nishant Bhandhari
Senior Research Fellow
- nishantbhandhari@gmail.com
Ms. Abhilasha Shekhawat
Junior Research Fellow
- shekhawatabhilasha15@gmail.com
Mr. Asim Kumar Ghosh
Project Associate
- asimghosh111@gmail.com
Dr. Nandita Pasari
MK Bhan Fellow
- nanditapasari@gmail.com
Dr. Megha Gupta
MK Bhan Fellow
- meghagupta38@gmail.com
Ph.D. from the Lab
Dr. Bikash Raul
2023
Determination of the role of CAPs (Cystein-rich Secretory Proteins, Antigen 5 and Pathogenesis related 1 proteins) in Arachis-Bradyrhizobium Symbiosis
Dr. Deevita Srivastava
2024
Understanding the molecular mechanism behind nutrient exchange between host and symbiont during root nodule symbiosis of Inverted Repeat Lacking Clade Legumes
Dr. Akanksha Bharadwaj
2024
Understanding the transcriptional network during the nodule development of Medicago truncatula
Alumni
Dr. Farheen Saifi
postdoc at Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
Dr. Akanksha Bharadwaj
postdoc at KU Leuven, Belgium
Drishti Mandal
PhD student – St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata
Amit Ghosh
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Adamas University, Kolkata,
Mr. Kunal Tembhara
AI/ML Engineer, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing C-DAC Pune
Ms. Tarannum Shaheen
Ms. Isha Joshi
PhD student- Max Perutz Labs University of Vienna
Dr. Deepa Teotia
Assistant Prof. Kisan P.G. College Simbhaoli, Meerat.
Mr. Nikhil Kumar
PhD Scholar at South Dakota State University
Ms. Farheen Saifi
Dr. Bikash Raul
Post Doctoral Research Associate, University of Freiburg, Germany
Dr. Oindrila Bhattacharjee
Post Doctoral Research Associate, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland.
Dr. Deevita Srivastava
Post Doctoral Research Associate, North Dakota State University, USA
Dr. Akanksha Bharadwaj
Dr. Vinod Kumar Jangid
Research Associate, NIPGR
Selected Publications
Bhardwaj A, Gupta M, Bhattacharjee O, Raul B, Ghosh AK, Nagalla L V S, Yadav P, Bandyopadhyay K, Ranjan A, Sinharoy S (2025) RSD-mediated suppression of NIN and NLP2 transcription is crucial for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. New Phytologist. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70697
Srivastava D, Ghosh AK, Ranjan A, Sinharoy S (2024) Genome sequencing of Mesorhizobium Spp. NI-7, an efficient nitrogen-fixing microsymbiont of chickpea with potential to unravel the molecular mechanisms of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes. Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology 33 (4), 607-614.
Jangid VK, Senthil-Kumar M, Chandran D, Sinharoy S (2024) Callus induction and efficient in vitro plant regeneration protocol for Chickpea. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) 156 (1), 21.
Bhattacharjee O, Raul B, Ghosh A, Bhardwaj A, Bandyopadhyay K, and Sinharoy S (2022). Nodule INception-independent epidermal events lead to bacterial entry during nodule development in peanut (Arachis hypogaea). New Phytologist, 236(6):2265-2281.
Raul B, Sinharoy S 2022. An Improvised Hairy Root Transformation Method for Efficient Gene Silencing in Roots and Nodules of Arachis hypogaea. In: Mysore KS, Senthil-Kumar M eds. Plant Gene Silencing: Methods and Protocols. New York, NY: Springer US, 303-316.
Raul B, Bhattacharjee O, Ghosh A, Upadhyay P, Tembhare K, Singh A, Shaheen T, Ghosh A, Torres-Jerez I, Krom N, Clevenger J, Udvardi M, Scheffler B, Ozias Akins P, Dutta Sharma R, Bandyopadhyay K, Gaur V, Kumar S, and Sinharoy S (2022) Microscopic and transcriptomic analyses of Dalbergoid legume peanut reveal a divergent evolution leading to Nod Factor dependent epidermal crack-entry and terminal bacteroid differentiation. Mol Plant Microbe Interact DOI/10.1094/MPMI-05-21-0122-R
Mandal D and Sinharoy S. (2019) A Toolbox for Nodule Development Studies in Chickpea: A Hairy-Root Transformation Protocol and an Efficient Laboratory Strain of Mesorhizobium sp. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. Apr;32(4):367-378.
Bertioli et al., (2019) The genome sequence of segmental allotetraploid peanut Arachis hypogaea. Nat Genet. 2019 May;51(5):877-884. (Sinharoy is one of the authors in the publication).
Pislariu CI, Sinharoy S, Torres-Jerez I, Nakashima J, Blancaflor EB, Udvardi MK. (2019) The nodule-specific PLAT-domain protein NPD1 is required for nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. Plant Physiol. July: 18(3): 1480–1497.
Kryvoruchko IS*, Routray P*, Sinharoy S*, Torres-Jerez I, Tejada-Jiménez M, Finney LA, Nakashima J, Pislariu CI, Benedito VA, González-Guerrero M, Roberts DM, Udvardi MK. (2018) An Iron-Activated Citrate Transporter, MtMATE67, Is Required for Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation. Mar;176(3):2315-2329. *Equally contributed.
Kryvoruchko I*, Sinharoy S*, Ivone Torres-Jerez, Davide Sosso, Catalina Pislariu, Vagner A. Benedito, Wolf Frommer, and Michael Udvardi. (2016) MtSWEET11, a sucrose transporter in the symbiosome membrane of Medicago truncatula root nodules is partially redundant for nitrogen fixation. Plant Physiology 171(1): 554-65, *Equally contributed.
