Christina Supramaniam

Dr Christina Vimala Supramaniam BSc, MSc, PhD, PGCHE

Senior Lecturer in Biotechnology

Dr Christina Supramaniam is a biotechnologist with special interest in improving bacterial and fungal microbiome dynamics in agricultural soil and the natural environment. She explores next generation and third generation DNA sequencing techniques to understand and improve plant and soil health. She is keen to develop microbial solutions for the control of fungal pathogens and support regenerative agriculture efforts such as the use of biofertilizers and biochar. Some of her past and present taught modules are research/scientific skills, natural product biotechnology, microbial physiology, molecular plant pathology, environmental biotechnology, plant science, industrial biotechnology and biotechnology entrepreneurship.

Dr Christina Supramaniam is a Senior Lecturer in Biotechnology and a Programme leader for MSc Biotechnology at the University of Greenwich, UK. She obtained her PhD in Biosciences (Molecular Plant Pathology) from the University of Nottingham, UK and worked at the university’s branch campus in Malaysia as an Assistant and Associate Professor in Biosciences.  She is a specialist in Ganoderma basal stem rot disease of oil palm and has provided extension services to farmers in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and India. In 2019, she was selected as one of the University of Nottingham Research Leaders and was subsequently elected as the Director of the Sustainable Palm Oil Research Centre (2019-2020) and co-director of the Future Food Research Centre (2019-2022). She is a member of the Royal Society for Biology and the Association of Applied Biologists, UK. Her way of working is collaborative and inclusive of all diversities.

Biology and biomedical science

Responsibilities within the university
  • Programme Leader, MSc Biotechnology, FES, University of Greenwich Medway Campus
  • Senior Lecturer in Biotechnology, FES, University of Greenwich Medway Campus
  • Link tutor for Biotechnology, Modern Arts and Science (MSA) University, Cairo, Egypt, in partnership with the University of Greenwich.
  • Module leader: BIOC1025 Bioanalytical Techniques
  • Module leader: BIOT1012 Research Skills and Data Management
  • Faculty representative, Decolonizing R&KE
  • School representative, FES Inclusive Group
  • Member, BAME Network
  • Member, Women’s Network

Awards
  • Research Award, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 2021
  • Nottingham Research Leadership Award, 2019
  • Research Award, University-Industry Partnership, Eureka Synergy SB, 2015
  • Best Poster Award, MSMBB Conference, 2013
  • Graduate School Travel Prize, University of Nottingham, 2012
  • Best Poster Award, Crop Protection Symposium, Ghent, Belgium, 2012
  • PhD Scholarship, School of Biosciences: UK-Malaysia, 2008
  • Bronze Medal, UPM Innovation Week, 2002
  • Best Poster, 24th Malaysian Microbiology Society Symposium/UNESCO, 2022
  • Graduate Research Scholarship, UPM, 2000

Recognition
  • Editorial Board Member, Nature NPJ Sustainable Agriculture
  • Review Editor, Host and Microbe Associations, Frontiers in Microbiome
  • Fellow HEA UK (FHEA)
  • Member, Royal Society for Biology
  • Member, Food Quality and Loss Network, Association of Applied Biologists, UK
  • Member, British Society for Plant Pathology
  • Member, International Society of Plant Pathology
  • Associate Researcher, University of Nottingham Malaysia
  • Co-Director, Future Food Malaysia Research Centre, University of Nottingham Malaysia (2019-2022)
  • Working Committee member, Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Certification (MSPO), Government of Malaysia (2018-2022)
  • Research Consultant, Greenplant Organics SB Malaysia (2015-2022)

Research / Scholarly interests
  • Fungal biology
  • Microbiome and metagenome dynamics
  • Regenerative agriculture using biofertilizer and biochar
  • Crop production and food loss/waste
  • Microbiology
  • Plant pathology

Techniques

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular biology
  • Sequencing
  • Bioinformatics
  • Bio-fermenters
  • Waste management

Dr Christina Supramaniam is interested in developing microbial-based bio-stimulants and biological control agents using green biowastes. This includes an understanding of microbial dynamics using microbiome sequencing techniques. She welcomes enquiries from potential collaborators and postgraduate students regarding relevant research projects. Please contact her at c.v.supramaniam@greenwich.ac.uk

Key funded projects

  1. Centre for Functional and Organised Molecules., School of Science, University of Greenwich UK PhD Scholarship Fund, PI & Supervisor (2024-2027) Understanding soil microbiomes under controlled light conditions
  2. Regional Innovation Fund, co-PI (October 2023-April 2024) £8,480
  3. Cascade Grant, Zero Waste, University of Nottingham, co-PI (2021), £5600 Cross-campus student project
  4. Fundamental Research Grant Scheme, Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, PI & Supervisor (2021-2024) RM182,800, Understanding rhizosphere fungal metagenome biodiversity in young oil palm treated with beneficial fungus and biofertilizers
  5. Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, co-PI (2019-2020), £30,000 Small Island food systems project
  6. Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, co-PI (2019-2020), £30,000 Sustainable oil project
  7. Industrial Grant, Green-Plants Organics Malaysia PI & Supervisor (2017-2023), RM578,120, Fertilizer amended with mix cultures of Trichoderma spp. to control basal stem rot diseases in oil palm
  8. Industrial grant, Sime Darby Malaysia, PI & Supervisor (2017-2018) RM65,000, Quantification of lignin monomers as a potential biomarker for Ganoderma tolerance in oil palm
  9. Industrial grant, Eureka Synergy Malaysia PI & Supervisor (2015) RM10,000 Bio-formulation of effective microorganism for the production of oil palm EFB-based bio fertiliser
  10. Industrial grant, KPT Recycle Malaysia PI & Supervisor (2018-2021) RM125,726 Optimisation of biofertilizer from food waste
  11. Industrial grant, Everris Int B.V., Netherlands, co-PI (2017-2018) €100,000 Leaching trial with control release fertiliser for oil palm
  12. Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia, PI & Supervisor (2013-2014) RM15,000 Quantitative expression of defence response in oil palm during pathogenesis of Ganoderma boninense, causal agent of basal stem rots disease (BSR)
  13. Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia, PI & Supervisor (2011-2012) RM26,000 Development of a novel in vitro infection assay for oil palm-Ganoderma host-pathogen interaction system
  14. Science Fund, Ministry of Agriculture Malaysia, PI & Supervisor (2010-2012) RM101,000 Efficacy of chitosan for the suppression of growth and production of ligninolytic enzymes by Ganoderma boninense in vitro.

Recent publications

Publication lists

List of Publication according to Scopus ID 25653509600

Profile available at ORCID 0000-0003-1604-1950

Book chapters

  1. Yap, CC., Ng, WPQ, Chong, MF, Supramaniam, CV., Chan, YJ, Loh SK., Ng, DKS (2017) Challenges and Potential of Palm-based Biomass and Palm Oil Mill Effluent for the Production of Sustainable Power and Value-Added Products. In: Oil Palm: Production, Impacts and Challenges, Nova Science Publishers. (Invited book chapter).

Refereed journals (ISI/WoS/Scopus Journals)

  1. Stella Matthews, Yasmeen Siddiqui, Christina Vimala Supramaniam, Asgar Ali (2024) Boosting Capsicum annuum growth through a non-native endophytic bacterial consortium. Journal of Plant Growth and Regulation, pp 1-22.
  2. Chiew Foan Chin, Ee Von Goh, Andrew C Clarke, Michelle Li Ern Ang, Pau Loke Show, Christina V Supramaniam, Asgar Ali, Susan Azam-Ali, Richard Beyer, Alvin Culaba, Heli Siti Halimatul Munawaroh, Kinaai Kairo, Kuan Shiong Khoo, Gaik Cheng Khoo, Patricia Matanjun, Festo Massawe, Miang H Lim, Revathy Sankaran, Malinee Sriariyanun, Bernard Nino Q Membrebe, Peter Noy, Alex M Lechner. (2024) Transforming food systems in maritime Southeast Asia and Pacific small islands developing states to support food security and sustainable healthy diets. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 8: 1304317
  3. Yap, C.C., Loh, S.K., Chan, Y.J., Supramaniam, C.V., Soh A.C., Chong, M.F., Lim, L.K., Lim, J.W. Pilot-Scale Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Palm Oil Mill Effluent with Moringa Oleifera Filtrate in an Integrated Anaerobic–Aerobic Bioreactor. Bioenergy Research, 2023, 16(3), pp. 1922–1938. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12155-022-10549-4
  4. Keng, Z.X., Tan, J.J.M., Phoon, B.L., Khoo, C.C., Khoiroh, I., Chong, S.H., Supramaniam, C.V., Singh, A., Pan, G.-T. Aerated Static Pile Composting for Industrial Biowastes: From Engineering to Microbiology. MDPI Bioengineering, 2023, 10(8), 938. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10080938
  5. MMA Allouzi, SMA Allouzi, ZK Keng, CV Supramaniam, A Singh, S Chong (2022) Liquid biofertilizers as a sustainable solution for agriculture. Heliyon 8 (12): e12609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12609
  6. S Matthews, A Ali, Y Siddiqui, CV Supramaniam (2022) Plant bio-stimulant: prospective, safe and natural resources. J Soil Sci Plant Nutrition 22, 2570–2586. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-00828-6
  7. S Matthews, A Ali, Y Siddiqui, CV Supramaniam (2022) Organic plant bio-stimulant for early, enhanced and healthy growth of chilli seedlings. MDPI Chem. Proc. 2022, 10(1): 81;  https://doi.org/10.3390/IOCAG2022-12239.
  8. CC Yap, YJ Chan, SK Loh, CV Supramaniam, AC Soh, MF Chong, LK Lim (2021) Pilot-Scale Investigation of the Integrated Anaerobic–Aerobic Bioreactor (IAAB) Treating Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME): Startup and Performance Evaluation. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, ACS Journal, 60(10): 3839-3859.
  9. CC Yap, SK Loh, YJ Chan, CV Supramaniam, MF Chong, AC Soh, LK Lim, LS Loo (2021) Synergistic effect of anaerobic co-digestion of palm oil mill effluent (POME) with Moringa oleifera extract. Biomass and Bioenergy 14:105885 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2020.105885
  10. O Carrión, L Gibson, DMO Elias, NP McNamara, TA van Alen, HJM Op den Camp, CV Supramaniam, TJ McGenity, JC Murrell (2020) Diversity of isoprene-degrading bacteria in phyllosphere and soil communities from a high isoprene-emitting environment: a Malaysian oil palm plantation, Microbiome 8:81 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-020-00860-7

Presentations
  • Supramaniam, C.V., Khoo Chee Chang (2023) Trichoderma induced disease suppressive fungal microbiome in mature oil palm. Horticulture Quality and Food Loss Network, AAB Meeting, University of Cranfield 8-9 March 2023.
  • Keynote Speaker, Small holder farmer roles in oil palm plantation, post pandemic. Food Systems in Small Islands and Developing States (FFSIDS) Conference in Malaysia in 6-9 September, Putrajaya, Malaysia, 2022
  • Keynote speaker, Oil palm plantation and Biodiversity conservation, Webinar co-organised by Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bengaluru, GoI-GEF-UNDP India High Range Mountain Landscape Project, 7 October 2020.
  • Keynote Speaker, Oil Palm Industry, International Symposium on Agriculture and Environment (ISAE 2020), 14-15 February 2020, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka
  • Keynote Speaker, FGV Chair Lecture Series, University Malaysia Sabah, 4 Nov 2019.
  • Keynote Address, Microbiome for Agriculture Congress Asia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2019
  • Invited Speaker, International Conference and Workshop on Comparative Genomics and Interactomics for Agriculture 2018 (ICCGIA2018), UPM, Malaysia
  • Ridzuan, N.I., Goh, K.M., Supramaniam, C.V. (2018) The efficacy of living organic fertilizer (LOF) and fortified living organic fertilizer (FLOF) amended with mix cultures of biological control agents (BCAs) to control basal stem rot disease in oil palm. 2nd FOS Postgraduate Students Poster Competition 2018, 20 June 2018, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Semenyih, Selangor.
  • Ridzuan, N.I., Goh, K.M., Supramaniam, C.V. (2018) Biological control agents-natural solution for the control of Ganoderma BSR disease of oil palm. The International Conference on Beneficial Microbes-2018 (ICOBM-2018), 31st July-1 August, The Waterfront Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. (2nd Runner up for Best Poster Prize)
  • Distinguished Speaker, AgriGenomics India, Candigarh, India, 2017
  • Distinguished Speaker, AgriGenomics India, New Delhi, India, 2016