Molecular Biology

• Ph.D. , , University of Delhi
• M.Sc , , Gauhati University

Dr Mahaswetta Saikia , Associate Professor , Department of Botany, Hansraj College, University of Delhi has done her M. Sc (Botany) from Gauhati University, Assam and completed her Doctoral Research on digestive physiology of Antheraea assamensis from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi under the Guidance of Professor Sudeshna Mazumdar-Leighton. For a brief period, she has also worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi. Dr Saikia has published her research work in Journals of international repute. In 2012, one of her paper in Insect Molecular Biology was among the two papers selected from Asian region, which demonstrated the strength and scope of the research on insect molecular biology emanating from Asia. Her areas of research interest are:

• Insect- Plant Interactions
• Structure function and evolution of gene families
• Molecular strategies for pest control in economically important plants/ food crops

Dr Saikia is also actively engaged in various administrative responsibilities in the college and just completed her term as Superintendent, Practical Exam, Deptt. of Botany in August 2023. She has also undergone a one week  training on Hydroponics at IARI , Pusa.  Presently she is teaching the following course at the undergraduate level (last two semesters):

1. Biofertilizer, G.E
2. Cell and Molecular Biology, Lifescience Semester IV
3. Basic Laboratory Techniques in Plant Biology, Semester I
4. Microbiology and Plant Microbe Interactions, Semester II

Taught in current semester:

1. Microbiology and Plant Microbe Interactions

Last three years:

Year 2023-2024:

Museum Curator, Department of Botany, Hansraj College, D.U.

Year 2022-2023:

Member E.C.A Committee, Hansraj College, D.U

Convener Purchase, Repair and Maintenance Committee, Dept. of Botany, H.R.C. D.U.

Superintendent, Practical Exam, Dept. of Botany, H.R.C. D.U.

Year 2021-2022:

Member of North-East Cell, Hansraj College, D.U

Member E.C.A Committee, Hansraj College, D.U

University of Delhi (Ph.D. Botany)

Title: 'Identification of diverse midgut serine proteinases in the fourth instar larvae of an economically important sericigenous Lepidoptera from North East India, Antheraea assamensis (Helfer) feeding on Persea bombycina (Kostermans) and Litsea monopetala (Roxburgh), two primary host plant species of the Lauraceae family'.

Book chapters:

1. Mahaswetta Saikia, Rakesh Kumar. 2020. Plant Proteinase Inhibitor and Protease Interaction During Insect-Plant Communication. Plant-Pest Interactions: From Molecular Mechanisms to Chemical Ecology pp 233-264, Springer
2. Mahaswetta Saikia. 2017. Use of medicinal plants in the treatment of women’s diseases, in Scope of phytochemically unexplored medicinal plants,167-173.Enriched Publications Pvt Ltd.Dwarka, New Delhi-75

1. Mahaswetta Saikia. 2023. Zymograms as a tool to detect PPIs in the host plants of Antheraea assamensis. Journal of Advanced Zoology. 44(4), 60-68.
2. Sochanngam Kashung, Parul Bharadwaj, Mahaswetta Saikia and Sudeshna Mazumdar Leighton. 2023. Midgut serine proteinases participate in dietary adaptations of the castor(Eri) silkworm Samia ricini Anderson transferred from Ricinus communis to an ancestral host, Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. Frontiers in Insect Science Vol 3,1-17.
3. M. Saikia, YT Singh, A. Bhattacharya and S Mazumdar-Leighton. 2011. Expression of diverse midgut serine proteinases in the sericigenous Lepidoptera, Antheraea assamensis (Helfer) is influenced by choice of host plant species. Insect Molecular Biology 20(1), 1-13.
4. Y Tunginba Singh, Sudeshna Mazumdar-Leighton, Mahaswetta Saikia, Prashant Pant, Sochanngam Kashung, Kartik Neog, Rajen Chakravorty, Suresh Nair, Javaregowda Nagaraju, Cheerukeri Raghavendra Babu. 2012. Genetic variation within native populations of endemic silkmoth Antheraea assamensis (Helfer) from Northeast indicates need for in situ conservation. PLOS One 7(11): e49972

Last three years:

1. Organized workshop session, North East Cell, November, 2020.
2. Organizing Member for Two-day FDP on Agriculture, Health and Society, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, 15th-16th March, 2019.
3. Organizing Member for Inspire -2012, organized at Hansraj College, D.U held from Dec 12-16, 2017

• Delivered a talk on Silkworm and silk, on student webinar organized by Gargaon College, Sivasagar, Assam, 30th June 2020.

Conference attended (last three years):

• National Conference,Advances in Plant Biology, February,  2024, H.R.C.; D.U.
• National Conference, Advances in Plant Biology, Dec 9, 2022, H.R.C.; D.U.
• Webinar- Hansraj College, D.U, November 26, 2022.
• National Webinar- I "Impact Centric Research: Funding Opportunities and Challenges in Framing Successful Research Proposal” held on 11th July 2020 by Shivaji College, Delhi University.
• National webinar on ‘Online Learning versus Traditional Classroom Learning: Mechanical and Moral Knowledge during the era of Covid-19’, organized by Mazbat College, Assam on 5th July, 2020.
• 1st International Conference on Integrative Chemistry, Biology and Translational Medicine, February 26-27, 2019.
•  Summit ISW-2020, Jan23-24, 2020
• Webinar, October, 2020. Soil Story for Earth's sake, Department of Botany, Hansraj College, D.U

• Manuscript Reviewer of Journal-Proceeding of National Academy of Sciences, Indian Section B: Biological Sciences for 2014, 2015, 2018.