New President of ISEB

On reaching the age of superannuation, Dr. P. Pushpangadan laid down the office of the Director, National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow on 31 January 2006. In his place Dr. Rakesh Tuli, Head of the Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering Division of NBRI, has been appointed as the Director of the Institute. Consequently, Dr. Tuli takes over as the President of International Society of Environmental Botanists (ISEB).

Born on 21 September 1953, Dr. Tuli is a leading molecular biologist, microbial geneticist and biotechnologist of the country. In his distinguished research career he has carried out extensive researches on transgenic plants for agricultural and medicinal applications, edible and plant-based vaccines, genomic diversity in plants, biological nitrogen fixation, secondary metabolism and regulation of gene expression. He has filed several patents and won national and international honours and awards. He is a Fellow of Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Science, Indian Academy of Science and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences besides other academies and societies.

Dr. Tuli has visited a number of foreign countries like U.K., U.S.A., Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland etc. to participate in conferences, seminars, fellowships, as a member of Indian delegation or on invitation to deliver lectures/talks.

Dr. Tuli is a life member of ISEB and was actively associated with the organization of ICPEP-3 as chairman/member of its various organizational committees. He was a lead speaker and chaired a session during the Conference deliberations.

ISEB organized a function on February 1, 2006 to bid farewell to its outgoing President Dr. P. Pushpangadan and to welcome new President Dr. Rakesh Tuli.