About
A life shaped by laboratories, fields, and the long arc of inquiry.
Dr. Penna Suprasanna's career spans four decades of contribution to Indian and international science — from foundational work in plant tissue culture to global leadership in nuclear agriculture and climate-resilient crop improvement.
Biography
Dr. Penna Suprasanna is an internationally recognized scientist whose work has helped shape modern approaches to crop improvement through biotechnology and nuclear techniques.
Trained in botany at Osmania University, Hyderabad, he joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) early in his career and went on to lead its Plant Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture programs. His research established robust in-vitro mutagenesis platforms for crops as diverse as sugarcane, rice, banana, and ornamentals.
Over the decades, Dr. Suprasanna's group contributed to a deeper understanding of abiotic stress signalling — particularly salinity, drought and oxidative stress — and translated these findings into breeding strategies for resilient cultivars. He has been a sustained contributor to IAEA and FAO collaborative programs on mutation breeding for food security.
Beyond research, he has mentored generations of doctoral students, served on numerous editorial boards, and shaped national policy on biotechnology and sustainable agriculture. His writing — across more than 350 publications and a dozen books — continues to be widely cited.
Career timeline
A path, in stations
1983
M.Sc. in Botany, Osmania University, Hyderabad; early work on plant tissue culture systems.
1988
Ph.D. in Plant Sciences; entered the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
1995
Established protocols for in-vitro mutagenesis in sugarcane and ornamentals.
2000
Postdoctoral research at KU Leuven, Belgium.
2005
Led the Plant Biotechnology Section, BARC.
2014
Head, Nuclear Agriculture & Biotechnology Division.
2019
Distinguished Scientist; international advisory roles with IAEA and FAO.
2024
Dean & Director, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Mumbai.
Leadership
Current & past positions
Dean & Director, Amity Institute of Biotechnology
Amity University Mumbai · 2024–present
Former Head, Nuclear Agriculture & Biotechnology Division
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre · 2014–2019
Distinguished Scientist Emeritus
Department of Atomic Energy
Visiting Faculty
Homi Bhabha National Institute
International Advisor
IAEA/FAO Joint Division — mutation breeding programs
Affiliations
Academic & professional
- Fellow, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
- Fellow, Maharashtra Academy of Sciences
- Member, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) advisory groups
- Member, Indian Society for Plant Physiology
- Member, Society for Plant Biochemistry & Biotechnology
- Editorial Board, Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture