Muruganantham (Murug) Mookkan Ph.D.

Muruganantham (Murug) Mookkan Ph.D. has a diverse work experience spanning over several years. Currently, Murug works at Plastomics, Inc. as the Soybean Transformation Discovery Lead and also as a Senior Scientist in Plant Transformation, starting in 2019. Prior to that, Murug held the position of Research Scientist at the University of Missouri-Columbia from 2016 to 2019, and served as a Postdoctoral Researcher from 2013 to 2016. Before joining the University of Missouri-Columbia, Murug worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Georgia from 2010 to 2012, where they focused on characterizing the function of a gene in Pennisetum squamulatum. Murug also gained valuable experience as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Volcani Center from 2006 to 2010, where they standardized the Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) system and developed resistance against Grapevine virus A (GVA). Additionally, Murug worked briefly as a Micropropagation, Plant Nursery Associate at Sri Vel Muruga Nurseries in 2006 and was a MASHAV Fellow at the Volcani Center in 2005.

Muruganantham Mookkan Ph.D. has a strong educational background in the field of biotechnology. Muruganantham (Murug) completed their Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University. Prior to that, they obtained an M.Phil degree in Biotechnology from the same university. Furthermore, Muruganantham holds a Master of Science (MS) degree in Botany from Coimbatore/Kongunadu Arts and Science College. Their undergraduate education was completed at Trichy/Bishop Heber College, where they earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree with a major in Botany and minors in Zoology and Chemistry.