The Department of Biotechnology at the Central University of Haryana (CUH), Mahendragarh, has secured a research project worth Rs 40 lakh from the Haryana State Council for Science, Innovation and Technology (HSCSIT), Government of Haryana.
The project, titled “CRISPR-based Stacking of Fatty Acid Biosynthesis Genes to Improve Oil Quality in Previously Edited Abiotic-Stress Resilient Mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern)”, will be conducted by a team including Dr Humira Sonah and Prof Rupesh Deshmukh from the Department of Biotechnology, Prof Pawan Kumar Maurya from the Department of Biochemistry and Dr Mona Sharma from the Department of Environmental Science.
The research aims to utilise advanced CRISPR gene-editing technology to stack key fatty acid biosynthesis genes in previously developed abiotic stress-resilient mustard lines.
The study seeks to enhance the nutritional and commercial quality of mustard oil while maintaining the crops’ resilience to environmental stresses such as drought and salinity.
Following the sanctioning of the project, the research team met Prof Tankeshwar Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, and Prof Pawan Kumar Sharma, Pro Vice-Chancellor, CUH, who congratulated the investigators on securing the prestigious research grant and appreciated their efforts towards advancing innovative agricultural biotechnology research.
They also expressed confidence that the project would contribute to the development of climate-resilient and nutritionally enhanced mustard varieties while strengthening the university’s research and innovation ecosystem.
The university administration maintained that this interdisciplinary project reflects CUH’s growing strength in cutting-edge agricultural biotechnology and genome editing research.
“The outcomes are expected to contribute significantly to the development of climate-resilient, high-quality oilseed crops, supporting sustainable agriculture and nutritional security,” it added.
