Subramanyam Ragupathy

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND:

Teaching Experience:

Teaching Assistant, Co-instructor, and Guest lectures My engagement in teaching at the Central Queensland University (1997-1999) and University of Guelph (2003-2008) is in various capacities such as graduate teaching assistant, co-instructor, and guest lecturer. It included the following courses over several semesters such as Classification and Morphology of Seed Plants (BOT 3710-Guelph) and Plants in the Ontario Landscape (BOT 2030-Guelph).

Recent Invited Talks:

• Delhi University: DNA barcoding discriminates cryptic species diversity (October 2009)
• Botanical Survey of India, CBE: A Botanical Renaissance: State-of-art-DNA Barcoding Facilitates an Automated Identification Technology (AIT) System for Plants (2008)
• NPM Arts and Science College, CBE: DNA barcoding of plants (2008)
• University of Madras: Can we barcode plants? (2008)
• University of Bharathiyar: Taxonomy is language of Biodiversity (2008)
• Karikal Government Arts and Science College: DNA barcoding discriminates herbal raw materials (2008)

Research areas of expertise:

• DNA bar-coding identification tools for herbal plant;
• Setup DNA barcoding sequence library for regional flora
• Design Automated Identification Tool (AIT) for global biodiversity assessment;
• Flora Ontario Integrated Botanical Information System (FOIBIS)
• Herbarium Information Management System (HIMS)
• Establish database for Aborginal Repository Knowledge System with science providing a safe vessel (ARK) to carry this knowledge into the future;

Published in total:
67- Peer reviewed Journal article 32; Book chapters 6; Proceedings 18; Scientific Reports 11

Other SKILLS:

On going projects and major accomplishments:

• DNA barcoding of plants and herbal raw material authentication
• Design and Developed FOIBIS-http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/
• Design and Developed HIMS - http://www.uoguelph.ca/HIMS/
• Design and Developed ARKIMS- http://www.uoguelph.ca/HIMS/ark
• Developed a web based multi-access key (Polyclavis© - Newmaster & Ragupathy, 2004)
• Tribal people taxonomy, Interview methodology and Informants consensus analysis
• Aboriginal Repository Knowledge (ARK) and dissemination
• Herbal raw materials - Microscopic and macroscopic authentication, quality control, processing and bulk inventory
• Plant sample extraction, preparation and HPLC analysis-below and aboveground biomass estimation
• DNA extraction, amplification, setting up PCR, cleaning up PCR product and analyzing sequences  for bar-coding of Herbal Plants

Data base design and development skills:

• Well versed with the following software packages: MS, MSA, Macromedia and familiarity with GIS, VB and Cold fusion
• Project formulation, management, report writing and presentation

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

Completed a number of continuing education courses offered at the University of Guelph (list of courses completed will be supplied upon request)

FIELD EXPERIENCE:

Plant collecting and herbal inventory work in India (1988-1996), Australia (1992, 1997 and 1998); Malaysia (2000); Canada (2003 -2009)

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:

1. Member in Editorial Committee -Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 2. Society of Ethnobiology, 3. American Society of Plant Taxonomists, 4. Royal Botanical Garden and 5. International Association for Study of Common Property

LIST OF Selected PUBLICATIONS:

