Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Division of Plant Science and Technology
Research at a glance
Area(s) of Expertise
Research Summary
Sushil develops goals and plans for molecular research, as well as provides technical and first-line leadership for Ph.D., Master and undergrad students.
Sushil Chhapekar is a passionate plant molecular biologist who aims to identify and characterize the genetic & molecular regulation of plant stress and adaptation through genetics and genomics. Sushil leads nematode disease resistance program focuses on discovery and utilization of novel genetic sources of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and root-knot nematode (RKN) for management of these major soybean diseases in the US.
Dr. Sushil’s key focus is to dissect and characterize the novel loci/genes through gene editing and to develop functional markers to assist genomics-assisted breeding for nematode resistance. His goal is to enhance the understanding of molecular aspects of plant-nematode interaction and translate this knowledge to provide new genetic resources for limiting the impact of nematodes in the northern and southern regions of the U.S. Throughout his research discoveries, he develops genomes, transcriptome, miRNAome for important stress and nutraceutical traits in major crop species and characterized the gene functions. He is implementing high throughput technologies including single-cell RNA-sequencing and gene editing to understand root development and plant stress mechanism in soybean. His current research interest includes design molecular strategies to develop broad-spectrum nematode resistant soybean, develop pan-genome and pan-transcriptome resources for trait discovery and improve soybean yield.
Educational Background
- Ph.D., Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India
- M.S., Agricultural Biotechnology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, India