Scientist Profile

Prof. Ashwani Pareek

Prof. Ashwani Pareek

Executive Director

Date of Joining: 01 Jan 2021

+91 172 522 1101

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Plant Physiology, Plant Molecular Biology, Rice Genetic Engineering and Nutritional enhancement

  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship by The Rockefeller Foundation, New York
  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship, University of North Carolina, USA.
  • Research Scientist at Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus
  • Awarded BOYSCAST Fellowship to work at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, USA
  • Awarded the INSA-Royal visiting scientist fellowship to work at University of Cambridge, U.K.
  • DBT-Overseas visiting fellowship (CREST) to work at The University of California, Davis, USA

Ashwani Pareek, Executive Director of NABI is a prominent plant biologist and educator noted chiefly for his contribution in the area of plant molecular biology and biotechnology. He is currently working as Professor of plant molecular biology and biotechnology at the School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. Professor Pareek completed his doctoral research (PhD) with his exemplary work on ‘Molecular Characterization of stress proteins in Oryza sativa L. with emphasis on 90 kDa family’ from the Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi. 


His lab at NABI exploits use of genetic, genomic, molecular, and physiological approaches to tap at the broad genetic base of rice for identifying genes and creating physical, chemical and genetic mutants, attributing abiotic stress tolerance and enhancing yield in crop plants such as rice. His keen interest also lies in unravelling the signalling mechanisms involved in plant abiotic stress tolerance. His research has translated into the development of transgenics using RNA interference technology for enhanced salinity and drought tolerance. Presently, his lab is using CRISPR/Cas9 based genome editing for modulating transcription factors in a fashion leading to abatement of abiotic stress tolerance in rice.

  1. Bahuguna, R. N., Chaturvedi, A. K., Pal, M., Viswanathan, C., Jagadish, S. K., & Pareek, A. (2022). Carbon dioxide responsiveness mitigates rice yield loss under high night temperature. Plant Physiology, 188(1), 285-300.

  2. Singh, D., Singla-Pareek, S. L., & Pareek, A. (2021). Two-component signaling system in plants: interaction network and specificity in response to stress and hormones. Plant Cell Reports, 40(11), 2037-2046.

  3. Anders, S., Cowling, W., Pareek, A., Gupta, K. J., Singla-Pareek, S. L., & Foyer, C. H. (2021). Gaining acceptance of novel plant breeding technologies. Trends in Plant Science, 26(6), 575-587.

  4. Nutan, K. K., Singla-Pareek, S. L., & Pareek, A. (2020). The Saltol QTL-localized transcription factor OsGATA8 plays an important role in stress tolerance and seed development in Arabidopsis and rice. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(2), 684-698.

  5. Pareek, A., Joshi, R., Gupta, K. J., Singla-Pareek, S. L., & Foyer, C. (2020). Sensing and signalling in plant stress responses: Ensuring sustainable food security in an era of climate change.

    6. View All Publication

  6. Singla-Pareek, S. L., Kaur, C., Kumar, B., Pareek, A., & Sopory, S. K. (2020). Reassessing plant glyoxalases: Large family and expanding functions. New Phytologist, 227(3), 714-721.

  7. Zafar, S. A., Zaidi, S. S. E. A., Gaba, Y., Singla-Pareek, S. L., Dhankher, O. P., Li, X., ... & Pareek, A. (2020). Engineering abiotic stress tolerance via CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(2), 470-479.

  8. Nutan, K. K., Rathore, R. S., Tripathi, A. K., Mishra, M., Pareek, A., & Singla-Pareek, S. L. (2020). Integrating the dynamics of yield traits in rice in response to environmental changes. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(2), 490-506.

  9. Joshi, R., Sahoo, K. K., Singh, A. K., Anwar, K., Pundir, P., Gautam, R. K., ... & Singla-Pareek, S. L. (2020). Enhancing trehalose biosynthesis improves yield potential in marker-free transgenic rice under drought, saline, and sodic conditions. Journal of experimental botany, 71(2), 653-668.

  10. Pareek, A., Dhankher, O. P., & Foyer, C. H. (2020). Mitigating the impact of climate change on plant productivity and ecosystem sustainability. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(2), 451-456.

  11. Nongpiur, R. C., Singla-Pareek, S. L., & Pareek, A. (2020). The quest for osmosensors in plants. Journal of Experimental Botany, 71(2), 595-607.

  12. Anders, S., Pareek, A., Singla-Pareek, S. L., Gupta, K. J., & Foyer, C. H. (2020). Innovative plant breeding could deliver crop revolution. Nature, 577(7792), 622-622.

  13. Lakra, N., Kaur, C., Anwar, K., Singla?Pareek, S. L., & Pareek, A. (2018). Proteomics of contrasting rice genotypes: identification of potential targets for raising crops for saline environment. Plant, Cell & Environment, 41(5), 947-969

  14. Kaur, C., Tripathi, A. K., Nutan, K. K., Sharma, S., Ghosh, A., Tripathi, J. K., ... & Sopory, S. K. (2017). A nuclear?localized rice glyoxalase I enzyme, OsGLYI?8, functions in the detoxification of methylglyoxal in the nucleus. The Plant Journal, 89(3), 565-576.

  15. Tripathi, A. K., Pareek, A., & Singla-Pareek, S. L. (2016). A NAP-family histone chaperone functions in abiotic stress response and adaptation. Plant Physiology, 171(4), 2854-2868.

  16. Singh, A., Jethva, M., Singla-Pareek, S. L., Pareek, A., & Kushwaha, H. R. (2016). Analyses of Old “Prokaryotic” Proteins Indicate Functional Diversification in Arabidopsis and Oryza sativa. Frontiers in plant science, 7, 304.

  17. Tripathi, A. K., Pareek, A., & Singla-Pareek, S. L. (2016). Evidence for the role of an H3/H4-histone chaperone OsNAPL6 in abiotic stress response and adaptation in rice. Plant Physiology, pp-00408.

  18. Mustafiz, A., Ghosh, A., Tripathi, A. K., Kaur, C., Ganguly, A. K., Bhavesh, N. S., ... & Singla?Pareek, S. L. (2014). A unique N i2+?dependent and methylglyoxal?inducible rice glyoxalase I possesses a single active site and functions in abiotic stress response. The Plant Journal, 78(6), 951-963.

  19. Ghosh, A., Pareek, A., Sopory, S. K., & Singla?Pareek, S. L. (2014). A glutathione responsive rice glyoxalase II, Os GLYII?2, functions in salinity adaptation by maintaining better photosynthesis efficiency and anti?oxidant pool. The Plant Journal, 80(1), 93-105.

  20. Schaller, G. E., Doi, K., Hwang, I., Kieber, J. J., Khurana, J. P., Kurata, N., ... & Yip, W. K. (2007). Nomenclature for two-component signaling elements of rice. Plant Physiology, 143(2), 555-557.(06 February 2007)