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Who We Are
We study chemically mediated interactions between plants, insects and microbes. In the various projects listed above, the underlying recurring theme is to understand the communication between organisms that lead to complex networks. We use anaytical tools like HPLC, GCMS, LCMS, NMR to analyze chemicals involved in organismal interactions. We also employ various biochemical methods to conduct assays. Our team members have expertise in different areas such as chemistry, entomology, ecology, biochemistry and molecular biology. Since chemical ecology requires multi-disciplinary skill-set, our team aims to include people from various scientific backgrounds.
Our Publications
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Female density-dependent chemical warfare underlies fitness effects of group sex ratio in flour beetles. Imroze Khan, Arun Prakash, Swastika Issar, Mihir Umarani, Rohit Sasidharan, N M Jagadeesh, Prakash Lama, Radhika Venkatesan, Deepa Agashe*. American Naturalist, bioRxiv doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/100354
Chemical Ecology of Bracken Ferns. Kavya Agarwal, Saikat Haldar, Wilhelm Boland, Radhika Venkatesan; In Ferns: Ecology, Importance to Human Health and Threats, Nova Science Publishers, NY USA.
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Methylated cytokinins from the phytopathogen Rhodococcus fascians mimic plant hormone activity. Radhika V, Ueda N, Tsuboi Y, Kojima M, Kikuchi J, Kudo T, Sakakibara H. Plant Physiology, 169(2): 1118-26.
Enzymatic production method for methylation of isopentenyl diphosphate. Radhika V, Ueda N, Sakakibara H. International Patent ID 110001047, Japanese ID 2015-128999.
Biosynthesis and regulation of plant volatile emission. Radhika V. J. Indian Institute of Science 95: 25-34.
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Volatile emission in bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is induced by jasmonates but not by herbivory. Radhika V, Kost C, Bonaventure G, David A, Boland W. PLOS One 7(11): e48050.
Composition of extrafloral nectar influences interactions between the ant-plant Humbolita brunonis and its ant associates: implications for the evolution of myrmecophytism. Shenoy M, Radhika V, Satish S, Borges RM. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 38: 88-99.
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The role of jasmonate signaling in floral nectar secretion. Radhika V, Kost C, Boland W, Heil M. PlosOne, 5, e9265.
Towards elucidating the differential regulation of floral and extrafloral nectar secretion. Radhika V, Kost C, Boland W, Heil M. Plant signalling and Behavior, Vol. 7, Issue 5.
Regulation of extrafloral nectar secretion by jasmonates is light dependent. Radhika V, Kost C, Mithöfer A, Boland W. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, (PNAS) 107 (40): 17228-17233.
Testing the optimal defence hypothesis for two indirect defences: extrafloral nectar secretion and volatile organic compounds. Radhika V, Kost C, Heil M, Boland W. (2008) Planta, 228; 449-457.
Bioremediation of Zinc using Desulfotomaculum nigrificans: Bioprecipitation and Characterization Studies. Radhika V, Subramanian S, Natarajan KA. (2006) Water Research, 40(19): 3628-3636.