The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, awarded a two‑year Startup Research Grant of Rs 24 lakh to Dr Vijay Gahlaut, Associate Professor at the University Centre for Research & Development (UCRD) and University Institute of Biotechnology (UIBT), Chandigarh University.
The project, titled “Elucidating the Role of DNA Methylation under Elevated CO₂ and Temperature During Grain Filling in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L)”, aims to understand epigenetic changes during grain filling under combined elevated CO₂ and temperature stress.
Expected outcomes include development of climate‑smart wheat varieties that can maintain productivity, grain quality, and food security despite rising temperatures and atmospheric CO₂ levels.
Preliminary findings show that elevated CO₂ and higher temperatures alter DNA methylation patterns, identifying critical developmental windows for targeted agronomic interventions such as adjusted irrigation and fertilization.
The research proposes using epimarkers to accelerate breeding by enabling early‑generation selection of desirable traits, thereby shortening the time to release resilient cultivars.
Dr Gahlaut’s team includes PhD scholar Praveen Kumar; Dr Gahlaut brings over 80 peer‑reviewed publications, prior experience as a DST INSPIRE Faculty fellow, and service at CSIR, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, India.
Chandigarh University, a NAAC A+ graded, QS‑world‑ranked autonomous institution, highlights this grant as part of its commitment to advanced agricultural biotechnology and sustainable agriculture research.
