Dr Lata Shukla, joined the Department of Biotechnology in 2005 as lecturer and initiated the courses of Cell Biology, Radiation biology, Bioprocess Technology for post graduates and Biology for the undergraduates. She Lata I. Shukla Joined Pondicherry University, Department of Biotechnology, June 2005.
Educational qualifications
She obtained her MSc in Chemistry from Roorkee University in 1990 (qualified NET in 1989). She qualified all India competition to get admission for interdisciplinary PhD program at Jawaharlal Nehru University in School of Life Sciences. Here she was awarded degrees of MPhil (in1993) and PhD,1997. As young scholar she became life member of Indian Society of radiation biologist, Environmental and Mutagenic Society of India. The international exposure during PhD included, poster presentation at State University of New York at Albany, New York (1995). Her travel expenses were financially assisted by CSIR and DST. EPR specialist professors M D Sevilla, M D Sastry, V Natrajan, Padwal Desai, TPA Devasagayam Sarada Ramani provided mentoring and Prof P C Kesavan (PhD supervisor). The research findings enabled her to win best presentation awards at SERB winter School at Poona University and International conference at BARC, Mumbai. Identification of trapped electrons and its characterisation were important contributions to post-irradiation oxygen effect insights in model system.
Post-doctoral research
Her post-doctoral work in India from December 1997 to 2002 were mechanistic insights into the different challenges in plant molecular biology, plant biochemistry and chlorophyll biosynthesis with stalwarts Padmshree Prof S K Sopory, Prof. B C Tripathy, and Professor Sushil Kumar as Researcher 1997-98, RA-1998-2001 and 2001-2002 respectively. She took her first overseas assignment as Research Associate with her PhD Mentor Prof M D Sevilla at Department of Chemistry and Prof Arik Dvir at Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Oakland University, Rochester Michigan from 2002-2004. She worked with radioisotopes, heavy ions and also the gamma-radiations to address the mechanism underlying the Free radical reaction mechanisms using EPR spectroscopy and invitro transcription mechanisms underlying promoter escape in mammalian systems. Later on her return to India in 2004, she joined ICGEB, New Delhi with Dr Sunil Mukherjee at Plant Molecular Biology as SRA-CSIR Pool Scientist (2004-2005) and developed the constructs for AC2 and B2 genes for rice transformation. The challenges of developing scutellum derived calli and its transformation and poor survival even after transformation was one of the interguing puzzles she brought in her own laboratory on her appointment at Pondicherry University which was successfully addressed using conserved miRNA and biochemical based analyses later in her research endeavour at Department of Biotechnology.
In year 2007 she was selected for BOYSCAST fellowship DST-GOI, from Pondicherry University and undertook advance training in conserved miRNA in higher plants at Oklahoma State University, USA.
Reseach Grants
Her research in plant molecular biology received funding from DST-FAST Track, DBT-RNAi taskforce, Pondicherry University Seed Money. Her radiation biophysics work received funding from UGC-Major Research Project. She received funding for her scientific popularisation and outreach programs from The Pondicherry University to organise National Science Day-2016, Brain storming session on climate Change-2010. As part of SWAYAM she received funds for development of MOOCS course on Bioprocess for Life Sciences from CEC, India.
Interdisciplinary Life Sciences and Scientific co-ordination activities
She was invited by Uttarakhand Council for Science and Technology, Dehradun as Senior Scientific officer on deputation, where she served from 2010-2012, as an inhouse expert for research and development, enterprenuership development and mentored the DST projects in Life Sciences. As Co-ordinator for the USSTC-2010, 2011 her work was recognised.
In 2020, she became Professor. Prof. Shukla has been instrumental in co-ordinating the student outreach programs and has trained students in plant molecular biology, radiation biology, rice tissue culture, legume tissue culture, EPR spectroscopy, plant growth and chlorophyll biosynthesis. She played pivotal role in establishing the CIF facility at the department. She actively provided co-ordination support for the student elections, student accommodation and admissions. She takes great interest in co-ordinating the National Science Day celebrations at Department with outreach to affiliated colleges of the university. The student events like Fascination of Plants day celebrations at Pondicherry University, Indian chapter as part of European plant society initiative since 2021 where series of international webinars were arranged. As part of the course of Bioprocess Technology she has co-ordinated the visitation of students to Biogenomics Pvt Ltd, Aquadyne water systems in and around Puducherry. Also, she took the students for the IGCAR-Kalpakkam visit as part of Radiation Biology Lab.

Plant Biotech and Free Radical Research