RESEARCH
Theme areas
Molecular Breeding for Improving Agronomic Traits in Major Crops:
- Developing resilient rice varieties (stress tolerance, resource use efficiency) through genomics
- Marker assisted breeding for abiotic stress (drought, submergence and salinity)
- Developing rice lines enriched with protein and therapeutic clues to achieve nutritional security among rural people
- Molecular breeding for developing short slender grain rice with aroma
- Exploiting barn yard millet for biofortification – Towards identifying genes controlling Fe and Zn uptake and transport
- Understanding molecular basis of MYMV resistance through transcriptome sequencing in mung bean and rice bean
- Identification and isolation of novel insecticidal genes from indigenous BT strains
- Engineering resistance against pests and diseases in rice, tomato and cotton
Tissue Culture
- Development of doubled haploid lines in cocoa
- Standardization of micropropagation protocol for Coconut
- Cell culture studies inAnnona muricata for production of pharmaceutical products / insecticidal properties
- Identification and modification of novel compounds inAegle marmelos effective against cancer cells
Molecular Ecology
- Diversity analysis in stored product pests of major crops
- Molecular analysis of phosphine resistance in storage pests
- DNA barcoding of plants and their pollinators
- Molecular analysis of insect-plant interactions
Genome editing and Synthetic biology
- Genome editing for enhancing disease resistance and nutritional properties in rice
- Synthetic biology for antimicrobial, insecticidal and pharmacological compounds
University Core Projects
| S. No | Project Title | Principal Investigator | Period |
| 1. | Cloning of genes associated with K+ uptake and inturn salt tolerance in rice |
Dr. L. Arul Professor |
2018 – 20 |
| 2. | Exploring effective Bt crystal toxic proteins from indigenous Bt isolates for the management of the invasive pest, Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) |
Dr. N. Balakrishnan Assistant Professor
|
2018 – 20 |
| 3. | Aroma profiles of the Murraya koenigii and Coriandrum sativum Ecotypes |
Dr. V.P. Santhanakrishnan Assistant Professor |
2018 – 20 |
| 4. | B27NV-CP003 Characterization and expression profiling of genes involved Zn and Fe homeostasis in barnyard millet |
Dr. S.Varanavasiappan Assistant Professor |
2018-19 |
| 5. | GOTAG/GEN/2018/R001 Effect of different growing conditions, pinching, chemical spray on seed yield and quality in annual moringa |
Dr. N. Manikanda Boopathi Associate Professor |
2018-2019 |
| 6. | GOTAG/GEN/2018 DNA Barcoding of TNAU released varieties |
Dr. N. Manikanda Boopathi Associate Professor |
2018-2019 |
| Completed Projects | |||
| 1. | R1 ABT 295 Genetic Engineering of elite cultivars of rice for resistance to major pest and diseases |
Dr. D. Sudhakar
|
1998-2001 |
| 2. | CPMB&B-PMB-08-001 Rice Heparanase: Cloning, characterization and over-expression for oxidative stress tolerance in rice | Dr. L. Arul | 2008-12 |
| 3. | CPMB-CBE-ABT- 04017 Cloning of upstream sequence of glyoxalase I from Oryza sativa japonica cv. Nipponbare | Dr. L. Arul | 2004-07 |
| 4. | R1- ABT-293: Developing a transformation system for tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) and Cauliflower (Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis) | Dr. L. Arul | 1998-00 |
| 5. | CPMB/CBE/PBT/GNT/2015/001 (URP S.No.84) Development of an efficient in vitro regeneration protocol via somatic embryogenesis in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) | Dr. S. Rajesh | 2015-18 |
| 6. | CPMB/CBE/PBT/BGR/2015/001 Identification of MYMV resistant donors in black gram through agroinoculation and validation of linked marker(s) | Dr. M. Sudha | 2015-18 |
| 7. | CPMB/CBE/PBT/SMM/2015/001 Characterization and expression profiling of genes involved Zn and Fe homeostasis in barnyard millet | Dr. S.Varanavasiappan | 2015-18 |