PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Laboratory of Cyanobacterial Systematics,

Banaras Hindu University

Dr. Prashant Singh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. His research combines classical morphology, molecular phylogeny, and genomics to unravel the diversity, evolution, and biogeography of cyanobacteria across diverse ecosystems.

After completing his Ph.D. from the Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Dr. Singh received advanced research training at the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic, one of the world's leading centres for phycological research, and further strengthened his expertise as a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellow at John Carroll University, Cleveland, USA, where he conducted collaborative research on cyanobacterial systematics and evolution. He has also represented India on scientific expeditions to the Arctic Station in Svalbard, Norway, contributing to studies on cyanobacterial diversity in polar ecosystems.

He serves as Associate Editor of the journal Phycologia, is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, and previously served as Curator of the Cyanobacterial Culture Collection at the National Centre for Cell Science, Pune. Over the past decade, Dr. Singh has played a leading role in revitalizing cyanobacterial taxonomy in India through the integration of classical morphology with modern molecular and phylogenomic approaches.

Beyond his research, Dr. Singh is dedicated to cultivating a passion for biodiversity research and conservation among his students. He inspires young researchers to uncover the hidden diversity of cyanobacteria, appreciate their ecological significance, and contribute to their conservation through rigorous taxonomy, systematics, and evolutionary research. His lab members have consistently excelled in academia, with many earning competitive fellowships and securing doctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty positions at nationally and internationally renowned institutions.