As Professor and Head, Department of Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering, I am involved in teaching & research in plant biotechnology, stress physiology and nanobiotechnology. Over the past three decades, we have established an active research program focused on understanding how plants perceive and respond to environmental stresses and how these responses can be modulated using molecular and nanotechnological tools. The work spans fundamental mechanistic studies as well as applied interventions aimed at improving crop performance and resilience under challenging environmental conditions.

A major thrust of our research group has been nano-enabled agriculture, where our group has systematically explored the use of metal and metal-sulfide nanoparticles to enhance plant growth, productivity and stress tolerance. We have documented growth and yield-promoting effects of gold, silver, zinc, copper derived nanoparticles in crops such as Brassica, chickpea and tomato. Our research also focuses on the application of these nanoparticles in mitigating environmental vagaries through optimization of elemental homeostasis & nutrient ratios under stress and nanoparticle-mediated enhancement of antioxidant defence systems. We have used nano-priming approaches to improve seed viability and vigour, especially in elite tomato varieties that tend to lose viability on storage and face germination problem.

Extending our nano-technological research thesis beyond crops, we contribute to the use of iron and zinc nanoparticles for biofortification as well as scalable production of bioactive compounds, such as cordycepin and adenosine, in medicinal mushrooms Cordyceps militaris and Lentinula edodes, using multi-omics platforms.

Complementing the nanotechnology work, we also try to understand oxidative stress and antioxidant defence in plants, with particular emphasis on the ascorbate-glutathione cycle. We have successfully cloned, characterized and functionally validated key antioxidant genes such as ascorbate peroxidases and monodehydroascorbate reductase from stress resilient crops like finger millet, and have shown their roles in enhancing tolerance to salinity, drought and ultraviolet stress. In these transgenic crops our group has dissected out the role of brassinosteroids, calcium signalling and MAPK-mediated pathways in plant defence under stresses.

In addition to the current responsibilities as Head, Department of Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering, I have led the College of Basic Science & Humanities as Dean from 2020 to 2025. Going beyond the administrative experience as Dean (CBSH), I have been the Dy. Director and subsequently Director, Institute of Biotechnology, Patwadangar, Uttarakhand.

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Coordinator, Program Mode Support in Agricultural Biotechnology-Phase II, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India.

Development of nano-formulations for enhancing agricultural productivity in Brassica juncea: Elucidating their mode of action at molecular level. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Government of India.

Molecular cloning and functional validation of mdar genes from Eleusine coracana for oxidative stress tolerance. University Grants Commission (UGC), Government of India.

Cloning and functional validation of drought responsive genes from Eleusine coracana. Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.

Development of nano-formulations for enhancing plant growth and productivity. Uttarakhand State Council for Science & Technology (UCOST), Government of Uttarakhand.

Elucidating the molecular mechanisms associated with plant growth promotory effects of copper nanoparticles. Uttarakhand State Biotechnology Department, Government of Uttarakhand.

Investigations on the efficacy of nutrient foliar spray in enhancing growth and yield potential in Brassica juncea. HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd.

Delineating the molecular mechanisms associated with plant growth promotory effects of nanoparticles in Brassica juncea. Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.

Improvement of Brassica juncea defense mechanism to combat oxidative stress. Uttarakhand State Council for Science & Technology (UCOST), Government of Uttarakhand.

Identification and characterization of novel drought- and cold-responsive genes from Eleusine coracana. Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India.

Improvement of Brassica juncea defense mechanisms to combat abiotic stresses. DST Young Scientist Project, Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, New Delhi.

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1. Anand, R., Vardhan, S., Parihar, A., Bhatt, D., & Arora, S.(2026). Salinity stress mitigation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.): mechanisms, impacts and copper nanoparticle-based solution. Frontiers in Plant Science, 17, 1777-1876.


2. Vardhan, S., Parihar, A., Bhatt, D., Kushwaha, K., & Arora, S. (2026). Harnessing Iron Nanoparticles for Scalable Cordycepin and Adenosine Production in Cordyceps militaris. Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826068.2026.26


3. Anand, R., & Arora, S. (2026). Unravelling the Mechanistic Basis of Nanoparticle Mediated Antioxidant Defense under Salinity Stress. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science, 38(3), 75–84. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijpss/2026/v38i36001


4. Anand, R., & Arora, S. (2026). Copper Sulfate Nanoparticle Mediated Alleviation of Salinity Induced Yield Losses in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 12(2), August 1. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajsspn/2026/v12i2668


5. Bambharoliya, K., Bhatt, B., Salvi, P., Bhatt, M., Arora, S., & Bhatt, D. (2025). Green and chemical synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles for antifungal protection and plant growth enhancement of chickpea via nano priming. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 73(26), 16596-16611.


6. Vardhan, S., Parihar, A., Anand, R., Kushwaha, K., & Arora, S. (2025). Cordyceps militaris: Bioactive Compounds, Cultivation Enhancement and Nanotechnology Applications in Medicinal Mushroom Production. Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology, 28(11), 1136-1154.


7. Singh, H., Anand, R., Parihar, A., & Arora, S. (2025). Nano priming of Solanum lycopersicum L. seeds for improved viability and vigour. Botany Letters, 172(2), 229-243.


8. Bambharoliya, K., Bhatt, B., Salvi, P., Bhatt, M., Arora, S., & Bhatt, D. (2025). Green and chemical synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles for antifungal protection and plant growth enhancement of chickpea via nano-priming. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 73(26), 16596-16611.


9. Aanad, R., Parihar, A., & Arora, S. (2025). Nano-copper sulfate mediated alleviation of salt stress: Optimizing elemental homeostasis and nutrient ratios in tomato. Plant Science Today, 12, 10291.


10. Tiwari, V., Bambharoliya, K. S., Bhatt, M. D., Nath, M., Arora, S., Dobriyal, A. K., & Bhatt, D. (2024). Application of green synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles for effective mitigation of Fusarium wilt disease in roots of Cicer arietinum. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 131, 102244.

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