My research focuses on plant-microbe interactions. The microbes survive within and around plants have a particular role for growth and development of plants. The endophytic microbes which reside inside healthy plants improve plants health against pests and assist them to survive under stress conditions. The plant growth promoting rhizobacteria have enormous capabilities to be applied at commercial level for atmospheric nitrogen fixations, secretion of siderophores and antipest compounds and plant hormones. We are also involved in purifying and characterizing antifungal lipopeptides using MALDI-TOF and looking for molecular interactions with fungal hyphae. The microbes associated with seeds may be involved in seedling development. These plant associated microbes also assist plants to survive under abiotic stresses. I am interested in finding the pathways involved in induction of stress tolerance of plants by microorganisms at physiological and molecular levels applying transcriptomics.

Another aspect of my research is bioprospecting of endophytic microbes for bioactive compounds. I am currently running a project on endophytic fungi of Rauvolfia serpentina for bioprospecting for antimicrobial compounds and reserpine.