Academic qualifications:

Research interests:

• Cell Biology of cancer cells-: Unregulated cell proliferation is one of the most important characteristic feature of cancer cells. Our target is to induce cell death either through apoptosis /autophagy /any other way, in the cervical cancer cell lines using traditional medicinal plants and other organic sources (marine/ fresh water algal compounds, microbial compounds, synthetic organic compounds)to regulate cell proliferation. At the same time, we are also interested in identifying the bioactive compounds and their mode of action in regulating cell proliferation.
• Plant biology- Contamination of arable soil with cadmium (Cd) is a major agricultural problem worldwide. Being highly mobile, Cd can be taken up by the plants and get accumulated in the aerial parts and grains. Crops, particularly irrigated rice (Oryza sativa) are suggested as the main source of cadmium intake in human (United Nation Environment Programme,2008) causing serious threat for human health. As of now, there is no existing data regarding cadmium content of the rice grain and the rice growing fields of West Bengal. Therefore, it is important to study the cadmium status of the landraces and cultivars growing in West Bengal (both kharif and boro). Our research also encompasses cadmium amelioration in rice.



In the context of sustainable agriculture, applications of nanofertilizers are widely encouraged for increasing crop production. Utilizations of nanofertilizers are potentially effective in reducing the overuse of different agrochemicals which are toxic for human health. We are interested to study the use of nanocomposites for plant growth enhancement and at the same time want to improve nitrogen utilization efficiency in rice with the help of urea-nanocomposites under lab and field conditions.

Selected list of publications:

Journals

Pal R, Kundu R( 2015): Risk assessment of some selected vegetables grown in metal contaminated soilsupplements. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. ,India, Sect. B Biol. SciDOI:10.1007/s40011-015-0491-3.

Chirantani Mukherjee, Subhabrata Paul, Rita Kundu(2015): Comparative evaluation of antiproliferative activity of Solanum nigrummethanolic and aqueous extract on HeLa, SiHa and C33A cells; International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol 7, Issue 4, 320-324 ISSN- 0975 – 1491

Indira Majumder, Subhabrata Paul, Rita Kundu (2015): Anti- cancerous and anti-tumorous activity of algae- a review; International Journal of Innovative Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research; Rita Kundu et.al / 3 (2), 72-89 ISSN (online) 2347-2154

Sayani Chatterjee, Indira Majumder, Sudeshna SenRoy and Rita Kundu(2015) :A comparative account of anti- proliferative effects of Catenella sp. on different cervical cancer cell lines; International Journal of Innovative Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research; Rita Kundu et.al/ IJIPSR/ 3(3), 203-211 ISSN (online)2347-2154