Dr. Madhugiri N. Rao

Contact Information

Citrus Research and Education Center
Lake Alfred, Florida
Horticulture - Citrus Breeding and Genetics
Phone: 863.956.1151
Email: mnrao@crec.ifas.ufl.edu

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): Division of Genetics & Tree Propagation, Forest Research Institute (FRI), Indian Council for Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE), Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal, India.

Master of Science (M.Sc.): Specialization in Biochemistry, Bangalore University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.): Specialization in Chemistry, Botany & Zoology, Bangalore University, Tumkur, Karnataka, India.

Positions

2004–Date: Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Horticulture, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, USA.

2001–2004: Research Associate, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, India

1998–2001: Senior Research Fellow, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, India

1996–1998: Research Assistant, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, India

1993–1994: Chemist, Karnataka Breweries and Distilleries Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, India.

Specialization

Functional genomics, Population Evolutionary and Conservation genetics, Host-pathogen Interactions, Biodiversity and crop improvement

Ongoing Research

• Genetic diversity assessment in citrus rootstock candidates for the identification of economically important gene loci.
• Assessing functional gene-transcripts responsible for asexual reproduction (apomixis) within citrus.
• Developing genomic resources for the promotion of fundamental and applied research on Coreopsis, the Florida state wildflower.
• BAC sequencing and alignment of sweet orange, Citrus sinensis.
• Evaluation of citrus transgenic plants.
• Comparison of expression between samples of CTV-challenged and unchallenged resistant trees using Affymetrix citrus microarray gene chips to identify CTV conserved resistance gene(s).
• Hybrid embryo rescue from pummelo and mandarin crosses at different time intervals to optimize the time of harvest of the fruits for hybrid embryo rescue

Refereed Publications

Nageswara Rao, M., Soneji, J.R., Chen, C., Huang, S. and Gmitter, F.G., Jr. (2008)  Characterization of zygotic and nucellar seedlings from citrus rootstock candidates using RAPD and EST-SSR markers, Tree Genetics and Genomes 4:113-124.

Czarnecki, II D.M., Nageswara Rao, M., Norcini, J.G., Gmitter, F.G. Jr. and Deng, Z. (2008) Genetic diversity and differentiation among natural, production, and introduced populations of the narrowly endemic species Coreopsis leavenworthii (Asteraceae). Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 133(2):234-241.

Chen, C., Bowman, K.D., Choi, Y.A., Dang, P.M., Nageswara Rao, M., Huang, S., Soneji, J.R., McCollum, T.G. and Gmitter, F.G., Jr. (2008) EST-SSR Genetic Maps for Citrus sinensis and Poncirus trifoliata. Tree Genetics & Genomes, 4:1-10.

Nageswara Rao, M., Ganeshaiah, K.N. and Uma Shaanker, R. (2008) Mapping and conserving the genetic diversity of medicinal plant species through the establishment of Forest Gene Bank model. The Science Advisory Board, USA (Invited electronic publication).

Ravikanth, G., Nageswara Rao, M., Deepali Singh, B.S., Cheluvaraju., Ganeshaiah, K.N. and Uma Shaanker, R. (2008) The tale of two important bamboo species in the central Western Ghats: Implications for in situ conservation. Journal of Genetics (under review).

Nageswara Rao, M., Ramesha, B.T., Ravikanth, G., Ganeshaiah, K.N. and Uma Shaanker, R. (2007) Cross-species amplification of coconut microsatellite markers in rattans. Silvae Genetica, 56(6):282-286.

Nageswara Rao, M., Ganeshaiah, K.N. and Uma Shaanker, R. (2007) Assessing threats and mapping sandal (Santalum album L.) resources in peninsular India: Identification of genetic hot-spot for in-situ conservation. Conservation Genetics, 8:925–935.

Nageswara Rao, M., Soneji, J.R., Chen, C., Choi, Y.A., Huang, S. and Gmitter, F.G., Jr. (2007) Identification of Zygotic and Nucellar Seedlings from Citrus Rootstock Candidates using RAPD. Acta Horticulturae, 738:255-260.

Ramesha, B.T., Ravikanth, G., Nageswara Rao, M., Ganeshaiah, K.N. and Uma Shaanker, R. (2007) Genetic structure of rattan, Calamus thwaitesii in core, buffer and peripheral regions of three protected areas at central Western Ghats, India: Do protected areas serve as refugia for genetic resources of economically important plants? Journal of Genetics, 86:9-18.

Chen, C., Zheng, Q., Xiang, X., Soneji, J.R., Huang, S., Choi, Y.A., Nageswara Rao, M. and Gmitter, F.G., Jr. (2007) Development of New GFP Binary Ti Vectors and Evaluation on Citrus Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation. HortScience, 42(1):7-10.

Soneji, J.R., Chen, C., Nageswara Rao, M., Huang, S., Choi, Y.A. and Gmitter, F.G., Jr. (2007) Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation of Citrus Using Two Binary Vectors. Acta Horticulturae, 738:261-264.

Chen, C., Zheng, Q., Soneji, J.R., Huang, S., Choi, Y.A., Nageswara Rao, M. and Gmitter, F.G., Jr. (2007) Development of New GFP Vectors for Citrus Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation. Acta Horticulturae 738: 207-211.

Lyngdoh, N., Santosh, S., Hantode., Ramesha, B.T., Nageswara Rao, M., Ravikanth, G., Narayani Barve., Ganeshaiah, K.N. and Uma Shaanker, R. (2005) Rattan species richness and population genetic structure of Calamus flagellum in North-Eastern Himalayas, India. Journal of Bamboo and Rattan, 4(3):293-307.

Uma Shaanker, R., Ganeshaiah, K.N., Nageswara Rao, M. and Aravind, N.A. (2004) Ecological consequences of forest use-from genes to ecosystem: a case study in the Biligiri Ranganswamy Temple Wildlife sanctuary, South India. Conservation and Society, 2:347-363.

Padmini S., Nageswara Rao M., Ganeshaiah, K.N. and Uma Shaanker, R. (2001) Genetic diversity of Phyllanthus emblica in tropical forests of South India: Impact of anthropogenic pressures. Journal of Tropical Forest Science, 13(2):297-310.

Uma Shaanker, R., Ganeshaiah, K.N. and Nageswara Rao, M. (2001) Genetic diversity of Medicinal plant species in deciduous plants of India: Impacts of harvesting and other anthropogenic pressures. Journal of Plant Biology, 28(1):91-97.

Meera, C., Nageswara Rao, M., Ganeshaiah, K.N., Uma Shaanker, R. and Swaminath, M.H. (2000) Conservation of sandal genetic resources in India: I Extraction patterns and threats to sandal resources in Karnataka. My Forest, 36(2):125-132.

Professional Membership

• 2007 to Date: American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)
• 2007 to Date: The Science Advisory Board (SAB)
• 2007 to Date: Bioinformatics.org
• 2007 to Date: BIOCLUES: Clues for innovation
• 2006 to Date: International Society of Horticultural Sciences (ISHS)
• 2006 to Date: Society for Conservation Biology (SCB)
• 2006 to Date: Genome India International (GII)
• 2002-2004: Forest Conservation Genetics unit at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment(ATREE), India

Additional Information