Profile

• Time Zone

  (GMT +5.5) Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, New Delhi

  
  
• Organization

  Maharishi Dayanand University

  
  
• Role

  Scientist Mentor: I will mentor teams of students online

  
  
• Research Interests (300 words)

  Increasing crop production is now the highest agricultural priority because of increasing world population & changing climatic conditions. Abiotic stresses are the primary causes of crop loss worldwide. The main area of research includes Genetic Engineering, Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology (Development of abiotic stress tolerant crop plants, the physiological, biochemical and molecular characterization of agronomically important plants under abiotic stress factors, involvement of mineral nutrients and other biotechnological approaches in the amelioration of abiotic stress effects in crop plants, use of a combination of genetic, biochemical, genomic and proteomic approaches to understand the responses of various components of antioxidant machinery to abiotic stress and stress signaling and stress tolerance in crop plants). Research is undertaken to understand the mechanism of abiotic stress tolerance (heavy metal/salinity/drought) in plants (Brassica juncea, Triticum aestivum, Lepidium sativum, Oryza sativa & model plants like Nicotiana tabaccum and Arabidopsis thaliana etc) at molecular & physiological level by studying the response of the components of antioxidant machinery, photosynthetic, nitrogen & sulfur metabolic pathways. Detailed account of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant machinery in crop plants has been presented (Plant Physiology & Biochemistry 48: 909-930). It is also presented that Cd at high dose perturbs growth, photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism while at low dose it up regulates sulfur assimilation and antioxidant machinery in garden cress (Plant Science 182, 112-120). Research is also undertaken for the development of abiotic stress (heavy metal/high salinity/drought/cold) tolerant crops including rice by transgenic approach. Together with Dr. Narendra Tuteja (ICGEB, New Delhi) work on plant helicases for abiotic stress tolerance is going on. The mechanism of stress tolerance by PDH45 in Tobacco and Rice has been explored. A novel function of plant MCM6 in salinity stress tolerance has also been discovered that will help to improve crop production at sub-optimal conditions (Plant Molecular Biology 76:19-34). Herbicide and salinity stress tolerance (PDH45 + EPSPS) in plants has also been explored (Front. Plant Sci. 8:364). Salinity tolerant tobacco and rice plants have been developed, without affecting the overall yield. This research uncovers new pathways to plant abiotic stress tolerance and indicates the potential for improving crop production at sub-optimal conditions. Featured consecutively in the “World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists” in 2020 & 2021.

  
  
• Profile Question 1

  When and why did you decide to go into a science career?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 1 here (300 words):

  From Childhood

  
  
• Profile Question 2

  What is best about being a scientist?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 2 here (300 words):

  Knowing the happenings

  
  
• Profile Question 3

  What is tough about being a scientist?

  
  
• Answer the question you selected for profile question 3 here (300 words):

  (not set)

  
  
• Help represent the outreach efforts of your societies. Please click all those organizations you are a member of:

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• How did you hear about PlantingScience?

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• Capacity: How many teams at a time are you comfortable working with?

  1