Dhirendra Kumar

Dr. Dhirendra Kumar serves as Professor and Chair in the Department of Biological Sciences within the School of Science, Engineering, and Math at East Tennessee State University. His office is located in the Downtown Center, Room 1103, and he can be reached at kumard@etsu.edu or by phone at 423-439-4329.

Dr. Kumar's research focuses on the molecular basis of innate immune signaling in plants, particularly the salicylic acid (SA) mediated pathway that plants use to defend against microbial pathogens. His laboratory has made significant contributions to understanding the role of salicylic acid binding protein 2 (SABP2), a 29 kDa protein that binds SA with high affinity (Kd=~90 nM).

His work has demonstrated that methyl salicylate (MeSA) serves as the long-sought mobile signal for systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants, a discovery that scientists have been searching for more than five decades. Through RNAi-mediated silencing studies in tobacco, his research has shown that SABP2 is essential for plants to mount effective defense responses against pathogens. When SABP2 is silenced, plants become more susceptible to pathogen attack and lose their ability to express defense genes properly.

Dr. Kumar teaches several courses including Biochemistry of Metabolism (BIOL 4167/5167), Plant Physiology (BIOL 4767/5767), and Seminar (BIOL 5700), providing students with opportunities to engage with both foundational and advanced topics in biological sciences. His research combines molecular and biochemical approaches to unravel the complex mechanisms of plant immune responses.