• Newmaster, G.S. and S. Ragupathy. 2009. Ethnobotany Genomics – Use of DNA Barcoding to Explore Cryptic Diversity in Economically Important Plants. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 2(5): 1-8.
• Murugesan, M. Ragupathy,S. Balasubramaniam, V. Nagarajan, N. and S. G. Newmaster. 2009.  Three new species of the genus Biophytum DC. (Oxalidaceae-Geraniales) from Velliangiri hills in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, India. Journal of Economic Taxonomic Botany. (Submitted).
• Maloles, J.R.,  S. Ragupathy, C.B. Nirmala, A.K. Althaf  and S.G. Newmaster. 2009. Exploring biodiversity - the fine scale ethnotaxa classification of millet. Journal of Ethnobiology (communicated).
• Newmaster, S.G., Murugesan, M, Ragupathy, S.,  Nagaraj,  N and B. Velusamy. 2009.  Ethnobotany Genomics study reveals three new species from the Velliangiri Hills in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, India. Ethnobotany (Accepted).
• Newmaster, S.G. and S. Ragupathy. 2009. Automated identification technology (AIT) systems and database for identification of plants. International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology Vol. 35, No. 1, pp.50–60. http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/newmaster2009ait
• Ragupathy, S., S.G. Newmaster, B. Velusamy, M. Murugesan  2009. DNA barcoding discriminates a new cryptic grass species revealed in an ethnobotany study by the hill tribes of the Western Ghats in southern India. Molecular Ecology Resources (2009) 9 (Suppl. 1), 164–171 (doi: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02641.x)
• Newmaster G.S and S. Ragupathy. 2009. Testing plant barcoding in a sister species complex of pantropical Acacia (Mimosoideae, Fabaceae) Molecular Ecological Resource. (2009) 9 (Suppl. 1), 172–180. (doi: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2009.02642.x)
• Ragupathy S. and S.G. Newmaster. 2008. Valorizing the ‘Irulas’ Traditional Knowledge of Medicinal Plants in the Kodiakkarai Reserve Forest, India. Journal of Ethnobiology and Enthomedicine 5(10):1-13. http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/5/1/10
• Newmaster, S.G, B. Velusamy, M. Murugesan and S. Ragupathy. 2008. Tripogon cope, a new species of Tripogon (Poaceae: Chloridoideae) in India with a  Morphometric analysis and synopsis of Tripogon in India. Systematic Botany 33(4): 695-701. http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/tripo.pdf
• Ragupathy, S. S.G. Newmaster, M. Murugesan and V. Balasubramanian. 2007. Consensus  of the ‘Malasars’ Traditional Aboriginal Knowledge of Medicinal Plants in the Velliangiri Holy Hills, India Journal of Ethnobiology and Enthomedicine 4:8 http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/consensuspaper.pdf
• Ragupathy, S., S.G. Newmaster, P. Gopi and C. Newmaster. 2008. Exploring Ethnobiological Classifications for  Novel Alternative Medicine: A case study of Cardiospermum halicacabum L. (Modakathon, Balloon Vine) as a traditional herb for treating arthritis. Ethnobotany.19: 1-20. http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/cordi.pdf
• Newmaster, S.G. A. Fazekas and S. Ragupathy. 2006. DNA Barcoding in the Land plants: Evaluation of rbcL in a multigene tiered approach. Canadian Journal of Botany 84:35-41. http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/dnabarcoding.pdf
• Newmaster, S.G., S. Ragupathy, C.B Nirmala and F.I.Rebecca. 2007. The multi-mechanistic taxonomy of the Iurlas in Tamil Nadu, South India. Journal of Ethnobiology 27:233-255. http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/iurlapaper.pdf
• Newmaster, S.G., S. Ragupathy, F.I. Rebecca and C.B Nirmala. 2006. Mechanisms of Folk Biological Classification throughout the World-an overview. Ethnobotany 18: 4-26. http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/ethnotaxonomy.pdf
• Newmaster, S.G. and S. Ragupathy. 2005. Flora Ontario Integrated Botanical Information System (FOIBIS). OAC Herbarium, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Guelph, ON. [Online] available at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/
• Walsh, K. B and S. Ragupathy. 2007. Effect of straw mulching on papaya mycorrhiza under field conditions in central Queensland, Australia, Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47:81-85. http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/papaya.pdf
• Raja, P., Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1996. "Orchid mycorrhizae in Nilgiris in Kodaikanal Hills of South India." Acta Botanica Indica 24: 95-98.
• Ragupathy, S., and A. Mahadevan. 1991. "Ethnobotany of Kodiakarai Reserve Forest." Ethnobotany 3: 81-84.
• Ragupathy, S., Thothathri, K. and A. Mahadevan. 1990. "A new species of Acacia (Mimosaceae) from Thanjavur district." Journal Economic Taxo Botany 14: 751-752.
• Ragupathy, S., Mahadevan, A. and K. Thothathri. 1990. "Acacia minutifolia Ragu. et al. (Leguminosea- Mimosoideae) a new species from Coromandel Coast of Thanjavur district." Journal of Indian Forests 14: 65-66.
• Ragupathy, S., Nagarajan, G. and A. Mahadevan. 1998. "Mycorrhizae in coastal sand dunes of Tuticorin." J. Environ. Biol. 19(3): 281-284.
• Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1998. "Floristic Ecology of Mangroves of Coromandel Coast of Thanjavur district." J. Indian Forester 24(4): 328-335.
• Ragupathy, S., Nagarajan .G., A. Mahadevan. 1996. "Bio-fertilisers for wasteland reclamation." Journal of Agrarians Move 4: 19-21.
• Raja, P., Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1995. "Mycorrhizal association of Pteridophytes of Nilgiris and Kodikanal Hills, South India." Acta Botanica Indica 23(23): 181-186.
• Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1994. "Profile of VA mycorrhizal fungi and nodulation of legumes in the Coromandel Coast of Thanjavur District." Journal of Plant Science Research 10: 1-7.
• Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1992. "Additional host species for Loranthus and their localities in Thanjavur district flora." Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 89: 149-150.
• Ragupathy , S. and A. Mahadevan. 1991. "Distribution of VA Mycorrhiza in plants and rhizosphere soils." Mycorrhiza 3:123-136.
• Ragupathy, S., and A. Mahadevan. 1991. "Ethnobotany of Kodiakarai Reserve Forest." Ethnobotany 3: 81-84.
• Ragupathy, S., Mohankumar, V. and A. Mahadevan. 1991. "Distribution of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in tropical hydrophytes." Aquatic Botany 36: 287-291.
• Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1990. "Ecology of Vesicular -Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in coastal forests." Indian Journal of Micorobial Ecology 2: 1-9.
• Ganesan, V., Ragupathy S., Parthipan B., Rajini Rani, D. B. and A. Mahadevan. 1990. "Distribution of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in coal, lignite and calcite mine soils of India." Biology and Fertility of Soils 12: 131-136.
• Mohankumar, V,. Ragupathy, S., Nirmala, C .B. and A. Mahadevan. 1988. "Distribution of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae in sandy beach soils of Madras coast." Current Science 57: 367-388.

