People

Sarasan, Viswambharan

Job Title Research Scientist
Department Horticulture and Public Education
Section Micropropagation
Science Teams UK Overseas Territories
Joined Kew
Foreign Language(s)

Qualifications & Appointments

BSc, Univ. Kerala, India, 1982

MSc, Univ. Kerala, India, 1987

PhD, Univ. Kerala, India, 1992

PhD, Univ. East London, 1998

Role

In vitro biodiversity conservation of recalcitrant and critically endangered plants

Development of novel sterilization protocols for recalcitrant and woody plants collected from wild sites and glasshouses. Application of unconventional weaning methods for Critically Endangered tree species. Use of supporting materials and closures are being investigated. Chromosome doubling in vitro and breeding of endangered plants; and model systems and its application in phylogenetic studies. Development of autotrophic micropropagation systems in recalcitrant plants such as Ramosmania to produce quality propagules. Application of forced ventilation and CO

Projects

Application of Unconventional Supporting Systems for the Rooting of Critically Endangered Tree Species

In Vitro Conservation of Bottle Palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (L. Bailey) H.E. Moore)

In Vitro Propagation of Café Marron (Ramosmania rodriguesii, Rubiaceae)

Selected Publications 2001-2005

Sarasan, V., Roberts, A.V. & Rout, G.R. (2001). Methyl laurate and 6-benzyladenine promote germination of somatic embryos of a hybrid rose. Plant Cell Reports 20: 183-186.

Sarasan, V., Ramsay, M.M. & Roberst, A.V. (2002). In vitro germination and induction of direct somatic embryogenesis in 'Bottle Palm' [Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (L. Bailey) H.E. Moore], a critically endangered Mauritian palm. Plant Cell Reports 20: 1107-1111.

Kerermani, M.J., Sarasan, V., Roberts, A.V., Yokoya, K., Wentworth, J. & Sieber, V.K. (2003). Oryzalin-induced chromosome doubling in Rosa and its effect on morphology and pollen viability. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 107:1195-1200.

Sarasan*, V. & Roberts, A.V. (2004). In vitro chromosome doubling. In Encyclopedia of plants and crops. New York: Marcel Dekker Inc. 572-575.

Sarasan, V., Ramsay*, M.M. & Roberts*, A.V. (2005). Rescue of endangered palms by in vitro methods: the case of 'bottle palm'. In Jain, S.M. & Gupta, P.K. (eds) Protocol for somatic embryogenesis in woody plants. Netherlands: Springer. 267-274.

Selected Publications pre-2001

Sarasan, V. & Nair, G.M. (1991). Tissue culture of medicinal plants; Morphogenesis, direct regeneration and somatic embryogenesis. In Prakash, J. & Pierik, R.L.M. (eds) Horticulture-New Technologies and Applications. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic. 237-240.

Sarasan, V. Thomas, E., Lawrence, B., Nair & G.M. (1993). Plant regeneration in Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) through direct and indirect adventitious shoot development. Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops 2: 34-40

Sarasan, V., Soniya, E.V. & Nair, G.M. (1994). Regeneration of 'Indian Sarsaparilla', Hemidesmus indicus R. Br., through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 32: 284-287.

Yokoya, K., Walker, S. & Sarasan, V. (1996). Regeneration of rose plants from cell and tissue cultures. In Morisot, A. & Ricci, P. (eds) Acta Horticulturae 424: 333-337.

Rout, G.R., Samantaray, S., Mottley, J., Yokoya, K., Mandegaran, Z., Sarasan, V., Kandasamy, K., Roberts, A.V. & Das, P (1998). Histology of in vitro organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis in callus cultures of Rosa. Biologia 53: 121-126.