Rekha Swamy obtained her PhD in Plant Pathology specialising on identifying Bemisia tabaci variants in South India after completing an MSc in Plant Pathology and First degree in Agriculture at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, India. Dr Swamy obtained her second MSc in Natural Resources at the University of Greenwich funded by Department for International Development, FCDO Fellowship for research to understand the molecular biodiversity of B. tabaci populations and associated begomoviruses in the Indian sub-continent. Dr Swamy then undertook a postdoctoral position at the University of Greenwich in Microalgae Biotechnology department as a bioenergy specialist for developing methods for efficient extraction of glycerol from marine algae. Dr Swamy Joined NRI in 2019 as ACWP Biotechnology Scientist to provide project and technical support primarily to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded African Cassava Whitefly Project entitled “Cassava-whitefly control for sustainable food security in Sub-Saharan Africa” (ACWP, Phase 2).

• Shankarappa, K.S., Rangaswamy, K.T., Aswathanarayana, D.S., Rekha, A.R., Raghavendra, N., Lakshminarayana Reddy, C.N., Chancellor, Tim and Maruthi, M.N. (2007) Development of silverleaf assay, protein and nucleic acid-based diagnostic techniques for the quick and reliable detection and monitoring of biotype B of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). Bulletin of Entomological Research, 97 (5). pp. 503-513. ISSN 0007-4853 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007485307005251)
• Maruthi, M.N., Rekha, A.R. and Muniyappa, V. (2007) Pumpkin yellow vein mosaic disease is caused by two distinct begomoviruses: complete viral sequences and comparative transmission by an indigenous Bemisia tabaci and the introduced B-biotype. EPPO Bulletin, 37 (2). pp. 412-419. ISSN 0250-8052 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2338.2007.01127.x)
• Maruthi, M.N., Rekha, A.R., Mirza, S.H., Alam, S.N. and Colvin, John (2007) PCR-based detection and partial genome sequencing indicate high genetic diversity in Bangladeshi begomoviruses and their whitefly vector, Bemisia tabaci. Virus Genes, 34 (3). pp. 373-385. ISSN 0920-8569 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11262-006-0027-2)
• Maruthi, M.N., Rekha, A.R., Sseruwagi, P. and Hillocks, Rory (2007) Mitochondrial DNA variability and development of a PCR diagnostic test for populations of the whitefly Bemisia afer (Priesner and Hosny). Molecular Biotechnology, 35 (1). pp. 31-40. ISSN 1073-6085 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1385/MB:35:1:31)
• Aswatha Narayana, D.S., Rangaswamy, K.T., Shankarappa, K.S., Maruthi, M.N., Lakshminarayana Reddy, C.N., Rekha, A.R. and Keshava Murthy, K.V. (2007) Distinct begomoviruses closely related to cassava mosaic viruses cause Indian Jatropha mosaic disease. International Journal of Virology, 3 (1). pp. 1-11. ISSN 1816-4900 (doi:https://doi.org/10.3923/ijv.2007.1.11)
• Maruthi, M.N., Manjunatha, B., Rekha, A.R., Govindappa, M.R., Colvin, John and Muniyappa, V. (2006) Dolichos yellow mosaic virus belongs to a distinct lineage of Old World begomoviruses; its biological and molecular properties. Annals of Applied Biology, 149 (2). pp. 187-195. ISSN 0003-4746 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.2006.00075.x)
• Maruthi, M.N, Rekha, A.R., Govindappa, M.R., Colvin, John and Muniyappa, V. (2006) A distinct begomovirus causes Indian dolichos yellow mosaic disease. Plant Pathology, 55 (2). p. 290. ISSN 0032-0862 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2005.01299.x)
• Maruthi, M.N., Rekha, A.R., Alam, S.N., Kader, K.A., Cork, Alan and Colvin, John (2006) A novel begomovirus with distinct genomic and phenotypic features infects tomato in Bangladesh. Plant Pathology, 55 (2). p. 290. ISSN 0032-0862 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2005.01275.x)
• Maruthi, M.N., Alam, S.N., Kader, K.A., Rekha, A.R., Cork, A. and Colvin, J. (2005) Nucleotide sequencing, whitefly transmission, and screening tomato for resistance against two newly described begomoviruses in Bangladesh. Phytopathology, 95 (12). pp. 1472-1481. ISSN 0031-949X (doi:https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-95-1472)
• Rekha, A.R., Maruthi, M.N., Muniyappa, V. and Colvin, J. (2005) Occurrence of three genotypic clusters of Bemisia tabaci and the rapid spread of the B biotype in south India. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 117 (3). pp. 221-233. ISSN 0013-8703 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2005.00352.x)
• Maruthi, M.N., Rekha, A.R., Cork, Alan, Colvin, John, Alam, S.N. and Kader, K.A. (2005) First report of tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus infecting tomato in Bangladesh. Plant Disease, 89 (9). p. 1011. ISSN 0191-2917 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1094/PD-89-1011C)
• Maruthi, M.N., Hillocks, R.J., Mtunda, K., Raya, M.D., Muhanna, M., Kiozia, H., Rekha, A.R., Colvin, J. and Thresh, J.M. (2005) Transmission of Cassava brown streak virus by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). Journal Of Phytopathology, 153 (5). pp. 307-312. ISSN 0931-1785 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2005.00974.x)
• Harvey, P. J., Abubakar, A., Xu, Y. Bailey, D., Milledge, J. J., Swamy, R. A. R., Vieira, V. V., Harris, G., Hoekstra, H., Goacher, P., Crespo, J., Reinhardt, G., Martinelli, L., Pipe, R., Schroeder, D. C., Igl-Schmid, N., Kokossis, A., Ben-Amotz, A. and Persson, K. (2014) The CO2 microalgae biorefinery: high value products from low value wastes using halophylic microalgae in the D-factory. Part1: tackling cell harvesting. In: Proceedings of the 22nd EUBCE - Hamburg 2014. ETA-Florence Renewable Energies, Florence, Italy, p. 360. ISBN 978-88-89407-52-3 ISSN 2282-5819 Item availability restricted.
• Xu, Y., Milledge, John J., Abubakar, A., Swamy, Rekha, Bailey, David and Harvey, Patricia (2015) Effects of centrifugal stress on cell disruption and glycerol leakage from Dunaliella salina. Microalgae Biotechnology, 1 (1). pp. 20-27. ISSN 2300-3561 (Online) (doi:https://doi.org/10.1515/micbi-2015-0003)

The aim of Dr Swamy's research is to use novel technologies for robust and long-term African cassava whitefly control specifically aiming control by RNAi-silencing to future proof African cassava production.

• Dr Swamy is involved in the project entitled “Cassava-whitefly control for sustainable food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (ACWP2)” to develop novel technologies for robust and long-term African cassava whitefly control. The work is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Dr Swamy was involved in the projects, Glycal and ECOTEC 21 to develop the biofuel (glycerol) supply chain and demonstrate biofuel (glycerol) CHP. The work was funded by Medway Council.

Research and training students.

• Former member of the British society for plant pathology.
• Former member of the Indian journal of Nematology.