School of Crop Resistance System Research (CRSR)
Key theme : Host – pathogen interactions and genetics of stress tolerance in plants (To harness power of innovative molecular biology to discern host resistance mechanisms for acquiring more precision on mitigating losses due to biotic stresses by employing robust and durably resistant genes)
- Cloning of plant’s own defense genes, R genes - detoxifiers of virulence, products of Avr genes triggering signal transduction pathways manifesting HR/ cell death/ accumulation of antimicrobial proteins
- Manipulating resistance gene analogues (RGA) to be used DNA probes to clone R genes
- Studies on MAPK (Flagellin) based broad spectrum resistance, SAR, Anti microbial peptides (PR proteins – chitinases, glucanases signalling Salicylic acid/ Jasmonate based/active O2 spp. resistance, NPR 1 gene of Arabidopsis for SAR, Lytic peptides harming bacterial cell walls, Cercopins, PDR, RNAi technology, plantibodies etc).