Surinder Chopra, Ph.D.

Professional Background

• Current. Professor, maize molecular genetics, Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University.
• 2006-2012. Associate Professor, maize molecular genetics. Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University.
• 2000–2006. Assistant Professor, maize molecular genetics. Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University.

Responsibilities and Interests

The goal of our research is to understand epigenetic gene regulation and metabolic coordination for the role of specialized metabolites in plant developmental processes and plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. We use a flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in maize and sorghum as our model system. Our research has lead to the understanding of regulation and biosynthesis of specific plant flavonoid compounds that act as antioxidants in animals and plants.

Appointment

• 75% Research
• 25% Teaching

Courses

• AGRO/BIOTC 460 (3 credits) - Advances and Applications of Plant Biotech.

Links

• Plant Sciences Major
• MaizeGDB

Current Members of the Lab

• Abhijit Hazra, Post-doctoral Scholar.
• Bryan Panek, Graduate Student
• DaHye Ryu, Visiting Fellow
• Gurkirat Singh, Graduate Student
• Luke Kipphan, Technical Support
• Tyler Lesko,  Graduate Student

Past Lab Members

• Charlie Colvin, Undergraduate Student
• Debamalya Chatterjee, Postdoctoral Scholar, Maize-Fall Armyworm interactions.
• Quinn Loudy, Graduate Student
• Faith Mihalick, Graduate Student
• Binning Wu, Graduate Student. 
• Iffa Gaffoor, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The interaction of sorghum Phytoalexins with Colletotrichum sublineola.
• Kameron Wittmeyer,  Graduate Student, Epigenetic Gene Regulation in maize. Current: USDA/ARS, Delaware
• Qixian Tan, Graduate Student. 
• Bin Liu, Graduate Student. 
• Dinakaran Elango, Graduate Student, Sorghum Phytoalexins. Current: Postdoctoral Scholar, Iowa State.
• Jin Cui, Graduate Student, Epigenetic Gene Regulation in maize. Current: CVS, USA
• Debamalya Chatterjee, Graduate Student, Role of Zmufo1 in Maize Seed Development. Current: Postdoctoral Scholar, Penn State.
• Xiaoyu Wang, Visiting Graduate Student, JiLin University, Cold tolerance Genetics and molecular biology in maize and sorghum
• Cullen Dixon, Undergraduate Student. Current: Grad Student, Ohio State
• Rajandeep Sekhon, Graduate Student, Postdoctoral fellow. Current: Associate Professor, Clemson University
• Vineet Sangar, Graduate student. Current: Research Scientist, Amazon.
• Michael Robbins, Graduate Student, Postdoctoral Fellow. Current: Assistant Professor, Lock Haven University
• Farag Ibraheem, Graduate Student. Current: Faculty, University of Mansoura, Egypt.
• Jay Boddu, Postdoctoral Fellow. Current: Big Data Scientist, Monsanto, St Louis
• Weiya Xue, Postdoctoral Research Associate. Current: Research Associate, Plant Pathology, Penn State.
• Rashmi Thakare, Visiting Scholar
• Sanjeev Deshpande, Visiting Borlaug Fellow, Department Chair, University of Ag. Sciences, Dharward, India

Selected Publications

Xavier KV, Farman M, Silva FR, Cordova LG, Mizubuti ES, Nuckles E, Gaffoor I, Chopra S, Vaillancourt L. Three host-associated subpopulations of Colletotrichum sublineola cause anthracnose of Sorghum halepense and S. bicolor in the southeastern United States. Plant Disease. 2026 Feb 2(ja). 110(8):3343-3353. DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-07-25-1412-RE

Buiatte, V., Mahmoud, M., Miska, K., Proszkowiec-Weglarz, M., Fonseca, A., Boontarue, D., Lesko, T., Panek,B. P., Chopra, S., Jenkins, M., Lorenzoni, A. G. 2026. Exploring the effects of a high-flavonoid corn cultivar on Eimeria maxima and Clostridium perfringens in a necrotic enteritis model. Avian Diseases. DOI: 10.1637/aviandiseases-D-26-00021

Chatterjee, D., Zhang, Z., Lin, P.Y., Wang, P.H., Sidhu, G.K., Yennawar, N.H., Hsieh, J.W.A., Chen, P.Y., Song, R., Meyers, B.C. Chopra, S. 2025. Maize unstable factor for orange1 encodes a nuclear protein that affects redox accumulation during kernel development. The Plant Cell, pDOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae301

