You are looking at home page of N.Ramaiah. from Gulya,Karnataka, presently working as Scientist at NIO, Goa, in Biological Oceanography Division .

I am happy to recollect my very first visit to the NIO in 1979 as a final year undergraduate student. On the same day my classmates and I were visiting NIO on an educational tour, the visit of the then Prime Minister Mr. Morarjee Desai was scheduled. This meant that it was not possible for us -security reasons- to go inside the labs. So, we were briefed outside the building on the activities of this great institute. The one wishful thought that went through my mind then was to get a chance to work in this place. Fortunately for me, I did get this chance almost immediately after my Masters in Fisheries Science (1982). And, another fortunate thing was to have been asked to join marine microbiology group with Dr. D. Chandramohan as our leader.

Well, what have I been doing all these years? My initial interests ranged from bdellovibrios to microbial denitrification in the sea. In 1984, Dr. Chandramohan suggested that I should work with light emitting marine bacteria. I did study them and got my Ph. D. in 1989. I think the high point with that work has been an extensive (area sampled: over 9 million sq. km.) and systematic study on occurrence, distribution and species composition of the "thither to" little known group from this part of the world oceans. This work has been very pleasing to me. (of course!) By the way, the Indian Ocean has been known to sailors for an array of amusing displays of bioluminescence. I have worked on physiology and application of bacterial bioluminescence. In addition, certain aspects of molecular genetics of luxA were investigated when I was an Overseas Associate (a one year Fellowship by the Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi) in Dr. Rita Colwell's lab at the Center of Marine Biotechnology in Baltimore.

The next area of work that has kept me fascinated -and continuing to do so- is the general microbial ecology. I have been interested in understanding the microbial heterotrophic potential from the various regimes of the Indian Ocean. I have made extensive measurements of bacterial growth rates and abundance in an effort of fine tuning our grasp of the Arabian Sea Biology. I think I will want to continue with this work for some time to come. I have participated in many sponsored projects to look at many microbiological aspects. I often feel happy that my participation in such projects has been useful to earn the institute much desired external moneys.

My wife, Neelam, also a Ph. D., is full of support to me always. Our son, Manish, going to be nine in October 1998, is a jolly good fella with a terrific sense of humour (I vouch his is far better than mine and I love that!). I guess my parents (farmers by profession) deep in interior Karnataka might never have imagined that their only son (I have one sister) would choose a career far removed from what they and their parents did for generations.

Interested in a chat with me?
Reach me on Email: ramaiah@csnio.ren.in OR Ring up at 228937(H); 221322-xtn 4238 (W).