M.Sc (Biotechnology), PhD (Life Sciences), Post-Doc

Research Experience

• CSIR-Senior Research Associate (2024-2025), National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi
• DST-Women Scientist A (2023-2024), National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi
• Research Associate-III (2021-2023) at National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi
• DST-SERB-NPDF (2018-2020), National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi
• Research Associate (2018), National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi
• Post-Doctoral Fellow (2017), Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi
• PhD -School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Research Interests

Microbes play a critical role in shaping plant growth, health, and immunity. Understanding the molecular and physiological interactions between plants and their associated microorganisms is essential for advancing sustainable agriculture. My research focuses on how biotic stress shapes the plant root microbiome, aiming to uncover how specific microbial partners are differentially recruited and contribute to stress tolerance. In parallel, pathogenic microbes secrete a variety of effector proteins and manipulate host susceptibility genes to promote disease. By unravelling these complex plant–pathogen interactions, we aim to identify key molecular mechanisms that can be leveraged for crop protection. Our work integrates plant and microbial biotechnology to translate these fundamental insights into eco-friendly strategies for enhancing crop productivity, resilience, and sustainability.

Selected Publications:

• Host Gamma Aminobutyric Acid Metabolic Pathway is involved in Resistance against Rhizoctonia solani (2021).Rani M and Jha G. Phytopathology. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-08-20-0356-R
• Functional characterization of a hexose transporter from root endophyte Piriformospora indica (2016). Rani M, Raj S, Dayaman V, Kumar M, Dua M and Johri AK. Frontiers in Microbiology, 7:1083. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01083
• Evolution of pathogenicity-associated genes in Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA by genome duplication and transposon-mediated gene function alteration. (2023). Francis A, Ghosh S, Tyagi K, Prakasam V, Rani M et al. BMC Biology, 21(1):15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-023-01526-0
• In-silico study of molecular adaptations in halophilic Cas9. (2025). Debnath A, Sengupta A, Rudrapal S, Kumar A, Rani M. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 78(2): ovaf006. https://doi.org/10.1093/lambio/ovaf006 (Corresponding author)
• Bioremediation: an alternative approach for detoxification of polymers from the contaminated environment. (2021). Borthakur D, Rani M et al. Letters in Applied Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/lam.13616 (Equal first author)
• Peptidyl-prolyl isomerase-B is involved in Mycobacterium tuberculosis biofilm formation and a generic target for drug repurposing-based intervention. (2019). Kumar A, Alam A, Grover S, Pandey S, Tripathi D, Kumari M, Rani M et al. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 5:3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-018-0075-0
• Protein adaptations in extremophiles: An insight into extremophilic connection of mycobacterial proteome. (2018). Kumar A, Alam A, Tripathi D, Rani M et al. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.01.003
• Biofilm: a pathogen’s survival and defense strategy. (2017). Kumar A, Alam A, Rani M et al. International Journal of Medical Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2017.09.016
• Commentary: Modification of host responses by Mycobacteria. (2017). Kumar A, Rani M et al. Frontiers in Immunology, 8:466. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00466

Selected Book Chapters:

• Rani M, Tyagi K and Jha G (2020): Advancements in plant disease control strategies, in the book entitled “Advancement in Crop Improvement Techniques”, Elsevier ISBN: 978-0-12-818581-0
• Rani M, Jogawat A and Loha A (2021). Sugar transporters in plant-fungal symbiosis, in the book entitled “Recent Trends in Mycological Research”, Springer, ISBN 978-3-030-60658-9
• Rani M, Bratati P, Bhattacharjee A, Das K, Singh K, Basu K, Pandey S, Tripathi D, Kumar A (2021). Detection and removal of pathogenic bacteria from wastewater using various nanoparticles in the book entitled “Development in Wastewater Treatment Research and Processes”, Elsevier, ISBN 978-03-239-0011-9
• Rani M et al. (2021). Antimicrobial activities of different nanoparticles concerning to wastewater treatment in the book entitled “Development in Wastewater Treatment Research and Processes”, Elsevier, ISBN 978-03-239-0011-9
• Bharadwaj P, Tripathi D, Pandey S, Tapadar S, Bhattacharjee A, Das D, Palwan E, Rani M et al. (2021). Molecular Biology Techniques for the Detection of Contaminants in Wastewater in the book entitled “Wastewater Treatment”, Elsevier, 217-235, ISBN: 978-012-82-1881-5.
• Tapadar S, Tripathi D, Pandey S, Goswami K, Bhattacharjee A, Das K, Palwan E, Rani M et al. (2020). Role of Extremophiles and Extremophilic Proteins in the book entitled “Industrial Waste Treatment, Removal of Emerging Contaminants Through Microbial Processes”, Springer, ISBN: 978-981-15-5901-3

Awards/Scholarships:

• Awarded CSIR-Senior Research Associateship by CSIR, India (2023)
• Awarded DST-Women Scientist A fellowship by DST India (2022)
• Awarded SERB-National Post-doctoral fellowship (DST-SERB-NPDF) by Department of Science and Technology, India (2018)
• Qualified the Junior Research Fellowship (UGC-NET-JRF) National Eligibility Test conducted by the UGC-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Govt. Of India (2017).
• Qualified Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), conducted by Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) (2010).
• Qualified the National Eligibility Test (ARS-NET) organized by Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, India (2015)
• Awarded Junior Research Fellowship (DBT-JRF) from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. Of India (2012).
• Qualified Jawaharlal Nehru University Combined Entrance Exam for Biotechnology (CEEB 2009) and awarded DBT Fellowship during M.Sc. (Biotechnology) at University of Hyderabad.

Conferences/ Workshops/membership/Faculty Development Program Participated:

1. Participated in Faculty Development Program on “Course File Preparation and Question Paper Setting based on OBE”, organized by Delhi Technological University from 13^th -to 17^th October, 2025
2. Oral presentation in NCR cluster Young Investigators Symposium held on 4^th Oct 2019 at Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Haryana, India (Abstract title “Host γ-Amino Butyric Acid Pathway is involved in Resistance against necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia solani”)
3. International Congress of Cell biology (ICCB), organized by CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, India, 27^th-31^st January 2018, Poster Presentation
4. 56th Annual Conference of Association of Microbiologists of India, , Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, 7-10^th December 2015, Poster Presentation
5. 55th Annual Conference of Association of Microbiologists of India, Held on 12-14^th November 2014, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Poster Presentation
6. Member of American Society for Microbiology (2013-2014)
7. Macmillan publishing group Scientific Writing and Publishing Workshop, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, 03^rd September 2013

Journal Reviewer

New Phytologist and Journal of Agriculture and Food