OBJECTIVE: A challenging academic position in a research oriented institution requiring knowledge, expertise and communication skills, necessary to conduct and supervise a research group and instruct students.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Microbiology, Microbial activity, Ethnobotany and Biodiversity.

EDUCATION & RESEARCH

2002: PhD (Botany), Danielson College (affiliated to Dr Harisingh Gour University, Sagar, India), Chhindwara, India. 

Thesis title: "Search for Antimycotic Potential in Asteraceous Plants against Human Pathogenic Fungi".

1998-1999: Project fellow in a UGC (University Grants Commission, N-Delhi) granted project entitled "screening of Asteracous plants against human pathogenic fungi" in the Microbiology Research Lab, Department of Botany, Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India

1997: M Sc (Botany with specialization in Microbiology), Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India.

1995: B Sc (Botany, Zoology, and Chemistry), Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Senior Research Fellow - Microbiology Research Lab, Danielson College.(May 1999 - June 2002)

Work done so far (in brief): Assessment of in vitro antimycotic activity of plants of family Asteraceae and in vivo studies (topical application) of promising plants has been done. I have screened more than 100 plants for their antifungal potential and many plants have shown promising results.

Junior Research Fellow - Microbiology Research Lab, Danielson College. (Sept. 1997 - May 1999) Worked in a project entitled "Screening of medicinal plants of Family Asteraceae for their antimycotic activity against human Pathogenic Fungi", sponsored by University Grants Commission, N-Delhi, India.

Work done (in brief): Isolated opportunistic and potential human pathogens prevailing at Chhindwara particularly in surgical cases for screening of locally available medicinal plants of Asteraceae. Plants of family Asteraceae were surveyed, collected, identified and extraction of oils and preparation of extracts was done and then evaluated for their antimycotic activity against opportunistic and human pathogenic fungi.

I am familiar with techniques used for extraction, purification and biological activity evaluation.

Research Papers: Published - 14 In Press- 04

Seminars/ Conferences/ Workshops

1)       Attended National Seminar on Herbal Medicines, Bio-diversity and Conservation Strategies held at Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India (Feb 26-27, 1994)

2)       Attended National Seminar on Integrated Management of plant resources held at Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India (Jan 23-24, 1998)

3)       Participated in the workshop on Zoning atlas for siting industries held at Bhopal and sponsored by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi, India (Aug 7^th , 1998)

4)       Attended National Seminar on Inland Water Potential, Pollution, Management and Conservation held at Department of Botany, Government Post Graduate College (Autonomous) , Chhindwara, MP, India (Dec 18-20, 1999)

5)       Organised one day workshop on Water Pollution: Cause and Care sponsored by EPCO (Environmental Planning Coordination Organisation, Bhopal, MP, India) in Bhanadehi, Chhindwara, MP, India(Jan 9, 2000)

6)       Participated in the National workshop on Conservation and Cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants held at Center for Forest Research and Human Resource Development, Poama, Chhindwara, MP, India (Dec 26-27, 2001)

7)       Organised one day training cum workshop on Medicinal Plants: Conservation and Cultivation in Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India (Jan 15, 2002)

Current Project

Currently working on a book entitled "Natural Health: A Guide to Herbal Remedies of the Indigenous Tribes of Central India" with Sheri Amsel, a Botanist, Anatomist and Biomedical Illustrator from New York, USA.

Member

-          Chief Advisor : Friends Nature Club, Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India (Registered under Nature Clubs of India, Youth Movement of WWF for Nature, India)

-          Chief Advisor : ECO (Environmental Conservation Operation in Campus), Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India

-          Secretary: Ground Water Research and Analysis Center, Chhindwara, MP, India

-          Member: Pragya Environment Society, Chhindwara

OTHER SKILLS

Teaching: Four years of experience in teaching graduate and post-graduate classes in Botany and Microbiology at Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP, India.

Computer: Microsoft Office, Aldus Pagemaker and Internet browsing.

PUBLICATIONS

1. Rai, M.K. and D. Acharya (1999): Screening of some Asteraceous plants for antimycotic activity. Compositae Newsletter, 34: 37-43.

