Short cv:

I did the bachelor and master degree in microbiology from Gujarat University, India in 2018. After completion of my degree, I joined Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in 2019 as Project Scientific Assistant to understand the role of microorganisms on the carbon and nitrogen fixation rates in the Northern Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal). I have been selected in the CEFIPRA project (India-French collaborative project) as Project Associate in 2021 and am pursuing PhD. I investigate the measurement of single cell (picophytoplankton cell) carbon and nitrogen fixation rates in organic matter. The picophytoplankton is ubiquitously abundant in the ocean. It is important to measure the contribution of this group in the CO2 sequestration process in the Northern Indian Ocean. For this, I use a flow cytometer to analyse picoplankton abundance. Also, I am using nanoSIMS isotopic imaging in the single cell. Also, looking after the measurement of nitrogen fixation to understand the contribution of nitrogen supply for the growth of phytoplankton to convert dissolved inorganic carbon to organic matter. Apart from the research, I have participated in several workshops. I have attended a workshop on flow cytometry analysis by WHOI’s scientist and SOLAS summer school 2022. To pursue my research, I participated in three scientific cruise expeditions where my responsibility was to collect the sea water sample to analyse for Chlorophyll, picoplankton abundance and microbial ecology. I acquainted the different techniques used to measure the carbon and nitrogen fixation in sea water which involved stable isotope tracer technique and its analysis on EA-IRMS. Also, I have analysed the sample to study the microbial diversity and its metabolic role in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. I am writing papers on the abundance of picophytoplankton and its contribution in the carbon biomass and microbial diversity of Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. I have published two papers as a coauthor. My future is to work on isolation of cyanobacterial diazotrophs and its physiology to understand the behaviour of changing climatic conditions.