Book and book chapters

• Ragupathy, S. and S.G. Newmaster. 2004. FOIBIS data structure and model. Global Biodiversity Information Facility Portal Memorandum and understanding. Mexico.
• Newmaster, S.G. and S. Ragupathy. 2005. Flora Ontario Integrated Botanical Information System (FOIBIS). OAC Herbarium, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Guelph, ON. [Online] available at: http://www.uoguelph.ca/foibis/
• Gajendran N.and S. Ragupathy. 2004.Plant diversity of Kalpakkam. Indira Gandhi Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, Chennai, Department of Atomic Energy, Government Publication.
• Newmaster, S.G. and S. Ragupathy. 2003. Polyclavis©: A multi access key to the Flora of Ontario. OAC Herbarium, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Guelph, ON.
• Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1996. Traditional medicine and their ethnobotany among Dravidian tribal communities. In T.M. Menon (eds.) Encyclopedia of Dravidian Tribes. International School of Dravidian Linguistics, Kerala, India
• Raja, P., Ramesh, C., Dharmarajan, S., Bojon, C., Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1994. Axenic cultivation, enzymatic and electron microscopy on vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. IN: Tewari et al. eds. New approaches in Micorbial Ecology.(Dr. K. J. Mukerji Festchrift Volume) Athithia Books Private Ltd., New Delhi. 206-219.

Scientific Reports

• Gajendiran, N.and S. Ragupathy.2003. Flora of Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research -Campus and PFBR site: I. Check list and key for identification., Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, Department of Atomic Energy, Chennai, India. IGC-248.
• Gajendiran, N.and S. Ragupathy. 2003. Flora of Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research - Campus and PFBR site: II. Plant diversity analysis., Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, Department of Atomic Energy, Chennai, India. IGC-252.
• Gajendiran, N.and S. Ragupathy. 2003. The Floristic Composition of Kalpakkam, Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research, Department of Atomic Energy, Chennai, India. IGC-258.
• Ragupathy, S. 2000. Techno-Economic Feasibility Study for Hyderabad Byepass Expressway, Kampsax International A/S, Stamholmen 112, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Copenhagen-Denmark in Association with Kampsax India Ltd. II-B "Nawazish" 17, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Chennai.
• Ragupathy, S. 2000. Mycorrhzial species identification for Malaysian Agr Hi-Tech S/B, Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), Malaysia.
• Ragupathy, S. 2000. Biodiversity impact assessment study for CHEM Plast industry, East Coast, Cuddalur. Through SGS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, Chennai, India. 64 pp.
• Ragupathy, S. 2000. Biodiversity impact assessment study for Exide battery industry, Hosur. Through SGS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, Chennai, India. 52 pp.
• Ragupathy, S. 2000. Biodiversity impact assessment study for Malco Industry Ltd., Mettur. Through SGS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, Chennai, India. 45 pp.
• Ragupathy, S. 2000. Biodiversity impact assessment study for Trishakthi Energy (TSE) Power Ltd., Madras coast. Through SGS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, Chennai, India. 73 pp.
• Mahadevan .A and S. Ragupathy. 1992 "Status of Ectomycorrhizal association of Tropical trees in India" Mycorrhiza News Letter. 4(1): 1-3.
• Ashwath. N. and S. Ragupathy. 1992 Bibliography on restoration of disturbed mine sites and ecophysiology of native plants. Office of Supervising Scientist (OSS) Internal Report, N T, Australia. IR 93. 98 pp.