2. Rai, M.K., Acharya D. and S. C. Agrawal (1999): New invasive yeast and yeast-like infections in immunocompromised hosts. In: Interdisciplinary Approach in Science and Technology (Ed: D. P. Gupta and S. K. Jain), 50-71.

3. Rai, M.K., Acharya, D. and B. Nordenstam (1999): The family Asteraceae in the Chhindwara District of Madhya Pradesh, India. Compositae Newsletter, 33: 46-58.

4. Rai, M.K. and D. Acharya (1999): Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae in naturally growing plants of family Asteraceae in India. Compositae Newsletter, 34: 44-49.

5. Rai M.K., Singh , Jagdish and Deepak Acharya(1999): Morchella conica, a new report from Madhya Pradesh. Mushroom Research, 8(1): 61-62.

6. Rai, M. and D. Acharya (2000): Indian Asteraceous plants in beauty aids and therapy. Heritage Healing, 2(1): 65-68.

7. Rai, M.K. and D. Acharya (2000): Search for fungitoxic potential in essential oils of Asteraceous plants. Compositae Newsletter, 35: 18-23.

8. Rai, M.K. and D. Acharya (2000): Diversity in Asteraceae of Chhindwara. In: Integrated Management of Plant Resources, Scientific Publisher (India), Jodhpur (Eds: M.K. Rai, Ajit Varma and R.C. Rajak) pp. 139-164.

9. Rai, M. K., Pandey, A. K. and D. Acharya (2000): Ethno-medicinal Plants Used by Gond Tribe of Bhanadehi, District Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. Journal of non-timber forest, 7(3/4): 237-241.

10. Rai, M., Acharya, D., Singh, A. and A. Varma (2001): Positive growth responses of the medicinal plants Spilanthes calva and Withania somnifera to inoculation by Piriformospora indica in a field trial. Mycorrhiza, 11 (3): 123-128.

11. Rai, M.K., Acharya, Deepak, Varma, Ajit, Chikhale, N.J., Wadegaonkar, P.A., Thakare, P.V., Ramteke, A.P., Kirpan, Pawan and Sarika Shende (2001): Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in growth promotion of medicinal plants. n: Proceedings of National Workshop on Conservation and Cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Eds: A K Pandey and A K Patra), 105-110.

12. Rai, M. K., Soni, Kaushal K. and D. Acharya (2002): In vitro effect of five Asteraceous essential oils against Saprolegnia ferax, a pathogenic fungus isolated from fish. The Antiseptic, 99(4): 136-137.

13. Rai, M.K. and D. Acharya (2002): In vitro susceptibility of Trichophyton mentagrophytes to different concentrations of three Asteraceous essential oils. Compositae Newsletter, 39: 98-105.

14. Rai, M.K., Deepak Acharya and P. Wadegaonkar (2003). Plant derived-antimycotics: Potential of Asteraceous plants, In: Plant-derived antimycotics:Current Trends and Future prospects, Haworth press, N-York, Londin, Oxford, pp 165-185.

15. Rai, M.K., Shrivastava K.K., Acharya Deepak and Simple Patil. Incidence of opportunistic and potential human pathogenic fungi causing superficial and deep mycosis. (communicated to Mycoses, Germany)

16. Pawar, S., Rai, M. K. and D. Acharya. Acidification of the river Kharun and its lethal effect on aquatic flora. (In press- Water, Air and Soil Pollution, Special Issue on Acid Rain-2000, Tsukuba, Japan)

17. Rai, M.K. and D. Acharya. Arbuscular mycorrhizal association in some naturally growing medicinal plants Part I. J. Aced. Environ. Biol., Muzzafarnagar, India, (In press)

18. Rai, M. K., Pawar, S. and D. Acharya. Scientific value-aided environmental education in tribal areas of MP state, India: possibilities and constraints. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, Special Issue on Acid Rain-2000, Tsukuba, Japan, (In press).

REFERENCES

1) Dr S A Brown

Principal, Danielson College,

Chhindwara, MP- 480001, India

Phone Number: + 91 7162 244437

brownsurendra@rediffmail.com

2) Prof M David

Head, Department of Botany

Danielson College,

Chhindwara, MP- 480001, India

Phone Number: + 91 7162 242907

3) Dr M K Rai

Head, Department of Applied Biotechnology

Amaravati University, Amaravati

Maharastra state, India