Mahendragarh - The Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Haryana (CUH), Mahendragarh organized an expert lecture on “Plant Stress Physiology”, delivered by Dr. Vandana Thakral, Postdoctoral Researcher at West Virginia State University, USA. The lecture provided valuable insights into the genetic, molecular, and physiological mechanisms governing plant responses to abiotic stresses.
In her talk, Dr. Thakral presented her research on natural variation in root traits of Arabidopsis thaliana under aluminium stress, highlighting aluminium toxicity as a major constraint to plant growth in acidic soils. Using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), she demonstrated how natural genetic diversity can be harnessed to identify key genes associated with stress tolerance. Her work led to the identification of RUB (Related to Ubiquitin) genes as important regulators of root growth and aluminium stress response.
The lecture further covered modern phenotyping techniques, experimental validation strategies, and the translational potential of findings from Arabidopsis to crop plants. The session was highly interactive, with students and research scholars actively engaging in discussions on root system architecture, stress signalling pathways, and the integration of genomics with functional biology.
The Department of Biotechnology expressed its sincere gratitude to Dr. Vandana Thakral for sharing her expertise and international research experience. The lecture significantly enriched the academic environment and strengthened the understanding of integrative approaches in plant stress physiology.
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