Name: Chandrakanth Emani (Chandra) (he/him)
PhD: Plant Molecular Genetics, Osmania University, India, 1997
What was your main area of research?
PhD - (1992-97) As a Junior Research Fellow of Rockefeller Foundation and a Ciba-Geigy Research Fellow at Osmania University (India), my research involved the construction of gene libraries in peanut and isolation of the Fatty Acid Desaturase genes (genes that code for lowering cholesterol levels in peanut oil).
Postdoc (1997-2009) - As a Rockefeller Visiting Scientist, I was at Texas A&M University conducting research in Plant Genetic Engineering of Sorghum, Cotton, Rice, Tobacco, Soybean, Gene mapping in wheat, and molecular analysis of circadian rhythms in cyanobacterium.
As an Assistant Professor and later a tenured Associate Professor at Western Kentucky University (2010-2023), my research involved plant-based (basil, ginger, tobacco and mint) pharmaceutical compounds as integrative treatment options for cancer, mammalian and plant tissue culture, agrigenomics, bioinformatics aimed at molecular evolution of cancer protein domains, and phytoremediation to reclaim cultivable land near oil fields
What is your current job?
I am a Research Scientist (Crop Transformation and CRISPR-Cas Gene editing) at MyFloraDNA in Sacramento, California.
My job includes several things:
Develop research plans and implement optimized plant transformation protocols for crop genome modification through CRISPR-Cas gene editing in Cannabis, Hemp and peanut.
Manage, design, and execute tissue culture media optimization and transformation protocols to achieve the desired genetic modifications and support genotyping/phenotyping of the events.
Be current on the latest advancements in transformation and genome modification approaches.
Advance new tools and transformation methods to enhance gene-editing efficiency in crops.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop project goals, timelines, and deliverables.
Identify and troubleshoot problems and provide creative solutions to overcome challenges.
Develop SOPs and manage day-to-day lab activity for the gene-editing transformation pipeline.
Analyze, interpret, and prepare accurate technical reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
Effectively communicate the ideas and findings to the team and the management
Develop cross-functional teamwork and work effectively with other scientists, technicians, and interns.
Provide effective supervision of any support employees assigned to this area occasionally.
I love that I get to understand the fascinating science of plants at the molecular (DNA and genes) level and the fact that I can create novel plant varieties through gene-editing.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
I applied for this position through LinkedIn jobs when I took the conscious decision to transition into industry after a 25-year academic life.
PhD graduate ➡️ Post-doctoral fellow (12 years) ➡️ Assistant Professor (5 years) ➡️ Associate Professor (tenured-8 years) ➡️ Research Scientist (present)
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
I had a 25-year academic career, but reinvented myself and changed my outlook when compounding life events related to better economic dividends (a better paycheck for growing family needs and the unrealistic expectations to continually attract big research grants) resulted in me missing research in cutting-edge plant science. Though I loved teaching a lot, I reached a plateau in terms of the excitement I wanted to feel getting up in the morning to go to my lab.
Was it a difficult decision? Partly, because my peers felt it was a "gutsy move" to leave the comfort of a tenured position. But in the end, encouragement and the analytical process of reinventing myself and my thought process, especially the support I received for the change (in terms of critical and motivational aspects) from my wife, led me to take the decision to switch tracks from academia to industry.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
The most important fact of life....BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
Seek the right advice from peers who don't sugar-coat nor misinform about the exact facts of academic and non-academic career paths.
Rewrite your long 15 page resume into a one-page resume that in a nutshell highlights your skills, expertise and a brief research philosophy that informs about your ability to contribute to the company you are applying to. Never send a generic resume. Every job you apply to should be with a resume that is contextual to the needs of the place where you are applying to.
IF OPPORTUNITY DOES NOT KNOCK, BUILD A DOOR... When you set out for a non-academic career or transition from academia, build a diverse network (LinkedIn is a great resource to develop a network and sell yourself).
As for books, read THE DOUBLE HELIX by James Watson and Peter Medawar's ADVICE TO A YOUNG SCIENTIST.