• Staff Scientist II (2017-present), National Institute of Plant Genome Research.
• Post Doctoral Fellow (AvH Fellow) (2016-2017), Chair of Genome Research & Centre of Biotechnology (CeBiTec), University of Bielefeld, Germany.
• Project Scientist (2013-2016): National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali.
• Ph.D. (2007-2013): CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (prabodhslab.com), Lucknow.
• M.Sc. (2005-2007): in Biotechnology from H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar.
• B.Sc. (2002-2005):University of Lucknow.

• Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS) member for the period 2018 to 2022.
• Indian National Science Academy (INSA) medal for Young Scientist (2017) in Plant Sciences.
• Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
• Best research paper award of CSIR-NBRI for securing highest impact factor in 2015-16 in the area of Genetics and Molecular Biology.
• Best research paper award of CSIR-NBRI for securing highest impact factor in 2014-15 in the area of Genetics and Molecular Biology.

Understanding regulation of plant secondary metabolism and metabolic engineering of crop plants

Several plant secondary metabolites are of immense human interest owing to their health benefits. Certain secondary metabolites, for example flavonoids can be taken as neutraceuticals in diet.  However, several commonly consumed foods are deficient in the content of the health benefits.  It is therefore desirable to improve the content of such health beneficial compounds in crop plants through application of genetic engineering. 

My broad research focus is to understand molecular basis of plant secondary metabolism and to use developed knowledge in metabolic engineering of plants for enhancement of the content of health beneficial secondary metabolites. Being a staple fruit crop for major world population including India, banana is an attractive target for metabolic engineering of health beneficial secondary metabolites. Recent release of banana genome sequence has provided ample resource to understand aspects of secondary metabolism at molecular level. In particular, I am interested in understanding of regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in banana. The major objective is to identify transcription factors, which regulate biosynthesis of different classes of flavonoids like flavonol, anthocyanin and proanthocyanidnes. The identification of such transcription factor will be useful in developing transgenic value added banana enriched in health beneficial flavonoids. To achieve this objective, I employ tools of molecular biology, bioinformatics and phytochemistry. To this end, banana genome mining is being carried out for the identification of important gene families including those belonging to transcription factor genes. The transcription factors are being studied in protoplast based transient expression system for trans-activation of structural genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. More detailed studies pertaining to DNA-protein interaction are planned. Further characterisation of these transcription factors will involve complementation of Arabidopsis mutants as well as development of banana transgenic. With this, my lab aims to develop value added banana enriched with health beneficial secondary metabolites.

• Ruchika                      Ph.D. Student
• Jogindra Naik              Ph.D. Student
• Samiksha Saxena        Ph.D. Student
• Mashreeta Singh         JRF
• Hari Shanker Tiwa       Lab Assistant

• Bhatia C, Pandey A, Gaddam SR, Hoecker U & Trivedi PK. (2018) Low Temperature-Enhanced Flavonol Synthesis Requires Light-Associated Regulatory Components in Arabidopsis thaliana.Plant & Cell Physiology 59(10): 2099-2112.
• Kaur N, Pandey A, Sharma S, Kumar P, Kesarwani AK, Mantri SS,Awasthi P and Tiwari S (2017) Regulation of Banana Phytoene Synthase (MaPSY) expression, characterization and their modulation under various abiotic stress conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science. 8: 462 doi. 10.3389/fpls.2017.00462.
• Agan F, Alok A, Kumar J, Thakur N, Pandey A, Pandey AK, Upadhyay SK, & Tiwari S (2016) Characterization and expression analysis of phytoene synthase from bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). PloS ONE DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162443.
• Pandey A*, Alok A, Lakhwani D, Singh J, Asif MH, Trivedi PK* (2016) Genome-wide Expression Analysis and Metabolite Profiling Elucidate Transcriptional Regulation of Flavonoid Biosynthesis and Modulation under Abiotic Stresses in Banana. Scientific Reports  6:31361. doi: 10.1038/srep31361.
• Sharma D, Tiwari M, Pandey A, Bhatia C, Sharma A and Trivedi PK (2016) MicroRNA858 is a potential regulator of phenylpropanoid pathway and plant development in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology: 17, 944-959.
• Pandey A*, Misra P, Alok A, Kaur N, Sharma S, Lakhwani D, Asif MH, Tiwari S and Trivedi PK*. Genome wide identification and expression analysis of Homeodomain leucine zipper subfamily IV (HDZ IV) gene family from Musa accuminata. Frontiers in Plant Science: doi: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00020.
• Choudhary D, Pandey A, Adhikary S, Ahmad N, Bhatia C, Bhambhani S, Trivedi PK, Trivedi R. