Overview
The Polar Ecology is key to understanding climate change and how it will impact current and future generations because the polar regions are getting warmer much faster than the rest of the world.
Anand Jain, our next pathbreaker, Scientist E in the Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry section @NCPOR (National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research), evaluates how climate change is affecting microbial communities and vice-versa in the Arctic region.
Anand talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about regularly visiting and conducting field research in the Arctic for the last 10 years, and the subtle changes appearing on the landscape, especially since the glaciers are retreating at a faster rate due to global warming.
For students, there is a huge potential for environmental research especially due to the challenges we face globally whether it is natural disasters, pollution, energy crisis or deforestation, and it doesn’t get any better than experiencing the raw beauty of the Arctic !
Background and Education
Anand, can you share your background with our young readers?
I grew up in tiny yet nationally significant townships of the Department of Atomic Energy at Narora, UP and Rawatbhata, Rajasthan. My father used to work at the Nuclear Power Cooperation of India and therefore, all my schooling, till 12 th standard was done at CBSE-Atomic Energy Central Schools. I was very much interested in science and used to do crazy experiments with my friends. For instance, once we tried making a firework canon, cultivating tomatoes, etc. I also loved playing cricket and I played cricket at every career stage- from schooling to PhD, even after my PhD. I always wanted to do something different from others- I used to do things others may not like. For instance, I took maths and biology in my 11 th and 12 th standards, when all my friends took only Maths. I pursued a BSc in Botany, Zoology and Chemistry when all others were doing Engineering during those days (1998-2001). I went on to do a Masters in Microbiology (2001-2003), cleared CSIR-NET-JRF and pursued a PhD in Microbiology (2009).
What did you do for graduation / post-graduation?
I did my graduation (BSc Life Sciences) from Lachoo Memorial College of Science and Technology, Jodhpur (1998-2001).
My post-graduation (M.Sc Microbiology) is from Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer (2001-2003) .
I subsequently did my PhD (Microbiology) from Goa University.
What were some of the key influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and unique career in Environmental Microbiology?
My interest in the field of microbiology has been passionately cultivated by my voracious appetite for scientific knowledge, my dedication to its study, and my fascination with its constantscope of spawning novel ideas and innovations. With such orientation, I developed a keen interest in the subject and armed myself with in-depth theoretical knowledge and practical skills, prerequisites for a robust career in research and innovation.
Career Path
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
The beginning
My humble beginning in the field of microbiological research as a post-grad was motivated by my desire to provide the solution to the problem of fluoride contamination in drinking water in the state of Rajasthan, India. For that, I studied the fluoride bioaccumulation potential of an epilithic cyanobacteria Aulosira prolifica. The results were promising, as we observed a significant amount of fluoride removal by live cyanobacterial culture from the fluoride contaminated drinking water. To fulfill my desire to become a skilled and well-trained researcher, I joined the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO), India’s premier research institute in Oceanography, as a CSIR-funded NET-qualified Junior Research Fellow. During that time, I came across a very persistent problem of biofouling in the marine environment causing billions of dollars in annual losses to the shipping and other marine industries. Biofouling isthe undesirable accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, and animals on submerged surfaces, particularly those in marine environments.It’s essentially the formation of a biological layer on materials immersed in water, which can lead to various problems like reduced efficiency, increased drag, and even the introduction of invasive species.
I chose to study biofouling problems from the microbiological point of view as my doctoral research topic at CSIR National INstitute of Oceanography Goa. My research on the chemical composition of marine conditioning film and its effect on bacterial adhesion indicated that carbohydrates were the major component of the conditioning film which enhances marine bacterial adhesion to surfaces via polymeric interactions. In addition, my research demonstrated that extracellular polymers play an important role in marine bacterial biofilm stability and structure. Furthermore, I demonstrated that metabolic inhibition reduces marine bacterial adhesion to surfaces. My doctoral research contributed immensely to the existing knowledge on biofouling and has been utilized by several researchers as the basis of further work to date.
As an early career scientist
I began my early career research as an IRCSET-EMPOWER post-doctoral fellow at Dublin City University, Ireland. The enormous biotechnological potential of bacterial biofilms capable of extracellular electron transfer (EET) as clean renewable power sources was captivating and caught my interest. This inspired me to study the mechanism of extracellular electron transfer in Geobacter and Shewanella biofilms to indium tin oxide and graphite electrodes. Spectrophotometric study of EET in live biofilms growing onto transparent electrode surfaces was challenging and there was no method existed for the same. During my post-doctoral research, I developed a simple yet novel spectro-electrochemical cell using a 3 ml plastic cuvette for the characterization of biofilm/electrode interface and reported for the first time electronic absorption spectra of potential depended-stable redox conversion of cytochrome C in Geobacter biofilms. Further, my research demonstrated the increased role of redox mediators in EET in Shewanella biofilms. These researches have contributed immensely to the knowledge of EET in live biofilms and have been highly cited by bioelectrochemical researchers across the globe.
