Dr. Neelam Kungwani, PhD

About

I started my academic and research journey in 2009 as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Shantineketan College, affiliated to Guru Ghasidas University Bilaspur (C.G). Thereafter I obtained my Ph.D from the Department of Life science, NIT Rourkela (2015). Before joining GBU I worked as a Biotechnology Faculty at Gov. Science College (GSC) in KK Shastri Education Campus – Ahmedabad, Affiliated to Gujarat University. At GSC, I served as a research coordinator for P.G Biotechnology and entrusted work for NIRF, GSIRF, SSIP. Prior to this, I have worked as a Senior innovation Fellow at Human Health Department of National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF), autonomous body of Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, Gandhinagar, where I was involved in the activities of value addition and R&D for the innovations related to Human Health, innovations for women and by women. Apart from that worked as a part of team involved in the evaluation of APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards, DST- INSPIRE-2016 (MANAK) project and organization and management of Festival of Innovation and Global Round Table conferences at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi in March 2017. I have worked extensively on grassroot innovations and traditional knowledge. I am a Marine Biotechnologist who is working in the area of marine bacterial biofilms, quorum sensing, marine pollution and bioactive compounds.

Background

• PhD in Life Science (area of research, Marine Biotechnology and Microbiology) from National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha (2015)
• M.Sc in Biotechnology from School of Biotechnology, Guru Ghasidas University Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh (2009)
• B.Sc in Microbiology, Botany, Chemistry from D.P.V College, Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh (2007)
• Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education from IGNOU, New Delhi (2021)
• PG Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights from IGNOU, New Delhi (2021)

Honours and Awards

• Travel Grant from DBT, Govt. Of India and NIT, Rourkela for attending 5th Congress of European Microbiologists, FEMS, Leipzig, Germany (2013)
• Visiting Research Scholar, Biofouling and Biofilm Processes Section, BARCF- Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, India (2011-2013)
• Student travel award from Institute of Marine Research, Tromso, Norway for attending “Workshop on acidification in aquatic environments: What can marine science learn from limnological studies of acid rain?” at Tromso, Norway (2011, not availed)
• MHRD, Government of India, Ph.D fellowship (2010-2014)
• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering- Life Science (2009

Research Group Overview

• We are majorly working on biofouling control, anti-biofilm phytochemicals, bioactive compounds to prevent quorum sensing and bacterial pathogenesis, biofilm mediated bioremediation of heavy metals and PAHs, and impact of climate change on marine microbial taxonomic and functional diversity.

Publications

• Mangwani N, Kumari S & Das S (2021) Taxonomy and characterization of biofilm forming polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from marine environments. Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds. 41: 1249-1262 (IF: 3.744)
• Kumari S, Mangwani N, & Das S (2020) Naphthalene catabolism by biofilm forming marine bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa N6P6 and the role of quorum sensing in regulation of dioxygenase gene. Journal of Applied Microbiology 130(4): 1217-1231. (IF: 3.772)
• Mangwani N, Kumari S & Das S (2017) Marine bacterial biofilms in bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) under terrestrial condition in a soil microcosm. Pedosphere 27(3): 548-558. (IF:3.911)
• Mangwani N, Kumari S & Das S (2016) Effect of synthetic N-acylhomoserine lactones on cell–cell interactions in marine Pseudomonas and biofilm mediated degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Chemical Engineering Journal 302: 172–186. (IF:13.273)
• Mangwani N, Shukla SK, Rao TS & Das S (2014) Calcium-mediated modulation of Pseudomonas mendocina NR802 biofilm influences the phenanthrene degradation. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 114: 301-309. (IF: 5.268)