Dr. Donald James did his MSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi and his PhD from JNU-ICGEB, New Delhi, with a specialisation in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. He has practical experience in bamboo tissue culture and propagation techniques.

His research interests are low-cost bamboo tissue culture, bamboo for bio-ethanol production and bamboo genetic diversity and polyploidy studies. Projects and publications associated with Bamboos: Standardization of low-cost bamboo tissue culture for important commercial bamboo species.