Dipl. Ing. Dr. Tech. Komal Chenthamara

Professional Experience

2020 – currentExternal lab member at FungiG – research group of Irina S. Druzhinina and Feng Cai in China
2019 – 2020In statutory maternal protection and then maternity leave
2015 – 2018Project Assistant (FWF) (PhD student)
 E166-05-2 – Research Group for Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Research Area Biochemical Technology, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Gumpendorfer Str. 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria

Education

2018Doctoral programme, TU Wien (mit auszeichnung bestanden), Ph.D. Thesis (November 16, 2018): “Using comparative genomics to link phenotypes to genotypes of the mycotrophic fungus Trichoderma
2015Masters in Biotechnology and Bioanalytics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria. Master Thesis: “Evolution of mycoparasitism in Hypocreales through phylogenomic approach
2011 – 2012B2 level -German, Österreichische Orient Gesellschaft, Vienna, Austria
2006 – 2010Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech) in Biotechnology, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Special Trainings

2018Trainee at the Bioinformatics unit (BIU), German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany
2018Fungal Genomics Workshop, The DOE JGI Genomics of Energy and Environment Meeting, San Francisco, California, USA
2017Fungal Genomics Workshop, The DOE JGI Genomics of Energy and Environment Meeting, Walnut Creek, California, USA
KBase Workshop, The DOE JGI Genomics of Energy and Environment Meeting, Walnut Creek, California, USA
2013Intern in Research Group for Microbiology and Applied Genomics, TU Wien, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
2013Training in Communication, BEST, Board of European Students of Technology, Vienna, Austria
2013Training in Time Management, BEST, Board of European Students of Technology, Vienna, Austria
2012Intern in Research Group for Bioprocess Technology, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
2009IELTS (International English Language Testing System), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Prizes and Awards

2017TU Wien Christiana HÖRBIGER Preis – Preis zur Förderung der internationalen Mobilität von Nachwuchswissenschaftler_innen
2016TU Wien Short-term grants for participation in conferences for PhD-students

Skills

Microbiological techniques and microscopy: axenic cultures, microbial diagnostics by DNA barcoding, fungal morphology, microbial cultivations, and phenotype microarrays. Basic molecular biological techniques for fungi and bacteria.

Molecular evolutionary analyses such as multiloci phylogenetics, phylogenomics, lateral gene transfer tests (T-Rex, Notung), natural selection pressure analyses, DNA barcoding, and protein modeling.

Basic skills in genomics (sequence similarity search, manual gene annotation), basic skills in the analyses of NGS data

Descriptive and multivariate exploratory statistical techniques(Statistica, Tableau, UpSet)

Bitmap and vector graphic skills for illustrations (CorelDraw, Affinity Designer)

Experience with citation tools like Zotero and EndNote

Experience with WorkFlow softwares like Geneious, CLC Bio

Experience with GitHub

Experience with Microsoft 365 and Acrobat

Curator of TUCIM (TU Wien Collection of Industrial Microorganisms)- A collection of over 7350 species and their respective DNAs.

Responsible for the introduction of lab techniques to new group members

Responsible for safety-training of all group members

Organized regular group meetings

Member of Journal club, – an initiative of young PostDoc researchers and Ph.D. students. A gathering dedicated to the discussion of the most paradigm-changing scientific discoveries in biotechnology and applied microbiology

Teaching Experience

2016 – 2018Lecturer for the course 166.648 “Biology and genetics of industrial microorganisms”, master Program Technical Chemistry (Biotechnology and Bioanalytics), TU Wien 
2016 – 2018Teaching Assistant for the mandatory course 166.231 “Applied Bioinformatics Lab”, master Program Technical Chemistry Biotechnology and Bioanalytics, TU Wien
2015 – 2018Tutor for mandatory laboratory course 166.222 “Biochemistry and Biotechnology”, bachelor program Technical Chemistry, TU Wien
2014Assistant for the mandatory laboratory course 166.193 “Microbiology”, master Program Technical Chemistry Biotechnology and Bioanalytics, TU Wien

Language Skills

English                                                         Fluent

German                                                       Basic

Hindi and Malayalam                           Mother-tongues

Interests / Hobbies

Reading comics

DIY skin and hair care

Baking

List of Publications