(G)Shashi Kuamr
Advisory Board Member
Internationally Recognized Scientist
Dr. Shashi Kumar (Rhode) is an internationally recognized scientist and the Metabolic Engineering Group Leader at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi. His research focuses on applying synthetic biology to photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and microalgae, to address global challenges in health, climate, and energy.
Dr. Kumar’s group is at the forefront of climate solutions, developing methods to capture carbon from industrial flue gas using synthetic microalgae and converting it into sustainable value-added products and drop-in-jetfuel. In a pioneering project with ISRO and NASA, he is investigating the growth of edible algae in microgravity using the International Space Station (ISS) of the USA as part of the Axiom-4 mission. His work also extends to plant-based pharmaceuticals, where his team has made significant strides in the biosynthesis of terpenoid drugs, including the antimalarial compound “artemisinin,” in alternative plants.
His influential work is supported by grants from DBT, DST, Reliance Industries, and Tata Steel. Dr. Kumar is a member of India’s delegation to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), nominated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, and serves on various Technical Expert Committees as a member of the DBT, Government of India. He is also a member of the Academic Council at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and a judge for the Tata Transformation Prize, powered by The New York Academy of Sciences, USA.
Prior to his role at ICGEB, Dr. Kumar spent 12 years conducting research at leading US institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Virginia, USDA-Albany, and Yulex Inc.
