Ricebean: Exploiting the Nutritional Potential of an Underutilized Legume

Dr. Rajan Katoch is currently working as Senior Scientist at the Department of Crop Improvement at CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishivishvavidyalaya, Palampur. He has more than twenty years’ research experience in the field of biochemistry and biotechnology. He is actively involved in research in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology and headed more than ten research projects as Principal Investigator funded by prestigious organizations. He has received several prestigious awards and honors, such as the Young Scientist Award 2001, an award from CSIR, Govt. of India for excellence in biochemistry, Group Study Exchange (GSE) fellowship for South America (Brazil) in 2005, ICAR fellowship in 2011 and DBT Crest award in 2012. He has also received “appreciation awards” from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for his exemplary work on ricebean protease inhibitor as a transgene for resistance in 2011 and for cloning of genes from ricebean for Hessian fly resistancein wheat in 2012. He is a fellow and member of various professional societies and secretary of the Indian Society of Agricultural Biochemists. He has published over 150 papers in high impact peer reviewed international and national journals and has authored twelve successful books.