Three major areas:

1. Comparative analysis of different in vitro plant regeneration systems for efficient clonal propagation of different medicinal plants and studies of both physical and chemicals factors responsible for organogenic and embryogenic responses during regeneration. Effects of in vitro environment on chromosome status, total protein profile and isozyme activities of the regenerates during organogenic and embryogenic responses.

2. In vitro propagation of different medicinal plants using different systems to standardize efficient, simple and cost effective protocol for conservation and improvement of medicinal principle contents by manipulating culture regimes and by addition of precursor molecules/elicitors during growth in culture to identify elite clones. Also, hairy root induction following transformation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes and subsequent root culture are also being carried out to compare the active principle contents of pharmacological importance of these plants with the values of normal culture methods adopted for improvement. The clones regenerated through different systems are compared with their mother plants with respect to their chromosomal status, total protein pattern and certain isozyme activities.

3. Studies on genome diversity of different medicinal plants utilizing cytological, cytochemical and molecular approaches. The effects of such genome diversity on in vitro responses during growth and development of these plants in culture are also being analyzed.

Cell biology; Plant Biotechnology; Genetics

Visiting Professor, Laval University, Quebec, Canada in 1989.

1. Indian Science Congress Association - Life Member.

2. Society for Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Life Member.

3. All India Congress of Cytology and Genetics - Life Member.

4. Botanical Society of Bengal - Life Member.

1. Mukhopadhyay S and Mukhopadhyay MJ (1992). Cytochemical characterization of two types of nuclear bodies in Cicer arietinum L. Eur J Cell Biol 59: 296-303.

2. Mukhopadhyay S and Desjardins Y (1994). Direct gene transfer to protoplasts of two genotypes of Asparagus officinalis L. by electroporation. Plant Cell Rep 13: 421-424.

3. Mukhopadhyay S and Desjardins Y (1994). A comparative study on plant regeneration from protoplasts of two genotypes of Asparagus officinalis L. Plant Science 100: 97-104.

4. Mukhopadhyay S and Desjardins Y (1994). Plant regeneration from protoplast-derived somatic embryos of Asparagus officinalis L. J Plant Physiol 144: 94-99.

5. Benmoussa M, Mukhopadhyay S and Desjardins Y (1997). Factors influencing regeneration from protoplasts of Asparagus densiflorus cv Sprengeri. Plant Cell Rep 17: 123-128.

6. Mukhopadhyay MJ, Mukhopadhyay S and Sen S (2002). In vitro propagation of Iphigenia indica (Kunth.), an alternative source of colchicine. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Culture 69(1): 101-104.

7. Mukhopadhyay S, Overney S, Desjardins Y and Yelle S (2002). Regeneration of transgenic plants from electroporated protoplasts of Asparagus officinalis L. J. Plant Biochem. Biotech. 11: 57-60.

8. Dasgupta (Nag) C, Mukhopadhyay MJ and Mukhopadhyay S (2003). Regeneration of a tetraploid clone from callus culture of Asparagus officinalis L through somatic embryogenesis. Cytologia 68: 219-223.

9. Mukhopadhyay MJ, Sengupta P, Mukhopadhyay S and Sen S (2005). In vitro stable regeneration of onion and garlic from suspension culture and chromosomal instability in solid callus culture. Scientia Horticulturae 104: 1-9.

10. Nag Dasgupta C, Mukhopadhyay MJ and Mukhopadhyay S (2007). Somatic embryogenesis of Asparagus densiflorus (Kunth) Jessop cv Sprengeri. J Plant Biochem Biotech 16 (2): 145-149.

11. Mukhopadhyay MJ and Mukhopadhyay S (2008). High Frequency in vitro propagation through somatic embryogenesis of Iphigenia indica Kunth et Benth, an endangered medicinal colchicine yielding herb of commercial interest. Cytologia 73 (2): (in press).

12. Mukhopadhyay MJ and Mukhopadhyay S (2008). A biotechnological approach for enhancement of colchicine accumulation in Iphigenia indica Kunth. J Plant Biochem Biotech 17 (2): (in press).

1. UGC Major Research Project on "Chromosomal, molecular and chemical evaluations of different genotypes of Mucuna pruriens and manipulation of culture parameters during micropropagation to develop high yielding crop" April, 2007 [3 years].

1. Dr. Madhumita J Mukhopadhyay, SRA, CSIR
2. Dr. Chitralekha Nag Dasgupta, JRF, DST Project; SRF, CSIR
3. Dr. Papiya Sengupta, Honorary
4. Dr. Gargi Datta, JRF, UGC; SRF, CSIR
5. Ms. Debleena Roy, SRF, CSIR NET
6. Ms. Suranjana Ray, JRF, UGC
7. Ms. Kotisree Lahiri, JRF, UGC
8. Ms. Ipshita Datta, JRF, UGC
9. Ms. Trayee Biswas Bhattacharya, Honorary