Research Interests

• Plant stress tolerance with special emphasis on polyamine metabolism.
• Study of mechanism of salinity tolerance in plants particularly in rice land races with polyamine profiling.
• Study of genetic relatedness by Isozyme markers and DNA barcoding in cryptogams.
• Plant Tissue culture approach as a tool for conservation strategies.

Teaching Responsibilities

• Undergraduate course in Botany as per West Bengal State University and University of Calcutta Syllabus (CBCS and NEP)
• Postgraduate course in Botany as per University of Calcutta Syllabus (CBCS)
• Supervision of PG dissertation in the field of Molecular biology, plant tissue culture and bioinformatics. .

Publications

Journals

• Kumar D, Laha S and Gangopadhyay G (2021) In silico and expression analysis of ∆1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase in rice seedlings under NaCl stress, Research Journal of Biotechnology, Vol.16(5).
• Kumar D and Laha S (2019) Identification of candidate genes from the proline-polyamine pathway to look for desirable alleles for development of salt-tolerant rice. Heritage, Vol.VI, Pg-221-227, (ISSN 2349-9583)
• Laha, S., Kumar, D., Sengupta, D.N. et al. (2019)In silico characterization of SAMdC from Pokkali rice and its overexpression in transgenic tobacco. Vegetos. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42535-019-00019-2
• Saha A, Chatterjee P, Mukherjee S and Laha S. A study on in-vitro plant regeneration and screening of phytochemicals in Bacopa monnieri (L.)Pennell, a medicinally priced plant. Heritage, Vol.V 183-189 ISSN: 2349-9583, 2018.
• Laha S and Gangopadhyay G.SNP based haplotyping towards development of salt tolerant rice. Heritage, Vol.III 153-158 ISSN: 2349-9583, 2016.
• Laha S , Sen S, Ghosh B and Sengupta D N, Characterization of Plant S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Decarboxylase and Spermidine Synthase in Polyamine Deficient Mutant Strain of E. Coli International Research Journal of Biological Sciences, Vol. 3(8), 60-68, August (2014).
• Laha S. An Introduction on the GM Debate in India. Heritage: Vol.I.143-148 ISSN: 2349-9583, 2014.
   

Book Chapters

• 'Tanaporen', Saswati Laha (2020) in Praharpunthi, Atimari 2020: chay maser dastabej by Bethune college (ISBN: 978-81-948279-0-0)
• Laha S (2020) Arsenic pollution: human health concern, , pg:64, in Proceedings of State level Seminar on Environment: Issues for concern held on 24th Feb, 2020, Bethune College
• Mukherjee A, Sulaiman S, Karak S, Bhotika A, Bain M, Mukherjee S & Laha S (2018), Medicinal Plants: Conservation Strategies and Sustainable Use, pg:38, in Proceedings of State level National Seminar on Urban Biodiversity: Documentation and Conservation.

Gene Bank Submission

• Laha. S. et al, (2005) cDNA of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase from Oryza sativa var. Pokkali Gene bank Accession No. AY966487.
• Laha S. et al, (2006) tSPDScDNA was isolated from total extracted from young leaves of Niccotianatabaccum. Gene bank Accession No. DQ536198.
   

Conference/ Seminar Paper Presentation

• Acted as a resource person in the workshops conducted by Department of Botany, Lady Brabourne College under DBT-STAR College Scheme -
  Participated in "Online Workshop in pursuance of National Education Policy (NEP 2020)" on the topic "Educational Framework for Global Citizenship in Higher Education" held on 24th June 2022, HRDC, JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY.
• Acted as a resource person in the workshops conducted by Department of Botany, Bethune College under DBT-STAR College Scheme - Workshop on Instrumentation to celebrate National Science Day 28th February, 2023'; Workshop on Lab Techniques on Phycology, Mycology, Plant Pathology and Microbiology, 6th-7th December, 2022; ?7 day workshop in Research Techniques', 25.04.2022-02.05.2022;
• Participated in an online FDP: In the DST sponsored "Basic and Advanced Proteomics Approaches" Workshop, organized by IIT Bombay, 15-26th February, 2021; in a short-term course (online) in Bioinformatics and Artificial intelligence' by UGC-HRDC, University of Mumbai, 28th Dec 2020-2nd Jan, 202, in a short-term course (online) in 'MOOCs and E-content development' by UGC-HRDC, JNU, 24th-29th August, 2020.
• Act as Convener in an International Webinar on "Human Ailment: Basic Research and Clinical Implications", organized by the PG Department of Botany in collaboration with IQAC, Bethune College on 22nd August, 2020.
• Act as Convener of webinar on "Costal Areas of west Bengal: Botany and Beyond" on 18THJuly 2020, Botany Department, Bethune College in collaboration with IQAC cell.
• Act as Resource person in Visva-Bharati University
• Presented poster on Overexpression of samdc (S-adenosyl methionine decarboxylase enzyme) from Pokkali, an Indian rice landrace, imparts salt-tolerance to tobacco, a salt-sensitive model plant in the First National conference on Neglected and underutilized crop species for food, nutrition, energy and environment, at NIPGR on 2nd August, 2019.
• Act as Organizing Secretary in The National Seminar on "Urban Biodiversity: documentation and Conservation" in collaboration with West Bengal Biodiversity Board on 6th & 7th March, 2018, at Department of Botany, Bethune college.
• Act as coordinator in a Workshop on 'Herbarium Techniques and Plant Nomenclature' from 4th to 5th May 2017 in collaboration with Central National Herbarium, Shibpur, at Bethune College, Kolkata
• Presented poster(s) entitled 'Establishment of an efficient shoot regeneration technique of (Bacopa monnieri L.) and 'Medicinal Plants: Conservation Strategies and Sustainable Use ?on 6th & 7th March, 2018 at Bethune College, Kolkata.
• Presented poster on "A Study on in-vitro plant regeneration, screening of phytochemicals and stress response of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell, a medicinally priced plant" in National Seminar on "Advances in biology: Exploitation of Phytoresources" 2nd and 3rd November, 2017 in Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Govt. College, New Town, Kolkata
• Presented poster entitled 'Antiviral plants: a promising tool to drug development' in the International seminar on "Recent trends in microbiology", 14th January 2017, at Department of Microbiology, Ramkrishna Mission Vidyamandir.
• Presented poster on "Characterization of plant S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine Decarboxylase and Spermidine Synthase in polyamine deficient mutant strain of E. coli." in the International Conference on "The green planet: past, present and future", 21st- 23rd December, 2016 at Department of Botany, University of Calcutta.
• Presented poster on 'Antidiabetic plants: sustainable use, conservation and future prospects' in UGC sponsored National Seminar- "Medicinal plants, health and environment", 9th-10th September, 2016 in APC College, New Barrackpore.
• Participated in the UGC sponsored National Seminar on "Teaching Botany in 21st century: prospects and challenges", 6th-7th August, 2016 in Bidhannagar College.
   

Grants and Awards

• Completed a UGC minor Research project vide Ref. No. PSW-046/ 13-14 (ERO) ID NO. WC2-021 DATED 18th March 2014 Titled: Characterization of Genetic Diversity of selected rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces of West Bengal in relation to salinity stress tolerance and accumulation of higher polyamines.