Dr Yogendra Kalenahalli is an Indian national with a Ph.D. in Plant Biotechnology from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India. Dr Yogendra's primary research interests encompass CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing, metabolomics, proteomics, and enhancing plant resistance to biotic stress.
Dr Yogendra has effectively employed systems biology methodologies, including metabolomics and proteomics, to unravel the biochemical mechanisms underlying resistance in various plant-pathogen interactions. Dr Yogendra has investigated resistance mechanisms in peanut-Aspergillus pathosystem, potato-Phytophthora infestans, and wheat-Fusarium graminearum interactions. Dr Yogendra also spearheaded a team conducting a systems biology study of transcription factors that regulate plant-pathogen interactions in potato and wheat. Among his achievements, he identified several resistance-related metabolites that reinforce cell walls, enhancing resistance against late blight in potatoes.
Before joining ICRISAT, Yogendra held positions as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Australia (2016-2020), and the Department of Plant Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada (2012-2016).