Room 113, School of Arts and Sciences
Central Campus
Plant Science research is on a journey of fast-tracked paradigm shifts. This includes high turnover of innovations in technology and in their application in a redefined systems approach. The systems approach spans the molecular 'omics’ sciences at one end, and agricultural landscapes and socioeconomic impacts at the other. Most entities specialise in innovations at only one end of the spectrum. Hence, a holistic approach has been restrained at research entities. The breeding and agronomy research for productivity served well towards, and after, the Green Revolution. However, some mistakes, made inadvertently then, have contributed in some part to the present state of affairs, which call for research thrusts on climate resilience, sustainability, nutrition and inclusivity. This seminar will point to those mistakes and possible solutions to support future food systems. The potential solutions will illustrate how molecular sciences were leveraged in plant breeding and agronomy, to catalyse transformative changes on the ground for the farmers and customers through innovations in partnerships for seed systems and impact assessment. The need of the hour is for universities and research institutes to generate the physical wherewithal and the psychological mental shifts to take high value discoveries to the market as a product or process. Many such high value discoveries are serendipitous. An open mind is quintessential to recognise and follow through with the serendipitous results. An open mind develops only through openness to possibilities arising from different disciplines. Hence, multi- and trans-disciplinarity is a prerequisite to remain relevant.
Ajay is at present the Deputy Director General for Research and Innovation at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, a position he has held for five years. He was simultaneously the interim Director General at IRRI for 9 months from August 2023 to April 2024.
At IRRI Ajay had two stints: a 2.5-year stint before PhD from 1992-1995. He then went back to IRRI in 2008 starting as a Senior Scientist, going onto be the Head of the Strategic Innovation Platform, the Director of Research Planning, finally culminating into the present position of DDG Research & Innovation. Ajay continues to guide laboratory research but is institutionally committed to bridging the upstream science to applied science for impact on the society and environment through rice-based food systems.
Ajay has 34 years of experience in upstream research, innovation, and leadership in agricultural biotechnology with positions held in India, UK, USA, and the Philippines, and short research stints in Germany, France and Italy. He is also networked in Africa, having participated in a 4-year Gates Foundation project in Nigeria and Kenya.
Ajay holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the John Innes Centre, UK and an M.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. He did his BS and MS from Lucknow University. Before heading to IRRI in 1992, his research stints in India were in Bangalore at IISc, and in Delhi at the Centre for Science and Environment, JNU, and ICGEB.
With close to 120 peer-reviewed publications, multiple editorial responsibilities in journals such as Plant Molecular Biology, Molecular Breeding, Transgenic Research, Frontiers etc., and a busy schedule of talks and presentations at various fora, he is an active communicator of research, which is his affiliated passion along with research per se.
In November 2024 Ajay was honored by the President of Vietnam with the Friend’s Medal – a distinct and rare honor, and two weeks back, a similar recognition from the Ministry of agriculture of Laos. He is also a foreign member of the Indian National Academy of Agricultural sciences. Previously while at the John Innes Center in the UK he was a recipient of the BBSRC award for outstanding research for two years in running. Many research outputs from his lab garnered various awards for best paper or poster at different conferences. He was also the recipient of the Nuffield new lecturer award during his tenure at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK, rice, he formally taught plant molecular biology for 5 years as a Senior Lecturer (equal to Associate Prof), affiliated with the Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability. There he started mentoring BS, MS, PhD and Postdocs and has since supervised 4 PDFs; 13 PhDs; 10 Master’s; 19 Bachelor’s; and 7 visiting scholars.
Ajay’s research interests are largely in abiotic stress tolerance and grain quality of rice, but he was also involved for two years in the US in looking at gene-switching in beta-thalassemia through the role of non-coding human DNA and later for four years in exploring the value of the Jatropha curcas plant seed oil as a source of biodiesel. Recently his interest has taken on plant nitrogen use efficiency as an area of research. However, through his leadership positions his passion is in directing cutting edge discovery science in plant biology towards sustainable agriculture through interdisciplinary sciences for socioeconomic and environmental impact.
