M.Sc. (Botany) Ph.D. (Life Sciences) - pursuing

Tissue Culture and Biotechnology

10 years of research experience in Plant tissue culture and biotechnology
Has got expertise in Plant Tissue culture and morphogenesis, In vitro conservation (slow growth storage) of plants, In vitro secondary metabolite production, Conservation biology and Plant molecular biology. Actively involved in the establishment and maintenance of in vitro gene bank and the tissue culture laboratory of CMPR. Also involved in analysing phyto compounds using HPLC, HPTLC and GC.

Co- Investigator of two externally funded projects:

1. Large scale micropropagation and organic home-stead farming of medicinal plants in rural areas as a means of economic empowerment of rural women in three districts of Northern Kerala (2005-08, 3 years), National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Govt. of India
2. Micropropagation and in vitro conservation of Operculina turpethum and genetic fidelity analysis (2005-08, 3 years), Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KCSTE), Govt. of Kerala

• Best poster award in Life Sciences, 18th Kerala Science Congress, CESS, Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, 2006

• International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), Rome, Scholarship for attending Training on Molecular Technologies for Management of Plant Genetic Resources at Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, China, 2005

• Guidance to Post Graduate Students: Guided the project work of 10 Post Graduate students of Biotechnology, Life Sciences and Plant Sciences of various universities

Total Publications

6 Research papers

Selected Publications

1

Gerald Martin, Geetha S.P., A.V. Raghu, Indira Balachandran and P.N. Ravindran 2006. An efficient micropropagation system for Celastrus paniculatus Willd. - a vulnerable medicinal plant. J. Forest Research, Springer, Japan (in press)

2

Raghu A.V., Geetha S.P., Gerald Martin, Indira Balachandran and P.N. Ravindran 2006. Direct shoot organogenesis from leaf explants of Embelia ribes Burm.f. – a vulnerable medicinal plant. J. Forest Research, 11(1):57-60.

3

A.V. Raghu, Geetha S.P., Gerald Martin, Indira Balachandran and Ravindran P.N. 2006. In vitro clonal propagation of Tinospora cordifolia (willd.) Hook.f. & Thoms. through mature nodes: an important ayurvedic medicinal plant. In Vitro Cellular Developmental Biology-Plant (in press)

4

Gerald Martin, S.P. Geetha, A.V. Raghu, Indira Balachandran and P.N. Ravindran 2005. Micropropagation of Holarrhena pubescens. J. Tropical Medicinal Plants, 6(1): 111–115.

5

N. Mohanan, Gerald Martin, N.S. Arunkumar and G. Thulasidas 2001. Memecylon subramanii A. N. Henry (Melastomataceae) - A new record for Kerala. J. Economic and Taxonomic Botany, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp-337-338.

6

Gerald Martin, Geetha S.P. and Anu Augustine 2006. Micropropagation from juvenile explants of Operculina turpethum – A threatened medicinal plant. In: proceedings XVIIIth Kerala Science Congress, 29-31st January, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Trivandrum, Kerala, p.543.

7

Raghu A.V., Geetha S. P., Gerald Martin, Indira Balachandran 2006. Direct shoot organogenesis from leaf explants of Embelia ribes - a vulnerable medicinal plant. In: proceedings XVIIIth Kerala Science Congress, 29-31st January, Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Trivandrum, Kerala, pp.195-196.

8

Gerald Martin 2005. An efficient in vitro propagation system for Celastrus paniculatus -a vulnerable medicinal plant, In: proceedings, XVIIth Kerala Science Congress January 29-31, Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, Thrissur, Kerala, p.301.

9

Gerald Martin, Geetha S.P., Raghu A.V., Indira Balachandran and P.N. Ravindran 2005. A comparative study on in vitro microrhizome induction in Kaempferia galanga and K. rotunda. Annual conference and National symposium of Plant Tissue Culture Association of India (PTCA), Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research (CIMAP), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, p.75.

10

Gerald Martin, Geetha S.P., Indira Balachandran and P.N. Ravindran 2004. Micropropagation of Celastrus paniculatus Willd. – A highly sought after medicinal plant in Ayurveda. In: Abstract. 26th Annual Meeting of the Plant Tissue Culture Association of India and National Symposium on ‘Biotechnology for a better future’, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, Karnataka, p.43.