Rate My Professor G Seghal Kiran

Dr. G. Seghal Kiran is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, at Pondicherry University. She obtained her B.Sc. in Biochemistry from M.S. University in 2001, M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University in 2003, Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University in 2009, and completed a Post-doctoral fellowship in Metagenomics at University College Cork, Ireland, in 2011. Her professional journey includes serving as CSIR Senior Research Fellow and Young Scientist in Biotechnology at Bharathidasan University, EMBO Fellow in Microbiology at the Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork (2011), and ICMR International Fellow in Microbiology at University College Cork (2015). At Pondicherry University, she has progressed through the ranks from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and now Professor in Food Science and Technology. Dr. Kiran has been honored with the NASI-Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Medal in 2013, DST-Women Excellence Award in 2017, EMBO Fellowship in 2011, and ICMR International Fellowship in 2015.

Dr. G. Seghal Kiran specializes in food system microbiomes, metagenomics, and antimicrobial resistance, with research interests encompassing biofilm control, gut microbiome roles in health and disease, nutritional interventions for human gut microbiome eubiosis, microbiome biobanking, functional foods, and bioprocess technology. She has led multiple funded research projects, including the DST-CONACYT project on anti-infective molecules from marine bacteria targeting virulence and biofilms (2017, Rs. 18 Lakh), DST Women Excellence project elucidating polyhydroxybutyrates degradation intermediates (2017, Rs. 18 Lakh), DBT project on high-throughput selection of polyhydroxyalkanotes from marine sponge metagenomes (2013-2016, Rs. 52 Lakh), and DST Indo-Ireland project on biosurfactants from marine sponge metagenomes (2012-2015). Key publications include "Microbiome definition re-visited: old concepts and new challenges" (Microbiome, 2020, over 2,200 citations), "Revealing the effect of lipopeptide on improving the probiotic characteristics: Flavor and texture enhancer in the formulated yogurt" (Food Chemistry, 2022), "Gut microbiome responses in the metabolism of human dietary components: Implications in health and homeostasis" (Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2022), "Anti-diabetic Potential of a Stigmasterol From the Seaweed Gelidium spinosum" (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2021), and "Fermentation microbiome and metabolic profiles of Indian palm wine" (Gene Reports, 2022). Her work has profoundly impacted the field, notably through contributions to redefining the microbiome and as an Indian partner in the EU Horizon 2020 Microbiome Support project.