Molecular Entomology

Krishna Chaitanya Tirunagaru serves as faculty in charge of the World Wide Fund (WWF) Project and as the Faculty representative for the Institution's Innovation Council (IIC) at NMIMS, India. Dr. Tirunagaru is an expert in Agricultural Entomology, with Ph.D. from Annamalai University, India, with specialization in insect taxonomy, making significant contributions to the field, having discovered and described 26 new species of insects within the Encyrtidae family of Hymenoptera. His accolades include Fellowship with the Royal Entomological Society, UK.Arshad Ali is Assistant Professor at the Department of Zoology, Gandhi Faiz-e-Aam College, Shahjahanpur, India. He completed his Ph.D. (Agricultural Entomology) from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India, and Postdoctoral fellowship from Dr. D.S. Kothari's Postdoctoral Fellowship from UGC, New Delhi, India. Dr. Ali has been teaching Zoology at the undergraduate level and Entomology at the postgraduate level for the last 12 years and has research experience of 16 years. His research focuses on population dynamics, economic entomology, and insect pest management mainly through biological pest control and bio-pesticides.Kennedy Ningthoujam is currently serving as Assistant Professor (Sr. Scale) Entomology in School of Crop Protection, CPGS-AS, CAU (I) Umiam, Meghalaya, India. He was awarded TNAU Gold Medal in Best Thesis Award during his M.Sc. in Agricultural Entomology from TNAU, Coimbatore, India in 2008 after which he went on to complete a Ph.D. in Entomology from IARI, New Delhi, India. He was also awarded ICAR-JRF (with Fellowship) during his M.Sc.; ICAR-SRF (with Fellowship) and IARI (Merit Fellowship) during Ph.D. degree period. He also serves as Principal Investigator (PI) of 3 externally funded projects (1 DBT and 2 DST-SERB). He has isolated and submitted 32 Bt strains from Northeast region (of which 4 are novel strains) in NAIMCC, ICAR-NBAIM, UP, India, and has reported 12 species of fruit flies for the first time in India of which 6 fruit flies are new species belonging to the tribe Dacini and Acanthonevrini.Anup Chandra has a Doctoral degree in 'Entomology' from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. He joined the Agricultural Research Service (ARS-ICAR) in the discipline of 'Agricultural Entomology' and holds expertise in the field of Pulse Entomology, especially on sucking insect pests. He is recipient of awards viz., IAHF-Young Scientist Award-2017, Best Scientist Award-2014 (ICAR RC for NEH Region, Arunachal Pradesh Centre, India), 4th North East Award 2013 (IMD, Govt. of India), Excellence for Outstanding Dissemination of Agromet Advisories for Farming Community Award-2014 (IMD, Govt. of India), Best Team Award-2023 (ICAR-IIPR Kanpur, India). Presently, he serves as Senior Scientist in the Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.Mahesh Pathak serves as Professor of Entomology and Incharge School of Crop Protection, College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Umiam, Meghalaya, India. He obtained his Ph.D. in Plant Protection from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India in the year 2008. He is a Fellow of the Entomological Society of India, Society of Plant Protection Sciences and Applied Zoologist Research Association. He also has experience in establishing the Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre (IBDC), and Centre of Excellence in Beekeeping in Arunachal Pradesh, India. He is the recipient of several awards including Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protshahan Puraskar, Young Scientist Award, Eminent Scientist Award, Best Extension Professional Award, and Aryabhatt Samman Pattar.Rojeet Thangjam has a Ph.D. in Entomology (2018) from the Department of Entomology, AAU, Jorhat, Assam, India. His significant contribution to entomological fields includes his work on insect vectors, IPM, and apiculture. During his Master's and Ph.D. Thesis, he worked on the detection of phytoplasma and viruses from their vectors respectively, through molecular techniques. He has identified 6 new species of stingless bee under the genus Tetragonula and Lepidotrigona, recorded many insects from NE India for the first time, and also documented many edible insects from the region. He has also received many awards in Best Poster Presentation, Best Oral Presentation, and Young Achiever Award 2020 at National and International Conferences.

• PrefaceAbout the Authors1. Molecular Biology Techniques2. Analysis of DNA and RNA in Insects3. Genetic Improvement of Natural Enemies4. Genes of Interest in Entomology5. Transgenic Plants for Pest Resistance6. Insect Gene Transformation7. DNA Fingerprinting for Taxonomy and Phylogeny8. DNA Diagnostics and Sf Transgenic TechnologyReferences

“The book is a significant scholarly work that explores the intricate world of insects from a molecular perspective. The subject matter is presented in a clear, well-organized manner, making complex scientific concepts accessible while maintaining academic depth. The content provides a comprehensive overview of modern entomological research, focusing on genetics, physiology, molecular signaling, and their applications in pest management and crop protection. The continuity between topics ensures that the book can serve not only as a reference text but also as a teaching resource. The treatment is current and technically sound, reflecting the rapid advances in molecular biology and their integration into entomology.The collaborative effort of the authors deserves appreciation for producing a resource that will enrich academic study and support applied research in the rapidly expanding field of molecular entomology.”— Dr. Wajid Hasan, Bihar Agricultural University, India