Fellow

Dr. Autar K. Mattoo

(Foreign Fellow, )

Autar K. Mattoo, Ph.D., Fellow AAAS

 

Supergrade ST Level Scientist, USDA Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, The Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (W)

ARS, Building 001, Room 119, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA

Tel.: (301) 504-6622   Fax: (301) 504-6491 Email: autar.mattoo@usda.gov

 

Highly cited scientist with H-index 64 and i10-index 186 and over 14405 citations on Google Scholar (dated February 2, 2021). Top 2% of Worlds scientists.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Dr. Mattoo is an ST Level senior scientist with the Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture with over 40 years’ research experience. Innovative Research Leader (Department Head) for 16 years - led ARS’s biotechnology flagship ‘Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory’ for nine years, and seven years the Vegetable Laboratory, both at Beltsville, Maryland.

Leads multinational, multidisciplinary research programs focused on enhancing nutrition in edible crops, photosynthesis and extreme climates, hormonal regulation, translational research & future sustainable agriculture in United States, Israel, Italy, Poland, Serbia and Czech Republic.

SPECIAL EXPERTISE AREAS

Multidisciplinary Team Leadership             International Team Development

Alliance Management                                     Sustainable Agriculture    

Abiotic Stress-Resistant Crops                      Crop Longevity & Nutrients

Agricultural Biotechnology                            Photosynthesis & Extreme Climates

 

SELECTED TECHNICAL ADVISORY ROLES

• Advisor/Expert in Plant Biotechnology, Food Security, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Bangladesh, India, Philippines, and Thailand under the auspices of the US State Department, USAID, and Foreign Agricultural Service.
• Advisor in Biotechnology to the Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University.
• Overseas Standing Advisory Committee, Biotechnology, Government of India.
• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research & Development Fund (BARD).
• Invited keynote speaker and/or session Chair at numerous international symposia, spanning 27 countries.
• Guided thirty-three M.S., eighteen Ph.D. students as a major/co-major advisor, and seventy postdoctoral associates.
• Expertise in Genomics, Nutritional Metabolomics, Field-scale Research (Sustainable Agroecosystems - Genetically Engineered Crops), Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Plant Physiology.
• Wide and unique experience with multiple biological systems: model systems, fruits, beans, cereals, Solanaceous plants, weeds and medicinal plants, rat liver and brain, fungi, thermophiles, bacteria.
• Accomplishments documented in over 267 publications and one patent.
• Multinational research team/program development – USA, Israel, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Czech Republic.

SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS/RESPONSIBILITIES

Managed scientific teams to produce nutrient-rich vegetables with enhanced shelf-life and drought tolerance using molecular biotechnology.

Managed scientific teams conducting field-scale research of biotech-derived vegetable genotypes employing sustainable production systems with regard to yield, nutrient content, longevity and quality.

Managed four independent international research teams comprising:

(i) Israel and Canada - unraveled protein breakdown pathway in response to photoinhibitory light and ultraviolet-B radiation – supported by Israel-USA BARD linkage grants for 9 years and a USDA/NRI Grant;

ii) Italy and Czech Republic - identified molecular targets of heat and water stress in plants and developed photosystem-II based biosensors for sensitive detection of herbicides – partly supported by a NATO grant managed by me ; (iii) India - public and private sector scientists long-term FAS-FERRO linkage scientific exchange and training program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; (iv) Italy, Serbia and Czech Republic - utilized state-of-the-art metabolomics technologies to determine impact of cropping systems on nutritional molecules and metabolic pathways in grain and vegetable crops.

Managed scientific teams of research scientists developing a broad range of science including genetic engineering of cereals and soybean for nutritional improvement and resistance to environmental stresses, new germplasm of soybean and cereals resistant to microbial pathogens, and molecular biology of fruit ripening and organ abscission in soybean and tomato.

Established alliances with Italian, Serbian and Czech Republic Institutions to perform transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of grain and vegetable crops.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service:

• 2005 – Present: ST Level Research Plant Physiologist, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory.
• 2002–2004: ST Level Supervisory Plant Physiologist, Vegetable Laboratory.
• 1997–2004: Research Leader (Department Head), Vegetable Laboratory; GS15.
• 1988–1997: Research Leader (Department Head), Plant Molecular Biology Lab; GS15. 
• 1984-1988: Plant Physiologist, Plant Hormone Laboratory; GM-14.

University of Maryland:

• 1996-1998: Special Member, Graduate Faculty, UMCP, College Park.
• 1986-1993: Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences, UMBC, Baltimore.

Biotech Research Laboratories, Inc., Rockville:

• 1981-1982: Consulting Biochemist, Bioenergy and ethylene from microbial sources.

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (India):

• 1969-1/1979: Lecturer (tenured Assistant Professor), Faculty of Science. 

EDUCATION

Post-Doctoral Research

• The University of Adelaide, S. Australia, Dept. of Biochemistry; 1975-1976
• The University of New South Wales, Australia, Dept. of Botany; 1976 
• USDA-ARS-BARC-W, Postharvest Physiology Lab; 8/1976-1977

Visiting Scientist

• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Molecular Biology Unit: UGC National Associate; 1978 
• The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, Dept. Plant Genetics; DAAD Scholar; 1979-1980
• USDA-ARS-BARC-W, Beltsville, Plant Hormone Lab; Research Associate; 1980-1984
• NIH, NCI (Bldg. 10), Bethesda; Pathobiology Lab; 1982-1983

Ph.D; Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda; Microbiology; 1969

M.Sc; Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda; Biochemistry; 1965

                [Highest award in the graduating class (Summa cum laude)]