Conference/Proceedings Papers (*in person- presentation)

• *Ragupathy, S and S.G Newmaster. 2005. “Managing our future” for Shoreline erosion control, Sustainability and Continuity. Proceedings of Coastal Erosion and Control.  Department of Disaster Management, SASTRA University, India. pp54.
• Newmaster, S.G., J. Levac, M. Irvine and *S. Ragupathy. 2004. Meeting the Challenge of Invasive Alien Plants on Ontario’s Crown land. OMNR publication, Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
• *Ragupathy, S., J. Levac and S.G. Newmaster. 2004. Invasive species detection, eradication and management, two days workshop conducted by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Ottawa.
• *Ragupathy, S. and S.G. Newmaster. 2004. FOIBIS data structure and model. Global Biodiversity Information Facility Portal Memorandum and understanding. Mexico.
• *Vicky, V.B., N. Ashwath, E. Tentori, F.B. Bello, V. Venugopal, S. Ragupathy, and A. Poomrabeab, 2000. “Characterisation of Sediments from the Lower Fitzroy Catchment in Central Queensland, Australia” 21st Annual Meeting, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry”, Nashville, Tennessee, USA,12 – 16. 
• *Ragupathy, S., D. Orr and K. Walsh. 1998. Functional diversity/infectivity of mycorrhizal fungi in two native pasture communities in northern Australia. In: Eldridge, D. and D. Freudenberger. ed. VI International Rangeland Congress Proceedings, Townsville, Australia, 3715-
• *Ragupathy, S., Walsh, K., Macleod, N. and R. Elder. 1998. Effect of straw mulching on papaya mycorrhiza. " Managing our future for innovation, sustainability, continuity, Australian Society of Horticultural Science Conference. Australia Melbourne. p 69.
• Ragupathy, S., *Ashwath, N. and A. Mahadevan. 1997. Acacias and mine rehabilitation: the need for inoculating acacias with mycorrhizal fungi, Forestry Program, ACIAR Acacia Publication, Australia. In: Turnbull, J. W., H.R. Crompton and K. Pinyopusarerk. eds. Recent Developments in Acacia Planting. Proceedings of an International workshop held in Hanoi, Vietnam, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 274-280.
• Ragupathy, S. and N. *Ashwath. 1997. Low diversity of mycorrhizal fungi in serpentinised habitats of Rockhampton Malborough region, Australia. In: Ahonen-Jonnarth et al. eds. Second International Conference on Mycorrhiza. SLU, Uppsala, Sweden. p. 141.
• *Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadeva, 1996. "Effect of mycorrhizal treatments on the growth of Acacias". First International Conference on Mycorrhizae University of California, Berkeley, USA, 1996.
• *Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1995. Endomycorrhizal fungi to agument biomass production of plants. National Conference on conversion and utilization of biomass, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Integrated Rural Energy Planning and Development. 
• *Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1995. Effect of different mycorrhizal treatments on the growth of Peltophorum pterocarpum. In: Adholeya, A. and S. Singh. ed. Mycorrhizae: biofertilizer for the future. Proceedings of third National Conference on Mycorrhiza, Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi. 390-393.
• *Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1993. Vesicular-Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi distribution influenced by salinity gradient in a coastal tropical forests. In: Soreiangara, Supriyanto (eds). Second Asian Conference on Mycorrhiza, Bogor, Indonesia, BIOTROP Special Publication.No 42. 91-97.
• *Rajini Rani, D. B., Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1993. Incidence of vesicular-arbuscualr mycorrhizal fungi in coal wastes. In: Soreiangara, Supriyanto (eds) Proceedings of Second Asian Conference on Mycorrhiza, Bogor, Indonesia. BIOTROP Special Publication No 42. 77-80.
• *Balaji, B., Ganesan, V., Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1993. Survey of vesicular - arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi infected plants. In: Soreiangara, Supriyanto (eds). Second Asian Conference on Mycorrhiza, Bogor, Indonesia, BIOTROP Special Publication. No 42. 99-100.
• *Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan. 1992. "Profile of VA mycorrhizal fungi and nodulation of legumes in the Coromandel coast". International Symposium on Mycorrhiza in Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry ,University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, 1992.
• *Ragupathy, S. and A. Mahadevan 1989. “Vegetation and new records to the flora of Thanjavur district". XI th Annual Conference on the Indian Botanical Society, Bharadidasan University, India.
• *Ragupathy, S., Mohankumar, V. and A. Mahadevan. 1988. Distribution of Vesicular - Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Thanjavur District Flora. In: A. Mahadevan, N. Raman and K. Natarajan (eds). First Asian Conference on Mycorrhiza, Madras, India, University of Madras. 95-99.

Article in preparation:

• Ragupathy S. and S.G. Newmaster. 2009.  Consensus of Inter-Intra cultural Repository Knowledge for drug development, 2008. Human Ecology.
• Ragupathy S. and S.G. Newmaster. 2009. Testing tree Barcoding in a closely related medicinal trees of tropics. PLOS.