Buiatte, V., Proszkowiec-Weglarz, M., Miska, K., Dominguez, D., Mahmoud, M., Lesko, T., Panek, B.P., Chopra, S., Jenkins, M. Lorenzoni, A.G. 2024. The effects of a high-flavonoid corn cultivar on the gastrointestinal tract microbiota in chickens undergoing necrotic enteritis. Plos one, 19(9), doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307333

Miska KB, Monika P-W, Vinicius B, Mahmoud M, Tyler L, C JM, Chopra, S., and Lorenzoni, G. 2023. Comparative analysis of microbiota in the ceca of broiler chickens with necrotic enteritis fed a commercial corn diet or with corn high in flavonoids (PennHFD1). Frontiers in Microbiomes. Hypothesis and Theory, Front Microbiomes - Host and Microbe Associations. 25:2:1212130. eCollection. DOI: 10.3389/frmbi.2023.1212130

Wu B, Cox A, Chang H, Kennett M, Rosa C, Li, S., Chopra S. 2023. Maize near-isogenic lines with enhanced flavonoids alleviated dextran sodium sulfate-induced murine colitis via modulation of the gut microbiota. Food and Function.14 (21), 9606-9616

Chatterjee D, Lesko T, Peiffer M, Elango D, Beuzelin J, Felton GW, Chopra S. 2022. Sorghum and maize flavonoids are detrimental to growth and survival of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda. Journal of Pest Science. Jul 7:1-7. 10.1007/s10340-022-01535-y

Chatterjee D, Wittmeyer K, Lee TF, Cui J, Yennawar NH, Yennawar HP, Meyers BC, Chopra S. 2021. Maize unstable factor for orange1 is essential for endosperm development and carbohydrate accumulation. Plant physiology. Aug;186(4):1932-50. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiab183

Buiatte V, Dominguez D, Lesko T, Jenkins M, Chopra S, Lorenzoni AG. 2022. Inclusion of high-flavonoid corn in the diet of broiler chickens as a potential approach for the control of necrotic enteritis. Poultry science. May 1;101(5):101796. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.101796

Elango D, Wang X, Bhatnagar RS, Tan Q, Gaffoor I, Hu Z, Xue W, Roth GW, Morris GP, Reddivari L, Chopra S. 2022. Association genetics of early season cold and late season frost tolerance in Sorghum bicolor. Crop Science. First published 03 July 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20810

Gaffoor I, Sandoya GV, Xavier KV, Nuckles EM, Pinnamaneni SR, Vaillancourt LJ, Chopra S. 2021. Performance of novel sorghum germplasm in Pennsylvania and their response to anthracnose (Colletotrichum sublineola). Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20486

Chatterjee D, Wittmeyer K, Lee TF, Cui J, Yennawar NH, Yennawar HP, Meyers BC, Chopra S. 2021. Maize unstable factor for orange1 is essential for endosperm development and carbohydrate accumulation. Plant Physiology. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiab183

Gaffoor I, Sandoya GV, Xavier KV, Nuckles EM, Pinnamaneni SR, Vaillancourt LJ, Chopra S. 2021. Performance of novel sorghum germplasm in Pennsylvania and their response to anthracnose (Colletotrichum sublineola). Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20486

Wu B, Chang H, Marini R, Chopra S, Reddivari L. Characterization of Maize Near-Isogenic Lines With Enhanced Flavonoid Expression to Be Used as Tools in Diet-Health Complexity. Frontiers in plant science. 2021 Jan 18;11:2249. 10.3389/fpls.2020.619598

Cloutier M, Chatterjee D, Elango D, Cui J, Bruns MA, Chopra S. 2020. Sorghum root flavonoid chemistry, cultivar, and frost stress effects on rhizosphere bacteria and fungi. Phytobiomes Journal. Aug 12:PBIOMES-01. https://doi.org/10.1094/PBIOMES-01-20-0013-FI

Wu B, Li S, Chang H, Anderson R, Chopra S, Reddivari L. Maize Flavan-4-ols and Anthocyanins Alleviated Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice via Intestinal Barrier Function Restoration. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2020 Jun;4(Supplement_2):488.

Wu B, Bhatnagar R, Indukuri VV, Chopra S, March K, Cordero N, Chopra S, Reddivari L. 2020. Intestinal mucosal barrier function restoration in mice by maize diet containing enriched flavan-4-ols. Nutrients. Apr;12(4):896.  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12040896