B.Sc;  Jammu & Kashmir University; Chemistry, Botany, Zoology & Geology; 1963

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• Fellow, American Association of Advancement of Science
• Chief Specialty Editor, Frontiers in Chemistry – section Crop Biology & Sustainability
• Editor, Plant Science
• Member, Editorial Board, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, France
• Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Plant Physiology
• Past Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, China
• Member, Editorial Board, The World Science Journal
• Member, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Member, American Society of Plant Biologists
• Member, International Society for Horticultural Science

HONORS AND AWARDS

2012

• US Department of State, USAID, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and US Embassy (India) International Visiting Lecturer/Expert on Plant Biotechnology and Food Security, India-Bangladesh.
• Scientific Advisory Board Member, International Congress on Polyamines, Istanbul, Turkey.
• Diamond Jubilee Keynote Lecturer, National Botanical Research Institute, CSIR, Government of India, Lucknow. Oct-Nov, 2012.
• Special Session Speaker at 7th International Postharvest Symposium, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), 2012, on Biotechnology for Nutritional Enhancement & Longer Shelf Life of Horticultural Products.

2011:

• Overseas Expert Member of the Managing Board for the Serbian Plant Physiology Society

2010:

• Nominated and selected as the Agricultural Research Service’s representative on the USDA’s Executive Resources Board (ERB).

2009: 

• Advisor in Biotechnology to the Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University, J&K State, India.

2006: 

  Scientist of the Year award, Association of Indian Americans, Washington, D.C. Chapter, June 2006.

2005-2007: 

Member of the Overseas Scientific Advisory Committee, Biotechnology, Government of India.

2004: 

• US State Dept International Visiting Lecturer as Agricultural Biotechnology Expert, India
• 50th ARS Celebration Speaker, Proud Past and Promising Future, National Scientific Leadership Conference, New Orleans.  January 21-23, 2004

2003:  

• USDA Beltsville Area Distinguished Lecturer, April 28, 2003
• Nominated for the 2003 Biotechnology Award, World Technology Network, in association with NASDAQ, TIME magazine, AAAS, Science magazine and Technology Review magazine
• Roper survey ranks our ‘development of high lycopene tomato’ at the Top of Biotechnology research in the USA 

2002:

• US Department of State International Speaker, Philippines and Thailand, Sept. 2002
• Invited Expert to evaluate Plant Sciences at the Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, Feb. 2002
• Member, Organizing Committee, US-Israel BARD Roundtable Discussion on: BARD’s Goals for the New Millennium, Alexandria, Virginia, Jan. 2002

2001: 

• Invited Participant and USDA-ARS representative, Cornell-Eastern-Europe-Mexico (CEEM)/USDA-FAS sponsored Workshop on Collaborative Research on Potato Late Blight: Building Strategies and Synergies, Warsaw, Poland.June 5-9, 2001

1999-2001:

• Member, Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural and Development (BARD) Fund, 1999-2001

1999: 

• Member, Scientific Program Committee, and Symposium Speaker, Vth International Symposium on Biochemical Roles of Eukaryotic Cell Surface Macromolecules, Bangalore, India, January 4-8, 1999
• Awarded 1999 USDA Secretary’s Award recognizing “People Making a Difference”
• Awarded 1999 USDA Secretary’s Honor Award for Personal and Professional Excellence
• Member, Selection Panel for 1999 ARS Hall of Fame Awards Program

1998:

• Member, International Scientific Organizing Committee, Discussion Leader and Plenary Lecturer, 1997 International Symposium on Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Lucknow, India, December 28, 1997-January 2, 1998
• Awarded 1998 Senior Scientist of the Year, Beltsville Area
• Awarded 1998 ARS Distinguished Research Scientist of the Year

1996:

• ARS representative at the NATO-ICAR Workshop on Plant Biotechnology to build a bridge between the Indian Council for Agricultural Research and USDA, Nov 12-15, 1996
• Member, select Working Group, IRRI (Philippines), Frontier Project on N2 metabolism, Sept 7-11, 1996

1995: 

• Member, Scientific Organizing Committee, International Conference on Ethylene, Greece
• FAS, USDA Expert for long-term, collaborative linkage program with India in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

1993:

• Co-organizer, Symposium on Dynamic Aspects of Plant Senescence, International Botanical Congress, Yokohama, Japan.

1992:

• Chairman, Gordon Conference on Plant Senescence, Plymouth, NH
• Member of Gordon Research Conferences Council, Rhode Island

1991:

• Member of Program Committee, Gordon Research Conference on Agricultural Sciences, California
• Member, Gamma Sigma Delta

1988:

• Acting Chairman, Gordon Research Conference on Plant Senescence, Colby-Sawyer, New Hampshire
• FASEB travel grant to speak at the IUB Congress, Jerusalem, Israel

1984: 

• Elected Vice-Chairman, Gordon Research Conference on Plant Senescence

1979-80: 

• Deutscher Akademischer Austaschdienst (German Academic Exchange Program) Scholar. The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

1976-1977

• Visiting Faculty Appointment, USDA, BARC-W, with Dr. Morris Lieberman.

1976: 

• Awarded "Dr. C. S. Patel Gold Medal", M.S. University of Baroda (India), for best postdoctoral research paper published
• International Union of Biochemistry Travel Fellowship, 10th International Congress of Biochemistry, Hamburg, Germany
• National Research Associate Award for university teachers. University Grants Commission, India

1975/76: 

• British Council (U.K.) Award-Commonwealth University Interchange Fellowship for postdoctoral work at the University of Adelaide, Australia
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, The University of Adelaide Australia with Dr. D. Bruce Keech

1965:

• Anil Starch Products Prize – Gold Medal (top position in graduating class)

1987 – 2015:

• Certificates of Merit for outstanding leadership and management, Yearly Performance Ratings, USDA