Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology, Dr Richa Kaushal teaches UG and PG Programs at Shoolini University. After completing her PhD in Microbiology from Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, she did her Post-Doctoral research at the Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
She worked on Microbiome research and PGPRs during her Post-Doctoral work and Bioethanol Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass in her Doctoral studies. AT present, she is focusing her research on Functional Metagenome Mining of the Himalayan Microbial Wealth for Efficient Biomass Degradation, Bioethanol Production as well as for the PGPRs. She has experience in 16S rRNA sequencing, untargeted metagenomics, transcriptome, and sRNA sequencings, along with the analysis of root exudates using GC-MS and root architecture using cytological assays.
Publication
- Morcillo, RJL, Vílchez JI, Zhang S, Kaushal R, He D, Zi H, Liu R, Niehaus K, Handa AK and Zhang H (2021). Plant transcriptome reprograming and bacterial extracellular metabolites underlying tomato drought resistance triggered by a beneficial soil bacteria. Metabolites 11, 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11060369 (IF- 4.93)
- Kaushal R, Peng L, Singh SK, Zhang X, Vilchez JI, Wang Z, He D, Yamg Y, Lv S, Xu Z, Morcillo RJL, Wang W, Huang W, Pare PW, Song CP, Zhu JK, Liu R, Zhong W, Ma P and Zhang H (2021). Dicer-like proteins influence Arabidopsis root microbiota independent of RNA-directed DNA methylation. Microbiome 9, 57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-020-00966-y (IF- 14.65)
- Vilchez JI, Yang Y, He D, Zi H, Peng L, Lv S, Kaushal R, Wang W, Huang W, Liu R, Lang Z, Miki D, Tang K, Paré P, Song CP, Zhu JK, and Zhang H (2020). DNA demethylases are required for myo-inositol-mediated mutualism between plants and beneficial rhizobacteria. Nature Plants 6(8):983-995. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020- 0707-2 (IF-15.79)
- Morcillo RJL, Singh SK, He D, Vílchez JI, Kaushal R, Wang W, Huang W, Paré PW Zhang H (2020). Bacteria-derived diacetyl enhances Arabidopsis phosphate starvation responses partially through the DELLA-dependent gibberellin signaling pathway. Plant Signalling & Behaviour 15(4):1740872. doi.org/10.1080/15592324.2020.1740872 (IF- 2.24)
- Vílchez JI, Tang Q, Kaushal R, Chen S, Liu R, Zhang H (2018). Genome sequence of Bacillus cereus strain TG1-6, a plant-beneficial rhizobacterium that is highly salt tolerant. Genome Announcements 6:e00351-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00351-18.
- Vílchez JI, Tang Q, Kaushal R, Wang W, Lv S, He D, Chu Z, Zhang H, Liu R, Zhang H (2018). Genome sequence of Bacillus megaterium strain YC4-R4, a plant growth- promoting rhizobacterium isolated from a high-salinity environment. Genome Announcements 6:e00527-18. doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00527-18.
- Vílchez JI, Tang Q, Kaushal R, Wang W, Lv S, He D, Chu Z, Zhang H, Liu R, Zhang H (2018). Complete genome sequence of Bacillus megaterium strain TG1-E1, a plant drought tolerance-enhancing bacterium. Microbiology Resource Announcements 7:e00842-18. doi.org/10.1128/MRA.00842-18.
- Kaushal R, Sharma N, and Dogra V (2016). Molecular characterization of Glycosyl hydrolases of Trichoderma harzianum WF5 - a potential strain isolated from decaying wood and their application in bioconversion of poplar wood to ethanol under separate hydrolysis and fermentation. Biomass and Bioenergy 85:243-251 (IF- 5.06)
- Kaushal R, Sharma N, and Dogra V (2015). Optimization of the production and molecular characterization of cellulase-free xylanase from an alkalophillic Bacillus subtilis SD8 isolated from paper mill effluent. Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology 51(5): 551-559 (IF- 0.88)
- Kaushal R, Sharma N, and Tandon D (2014). Screening of hardwood and softwood species as best substrate for cellulase and xylanase production using consortium of potential isolates Bacillus coagulans B30 + Paenibacillus mucilaginous B5 + Bacillus sp. under SSF. International Journal of Bioassays 3(5): 3027-3032.
- Tandon D, Sharma N, Kaushal R (2013). Different approaches of using multiple culture isolates- Fusarium oxysporum F8, Penicillium notatum 101 and Aspergillius niger F7 for higher production of cellulase and xylanase from Pinus roxburhii needles. Indian Streams Research Journal 3(1).
- Sharma N, Burgohain P, Tandon D, Kaushal R (2013). Comparative study of potential cellulolytic and xylanolytic bacteria isolated from compost and their optimization for industrial use. Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies 19(3), 284-297.
- Kaushal R, Sharma N, Tandon D (2012). Cellulase and xylanase production by co-culture of Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporum utilizing forest waste. Turkish Journal of Biochemistry, 37 (1); 35–41. doi: 10.5505/tjb.2012.43434. (IF- 0.4)
- Sharma N, Kaushal R, Gupta R and Kumar S (2012). A biodegradation study of forest biomass by Aspergillus niger F7: correlation between enzymatic activity, hydrolytic percentage and biodegradation index. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 467-475. (IF- 2.47)
- Sharma N, Burgohain P, Kaushal R, Tandon D (2012). Use of microwave pretreated Cedrus deodara wood residue as a substrate for enhanced production of cellulase free xylanase from Geotrichum sp. F3 isolated from rural compost. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Research, 2 (4): 621-631
BOOK CHAPTER
- Zhang H, Kaushal R, Singh SK, Paré PW (2020). Bacterial Volatile-Mediated Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance. In: Ryu CM., Weisskopf L., Piechulla B. (eds) Bacterial Volatile Compounds as Mediators of Airborne Interactions. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7293-7_7