Dr. Rakesh Minocha

USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station 271 Mast Road Durham, NH  03824

Telephone: 603-868-7622  Fax: 603-868-7604

 

Education:

Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 1985.
M.S. Zoology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 1978.
M.Sc. (Hons), Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 1976.
B.Sc. (Hons), Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, 1975.

Professional Positions:

1986 - Present: Research Biochemist, USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Durham, NH; Affiliate Professor, University of New Hampshire, Department of Plant Biology since 1991 and Department Natural Resources since 1997.

1996 - (January to July). Visiting Scientist, Forestry Research Institute, Rotorua, New Zealand.

1991 - (Summer): Visiting Scientist, Agricultural University of Norway, Ås, Norway.

1989 - (January-August): National Science Foundation Visiting Research Scientist, Biological Institute, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.

1987 - (March-September): Research Scientist and Principal Investigator, AETA Corporation, Portsmouth, NH. Part-time position supported by National Science Foundation grant.

1984 - 85 (September-May): Dissertation Fellow for Ph.D. University of New Hampshire.

1982 - 84 (September-May): Research Assistant, Ph.D. Student, University of New Hampshire.

1981 - 82 (September-April): Visiting Graduate Student, University of Frankfurt, Germany.

Current Research:  

Long-term goals of my research are: 1) to develop early biochemical indicators of abiotic and biotic stress in forest trees 2) to be able to predict early on any changes in forest productivity caused by abiotic or biotic factors via the study of several physiological parameters including changes in cellular levels of certain nitrogenous metabolites and the activities of their enzymes and rates of photosynthetic activity. At present, as a part of various interdisciplinary research teams, our project is also involved in several studies to determine the wood core chemistry and foliar chemistry (including inorganic cations, polyamines, amino acids, soluble proteins, and chlorophyll) at various sites in the Northeastern US in order to determine correlation between these parameters and other data on root, soil, and soil solution chemistry collected by our cooperators and collaborators. So far, putrescine, a polyamine, and arginine have shown the potential to be used as early indicators of physiological stress under field conditions.

Collaborators In Past 5 Years:  Aber, John D. (Univ. of New Hampshire), Ackerman, Steven (University of Massachusetts), Bailey, Scott (USFS), Bazzaz, Fakhari A. (Harvard, Univ.), Blum, Joel (Univ. of Michigan), Eagar, Christopher (USFS), Fagerberg, Wayne (Univ. of New Hampshire), Fahey, Tim (Cornell University), Fernadez, Ivan (Univ. of Maine), Hallett, Rich (USFS), Hollinger, Dave (USFS), Horsley, Stephen, (USFS), Janhke, Leland (Univ. of New Hampshire), Koch, Jennifer (USFS), Lee, Jae Soon (Forest Research Institute, Korea), Long, Robert (USFS ),Magill, Alison (Univ. of New Hampshire), Maki, Hisae (Japan Womens's Univ., Japan), Martin, Mary (Univ. of New Hampshire), Minocha, Subhash C. (Univ. of New Hampshire), McDowell, Bill (Univ. of New Hampshire), McQattie, Carolyn, (USFS), Noh, Eun Woon (Forest Research Institute, Korea), Ollinger, Scott (Univ. of New Hampshire), Rebbeck, Joanne (USFS), Ross, Don, (University of Vermont, Burlington), Rustad, Linsey (USFS), Shortle, Walter (USFS), Smith, Kevin (USFS), Yanai, Ruth (SUNY-ESF), Wargo, Philip (USFS), Wong, Betty (USFS).

Subject Area Index:  Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Acidic Deposition, Global Change, Physiology, Nutrient Cycling, Soils, Ecosystem Management, Research Techniques, Environmental Stress.

Selected Publications:  (or link to: Complete List )