Sinharoy S, Liu C., Breakspear A, Guan D, Jiangqi W, Murray J, Udvardi M, (2016). Cystathionine Beta Synthase domain-containing protein is required for infection thread propagation and nodule development in Medicago. Plant Physiology 170(4): 2204-17.
Veerappan V, Kadel K, Alexis N, Scott A, Kryvoruchko I, Sinharoy S, Taylor M, Udvardi M and Dickstein R (2014). Keel petal incision: a simple and efficient method for genetic crossing in Medicago truncatula. Plant Methods 10, 11.
Dai X*, Sinharoy S*, Udvardi M and Zhao PX (2013). PlantTFcat: an online plant transcription factor and transcriptional regulator categorization and analysis tool. BMC Bioinformatics 14, 321. * Equally contributed.
Sinharoy S, Torres-Jerez I, Bandyopadhyay K, Kereszt A, Pislariu CI, Nakashima J, Benedito VA, Kondorosi E and Udvardi MK (2013). The C2H2 transcription factor regulator of symbiosome differentiation represses transcription of the secretory pathway gene VAMP721a and promotes symbiosome development in Medicago truncatula. Plant Cell 25, 3584-601.
Samaddar S, Dutta A, Sinharoy S, Paul A, Bhattacharya A, Saha S, Chien KY, Goshe MB and DasGupta M. (2013). Autophosphorylation of gatekeeper tyrosine by symbiosis receptor kinase. FEBS Lett 587, 2972-9.
Young ND et al., (2011) The Medicago genome provides insight into the evolution of rhizobial symbioses. Nature. 480, 520. (Sinharoy is one of the authors in the publication).
Sinharoy S, Saha S, Chaudhury SR and Dasgupta M. (2009). Transformed hairy roots of Arachis hypogea: a tool for studying root nodule symbiosis in a non-infection thread legume of the Aeschynomeneae tribe. Mol. Plant Microbe. Interact 22, 132-42.
Sinharoy S and DasGupta M. (2009). RNA interference highlights the role of CCaMK in dissemination of endosymbionts in the Aeschynomeneae legume Arachis. Mol. Plant Microbe. Interact 22, 1466-75.
Review
Kang Y, Li M, Sinharoy S and Verdier J (2016) A Snapshot of Functional Genetic Studies in Medicago truncatula. Front Plant Sci. 2016; 7: 1175.
D Gupta, O Bhattacharjee, D Mandal, MK Sen, D Dey, Dasgupta A, Kazi TA, Gupta R, Sinharoy S, Acharya K, Chattopadhyay D, Ravichandiran V, Roy S, Ghosh D (2019) CRISPR-Cas9 system: A new-fangled dawn in gene editing. Life sciences. 232: 116636.
A Sharma, S Sinharoy, NC Bisht (2023) The mysterious non‐arbuscular mycorrhizal status of Brassicaceae species. Environmental Microbiology. 25 (5), 917-930.
S Sinharoy, CF Tian, J Montiel (2024). Plant-rhizobia symbiosis and nitrogen fixation in legumes. Editorial. Frontiers in Plant Science 15, 1392006.
Book Chapter
Bhardwaj, A., Sinharoy, S.* (2022). Understanding of Root Nodule Development at Level of System Biology as Obtained by High Throughput Transcriptomic Approach. In: Sinharoy, S., Kang, Y., Benedito, V. (eds) The Medicago truncatula Genome. Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer, pp 91-101.
Bhardwaj, A., Sinharoy, S.* (2022). Transcriptional Networks in Medicago truncatula: Genomic and Functional Overview During Root Nodule Symbiosis. In: Sinharoy, S., Kang, Y., Benedito, V. (eds) The Medicago truncatula Genome. Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer, pp 71-90.
Sinharoy S, Catalina I. Pislariu and Michael K. Udvardi (2015) A High-Throughput RNA Interference (RNAi)-Based Approach Using Hairy Roots for the Study of Plant–Rhizobia Interactions. Methods in Molecular Biology, Volume: 1287 Plant Gene Silencing, pp. 159-178. Edited by Kirankumar S. Mysore and Muthappa Senthil-Kumar.
Sinharoy S, Igor S. Kryvoruchko, Catalina I. Pislariu, Manuel González-Guerrero, Vagner A. Benedito, and Michael K. Udvardi (2015) Functional genomics of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes with a focus on transcription factors and membrane transporters. The Biological Nitrogen Fixation. Publishers: John Wiley & Sons, Inc Chapter 82, pp 823-836. Edited by Frans J. de Bruijn.
Catalina I. Pislariu, Sinharoy S, JiangQi Wen, Jeremy D. Murray2, Pascal Ratet3, and Michael K. Udvardi. (2015) Tobacco retrotransposon (Tnt1)-insertion mutagenesis in Medicago as a tool for genetic dissection of symbiosis in legumes. The Biological Nitrogen Fixation. Publishers: John Wiley & Sons, Inc Chapter 83, pp 837- 854. Edited by Frans J. de Bruijn.
Sinharoy S, Samaddar S, Dutta S, Saha S, Raichaudhuri A, Maity MK and DasGupta M (2011) Deciphering the Molecular Code that predisposed plants to Root Nodule Symbiosis. Plant Tissue Culture and Applied Plant Biotechnology. Aavishkar Publishers.
Edited Book
‘The Medicago truncatula Genome’ as a part of Compendium Plant Genomes. https://link.springer.com/book/9783030907563. ISBN 978-3-030-90756-3. Expect to be online January 2022.