By the time of my post-doctoral fellowship, I realized that most of my research was confined to the laboratory cultures, and the information obtained through experimentation cannot be applied to draw global or generalized conclusions. Therefore, I decided to shift my reserarch towards exploring bacteria in their natural environmental settings. With this in mind, I returned to India and joined CSIR-NIO as a Quick hire fellow (QHF). This was the breakthrough in my research career, as I started working on microbial communities rather than individual bacterial cultures. For that, I learned a variety of molecular biological techniques, starting from DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), clone library construction, Sanger-based DNA sequencing, and data processing using MOTHUR. I utilized these techniques to study factors controlling bacterial community structure in the high nutrient low chlorophyll (HNLC) regions of the Indian Sector of the Southern Ocean and Arabian Sea Oxygen minimum zone. The results obtained from these researches were published in journals of high repute such as Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Deep-sea Research.
As a polar researcher
After completing my stint as QHF at CSIR-NIO, I joined the Ministry of Earth Sciences – National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research MoES-NCPOR (erstwhile, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research ) Goa, as Project Scientist B in 2014 and have been working here since then. Currently, I am leading a research group “Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry” and working as Scientist E. I am associated with the Indian Arctic program and primarily, focusing on how microbial communities are responding to the climate-change-induced variations in the Arctic Ecosystem. At NCPOR, my work has expanded from basic molecular biological techniques such as cloning and Sanger sequencing to next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics. I am also associated with two international research projects dealing with microbes and climate change. I have been to the Arctic seven times and published several research articles from the work carried out in the Arctic region .
How did you get your first break?
I got my first break as CSIR-JRF, after clearing the CSIR-NET-JRF exam. This fellowship allowed me to do a PhD from a reputed CSIR-NIO.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
One of my major challenges was getting a fellowship for my PhD. For that, I cleared the CSIR-NET-JRF exam
After my PhD, I wanted to establish myself as an Independent researcher. Hence, I applied for a Post-doctoral fellowship and was selected for the Irish Post-doctoral fellowship
Through hard work and patience, I finally secured a regular Scientist job in India
Can you talk about your experiences in the Arctic, including challenges, memorable experiences, and some of the field experiments?
The Arctic is a polar region in the northernmost part of the earth (above 60° North latitude). The Arctic is getting warmer four times faster than the rest of the world which reduces sea-ice extent and impacts the ecosystem. The Arctic has 24-hour light during summers (April to October) and 24-hour dark during Polar nights or winters (November to March). The average daily temperature during summer is below 10 °C and during winter is -30 °C. The Arctic is like a second home to me, I visit almost every year, and every time I go to the Arctic it appears new to me. Since I have been visiting the Arctic for the last 10 years I could make out subtle changes appearing on the landscape, especially since the glaciers are retreating. Also, it started raining in the Arctic during summer which is causing faster melting of ice and increased greening (plant growth) of the Arctic.
Our research group is working on how Arctic climate-change-induced variations – including increased microalgal and macroalgal growth, and permafrost melting, are affecting the structure and functions of the microbial communities. We perform several field experiments as well as collect water samples to study microbial communities using molecular ecological techniques- which include DNA isolation and sequencing. The Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry section @ NCPOR has a state-of-the-art DNA sequencing and bioinformatics facility.
In the photo, Dr. Anand Jain holds (A) a freshly collected specimen of the Arctic macroalgae (B) a litter bag containing crushed macroalgae, and (C) bags immersed in a running seawater facility at Marine Laboratory, KingsBay AS.
Current Role
Where do you work now?
I am working as scientist E in the Arctic Ecology and Biogeochemistry section @NCPOR.
What problems do you solve?
We are evaluating how climate change is affecting microbial communities and vice-versa in the Arctic region
Skills and Development
Scientific communication (oral and writing), leadership, teamwork, self-motivation, problem solving and adaptive
Typical Day and Impact
What is a typical day like?
It is always busy with management and research duties.
What is it you love about this job?
It possesses new challenges every day and you don’t have to do the same thing every day
How does your work benefit society?
We work on climate change, which is a global problem. Our research generates a lot of data and statistical analyses that enable policymakers to frame new laws and policies to control or mitigate climate-change.
Memorable Work and Advice
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
There are so many memorable works we did. For instance, we developed a novel spectro-electrochemical technique to study the electron transfer process in live biofilms. Also, we studied how marine bacteria attach to the surface leading to biofouling and our current studies in the Arctic indicate that certain specific groups of marine bacteria respond to climate-change-induced variations.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Self-believe in your abilities, do not copy someone – be yourself, have faith and be patient, attract success- not run behind it, take it easy and enjoy life
Future Plans
Future Plans?
Develop a Polar Microbial culture and genome collection centre.
Contribute to the understanding of how microbes are going to behave under a climate-change scenario.
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