Professor & Head
IIT Delhi, New Delhi
Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology
rajiv.sharma@iitd.ac.in
Senior Scientist
National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR)
Plant Molecular Biology Group
priya.mehta@nipgr.res.in
Principal Scientist
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)
Division of Plant Pathology
amit.gupta@iari.res.in
Associate Professor
Punjab Agricultural University
Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics
sunita.verma@pau.edu
This research project focuses on the development of next-generation nano-biosensors integrating CRISPR-Cas12a technology for ultra-sensitive and rapid detection of major agricultural pathogens including Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora infestans, and Xanthomonas oryzae. The project addresses the critical need for point-of-care diagnostic tools in precision agriculture, reducing dependence on costly and time-consuming laboratory-based PCR methods.
The nano-biosensor platform combines gold nanoparticle-functionalized graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) with CRISPR-based nucleic acid amplification, achieving a detection limit of 10 femtomolar — approximately 1000-fold more sensitive than conventional ELISA-based methods. Field trials were conducted across 12 agricultural districts in Haryana and Punjab, demonstrating real-world applicability.
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