Geminiviruses

Dr R Vinoth Kumar obtained his PhD from the School of Life Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. His work involves studying the emergence and evolution of begomoviruses and satellites associated with diseases in several vegetable crops and weeds. His efforts have resulted in the identification of several novel and diverse viral genomic components, thereby generating genome sequence resources that can be used to devise effective management strategies to curb these diseases. In addition, he has studied the interaction of host plants with viral proteins during pathogenesis, which can be employed to create new antiviral methods against these begomoviruses. Dr Kumar has submitted more than 70 viral genomic sequences to the public database and has published numerous research articles and book chapters. He also had a brief stay at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK with the help of a scholarship from the European Commission. Currently, he is working as a researcher at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR-NCBS), Bengaluru, India.

1. Classification, taxonomy and gene function of geminiviruses and their satellites.- 2. Rolling circle replication and transcription processes in geminiviruses.- 3. Distribution of geminivirus in Indian subcontinent.- 4. Geminivirus occurrence in Australia, China, Europe and Middle Eastern countries.- 5. Mastreviruses in the African world: Harbouring both monocot and dicot species.- 6. Global weed-infecting geminiviruses.- 7. Evolutionary factors in the geminivirus emergence.- 8. Geminivirus - Vector relationship.- 9. Replication of DNA-satellites and their role in viral pathogenesis.- 10. Geminiviruses versus host's gene silencing mechanism.- 11. Geminivirus resistance strategies.- 12. Integrated pest management approaches.