National Institute of Plant Genome Research
 
    Dr. Naveen Chandra Bisht
    Staff Scientist II
    Tel: 91-11-26735183
    Fax: 91-11-26741658
    Email: ncbisht@nipgr.res.in, ncbisht@gmail.com
 Career:
March 2007 - present: Staff Scientist II, National Institute for Plant Genome Research, New Delhi.
Jan 2006 - Feb 2007 : Research Scientist, Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP), University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi.
Feb 2005 - Dec 2005 : Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi.
Jan 2000 - Feb 2005 : Ph.D. (Genetics), Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi.
 Awards and Honors:
* INSA Medal for Young Scientist (2007)
 Research Interest:
Genetic mechanism of Glucosinolates biosynthesis and degradation in Brassica crop
Glucosinolates are nitrogen and sulfur containing secondary metabolites (thioglucosides) found mainly among members of the order Capparales including the model plant Arabidopsis and related Brassica species. Glucosinolates are derived from amino acids including methionine, phenylalanine and tyrosine, or tryptophan and are grouped into aliphatic, aromatic, and indolic glucosinolates, respectively. Tissue disruption brings glucosinolates into contact with myrosinases, resulting in the release of numerous compounds (eg. thiocyanates, isothiocynates and nitriles) with diverse biological activities. The enzymatic degradation products mainly account for the distinctive flavours, cancer-prevention activity, crop-protection and as a biofumigants. However, the presence of degradation products is not always beneficial. Feeding of the seed meal to livestock and poultry is problematic because of the goitrogenic property of glucosinolate hydrolysis products. To be able to regulate and optimize the level of glucosinolates in the quest to improve flavour and nutritional qualities of Brassica crops and to boost plant protection, it is necessary to study the processes of glucosinolate biosynthesis, degradation and transport.
The major thrust area of my laboratory will be to understand the genetic and biochemical mechanism of glucosinolates biosynthesis in Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) with relation to the information available in the model plant Arabidopsis. B. juncea varieties grown in India contain high amount of seed aliphatic glucosinolates. The seed quality of mustard varieties could be improved significantly to allow for their establishment as a canola type (low in both erucic acid and glucosinolates). Traditional breeding methods have been successful in developing low erucic acid mustard lines. However, breeding of low glucosinolates lines in Indian B. juncea cultivars is still under progress due to its complex genetics.
Various candidate genes of the glucosinolates biosynthesis and degradation pathway are now known and characterized in Arabidopsis. The differentially expressed mRNA as well as homolog(s) of various candidate genes will be identified and characterized from B. juncea lines contrasting for glucosinolates trait using both differential library screening and microarray experiments. Up regulated and down-regulated (RNAi) constructs for these candidate genes will provide a better insight on the role of these candidate genes in modulating the glucosinolates trait with the ultimate aim of developing the low glucosinolates lines in B. juncea.
We are growing and NCB Lab welcomes you ......
 Selected Publications
Patent:
Bisht NC, Jagannath A, Gupta V, Burma PK and Pental D. A novel method for obtaining improved fertility restorer lines for transgenic male-sterile crop plants and a DNA construct for use in said method. PCT Patent. Application report cleared on July 2005 and national phase application filed for three countries viz. US, Canada and Australia.
Publications:
Panjabi P, Jagannath A*, Bisht NC*, Padmaja L*, Sharma S*, Gupta V, Pradhan AK and Pental D (2008). Comparative mapping of Brassica juncea and Arabidopsis thaliana using Intron Polymorphism (IP) markers: homeologous relationships, diversification and evolution of the A, B and C Brassica genomes. BMC Genomics, 9: 113. * - equal contribution.
Ramchiary N*, Bisht NC*, Gupta V*, Mukopadhyay A*, Arumugam N*, Sodhi YS, Pental D and Pradhan AK (2007). QTL analysis reveals context-dependent loci for seed glucosinolate trait in oilseed Brassica juncea: Importance of recurrent selection backcross (RSB) scheme for the identification of 'true' QTL. Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 116: 77-85. * - equal contribution.
Ray K, Bisht NC, Pental D and Burma PK (2007). Development of barnase/barstar transgenics for hybrid seed production in Indian oilseed mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss) using a mutant acetolactate synthase gene conferring resistance to imidazolinone-based herbicide 'Pursuit'. Current Science 93: 1390-1396.
Gupta V, Pradhan AK, Bisht NC, Sodhi YS, Arumugam N, Mukopadhyay A and Pental D (2007). Mapping and tagging of agronomically important genes in Brassica juncea. In: Proceedings 12th International Rapeseed Congress: Sustainable Development in Cruciferous Oilseed Crops Production, March 26-30, 2007; Wuhan China, Vol 1: 298-300.
Bisht NC, Jagannath A, Burma PK, Pradhan AK and Pental D (2007). Retransformation of a male sterile barnase line with the barstar gene as an efficient alternative method to identify male sterile-restorer combinations for heterosis breeding. Plant Cell Reports 26: 727-733.
Bisht NC, Jagannath A, Gupta V, Burma PK and Pental D (2004). A two gene-two promoter system for enhanced expression of a restorer gene (barstar) and development of improved fertility restorer lines for hybrid seed production in crop plants. Molecular Breeding, 14: 129-144.
Bisht NC, Burma PK and Pental D (2004). Development of 2,4-D resistant lines in Indian mustard (B. juncea). Current Science, 87: 367-370.