Dr. Era Vaidya Malhotra

Dr. Era Vaidya Malhotra
Senior Scientist

Division/RS/Unit

Division of Germplasm Conservation

Contact

Off.-011-25802808
Email-Era.Vaidya(AT)icar.gov.in, vaidya.era(AT)gmail.com

Qualification

DegreeDisciplineYear
M.Sc. Ag.Plant Biotechnology2010
Ph.D.Molecular Biology and Biotechnology2014

 

SPECIALIZATION
Agricultural Biotechnology

Salient Achievements

Germplasm conservation of spices, industrial and plantation crops:

  • Cryopreservation protocols for spices, industrial and plantation crops using different cryogenic approaches
  • Medium term conservation of target crops using in vitro conservation strategies
  • Genetic stability assessment of in vitroconserved and cryopreserved germplasm using various molecular approaches

Functional genomics

  • Identification of microRNAs in pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) to identify insect specific miRNA targets for insect  control
  • Identification and characterization of herbivory responsive microRNA in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) and its CWR  scarabaeoidesto understand insect host interactions
  • QTL mapping of apple for growth traits, namely, tree branching habit and initiation of vegetative bud break

 Marker Development

  • EST based SSR markers developed for cauliflower, Rubus, peach, apple, Indian mustard, MusaGentiana spp. and Bunium persicum

Genetic diversity analysis

  • Different crops analysed using various molecular markers – Apple, Stevia, Rubus spp., Peach, Indian mustard, Bunium persicum

Externally Funded Projects 

SERB Funded

Molecular dissection of miRNA mediated regulation of phytohormone signalling cascade for inducing pod borer resistance in pigeon pea (July, 2018 – Jan, 2022)

PI 

 

SERB Funded

Cryobiotechnological approaches for Genetic Resource Conservation and Creation of a Base Germplasm Collection of Indian Piper Species (Jan, 2023 – Jan, 2026)

PI

Awards/Honours

  1. Associate Editor: Plant Genetic Resources: Characterization and Utilization – March 2023 – Till date
  2. Best paper/ poster awards > 5
  3. Young Scientist Award by Professional societies – 2
  4. SERB – Early Career Research Award(2017) with a project grant for three years
  5. Foreign Visit Grant: Nominated to attend proteomics course at Functional Genomics Centre in Zurich (FGCZ) Switzerlandunder the Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology (ISCB), jointly organized by the Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology (ISCB) and the Functional Genomics Centre in Zurich (FGCZ), Switzerland, March 2017.
  6. University Gold Medal in Ph. D. (2014) by Dr. Y. S. Parmar UHF, Solan (H.P.) – University Topper
  7. University Gold Medal in M. Sc.(2010) by Dr. Y. S. Parmar UHF, Solan (H.P.) – University Topper
  8. Gold Medal, Citation and Certificate of Honour(2011, 2015) by Himotkarsh Sahitya Sanskriti Avem Jan Kalyan Parishad, H.P. for academic excelence in M. Sc and Ph. D.
  9. Certificate of Honour and Merit by Dr. Y. S. Parmar UHF, Solan (H.P.) during M. Sc (2010) and Ph. D. (2014)
  10. Best Thesis Award- 2011 for M. Sc Research by The Society for Advancement of Human and Nature
  11. NET (National Eligibility Test) – 2013; and GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) – 2011 qualified

Recent Publications Research Papers

  1. Malhotra EV, SC Mali, S Sharma, S Bansal (2024) A droplet vitrification cryopreservation protocol for conservation of hops (Humulus lupulus) genetic resources. Cryobiology, 115: 104887
  2. Bansal S, Sharma MK, Joshi P, Malhotra EV, Latha M, Malik SK (2024) An efficient direct organogenesis protocol for in vitro clonal propagation of Rubia cordifolia Industrial Crops and Products 208: 117856
  3. Bansal S, Sharma MK, Singh S, Joshi P, Pathania P, Malhotra EV, Rajkumar S and Misra P (2023) Histological and molecular insights in to in vitro regeneration pattern of Xanthosoma sagittifolium. Scientific Reports 13: 5806.
  4. Gowthami R., Sharma N, Chandra R, Kurian JS, Malhotra EV, Agrawal A (2023) Development of an improved and simple shoot tip cryoconservation protocol for cryobanking of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. Germplasm. n Vitro Cellular Developmental Biology-Plant 59: 744–756
  5. Malhotra EV, Bansal S, Pathania P, Mali SC, Agrawal A (2021) Regeneration of plantlets through protocorm-like bodies: An alternative method for vanilla micro propagation. Indian Journal of Biotechnology 20: 388-395
  6. Bansal S, Sharma MK, Joshi P, Malhotra EV, Malik SK (2023) Meta-topolin mediated enhanced in vitro propagation and genetic integrity assessment in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam). South African Journal of Botany 157: 27-36
  7. Malhotra EV, R Jain, S Tyagi, K Venkat Raman, S Bansal, R Aminedi, D Pattanayak (2022). Comparative analysis of herbivory responsive miRNAs to delineate pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) resistance mechanisms in Cajanus cajanand its wild relative Cajanus scarabaeoides, Plant Cell Reports, 41: 1147–1161
  8. Malhotra EV, R Jain, S Tyagi, K Venkat Raman, S Bansal, D Pattanayak (2022). Identification of dynamic microRNA associated with systemic defence against Helicoverpa armigerainfestation in Cajanus scarabaeoides, Pest Management Science, 78: 3144-3154
  9. Sharma N*, EV Malhotra*, R Chandra, R Gowthami, SM Sultan, Bansal S, M Shankar, Agrawal A (2022). Cryopreservation and genetic stability assessment of regenerants of the critically endangered medicinal plant Dioscorea deltoidea ex Griseb. for cryobanking of germplasm, In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant, 58: 521–529 (equal contribution)
  10. Deepak DA, EV Malhotra, M Shankar, A Agrawal (2022). Improved Micropropagation Protocol and Molecular Marker Based Genetic Stability Assessment of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum), Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources, 35: 264-274
  11. Bansal S, A Kumar, AA Lone, MH Khan, EV Malhotra, R Singh (2022). Development of novel genome-wide simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers in Bunium persicum, Industrial Crops and Products, 178:
  12. Malhotra EV, M Kamalapriya, S Bansal, DPS Meena, A Agrawal (2021). Improved protocol for micropropagation of genetically uniform plants of commercially important cardamom (Elettaria cardamomumMaton), In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant, 57: 409–417
  13. Malhotra EV, R Jain, S Bansal, SC Mali, N Sharma, A Agrawal (2021). Development of a new set of genic SSR markers in the genus Gentiana: in silico mining, characterization and validation, 3 Biotech, 11: 430
  14. Bansal S, K Sharma, V Gautam, AA Lone, EV Malhotra, S Kumar, R Singh (2021). A Comprehensive Review of Bunium persicum: A Valuable Medicinal Spice, Food Reviews International, https://doi.org/10.1080/87559129.2021.1929305
  15. Sharma N, Gowthami R, S Vimala Devi, Malhotra EV, R Pandey and A Agrawal (2021). Cryopreservation of shoot tips of Gentiana kurroo Royle – a critically endangered medicinal plant of India. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 144:67-72

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The contents of this page are personal information/views of the staff. NBPGR is neither responsible for the contents or reliability nor endorses the views expressed within them.

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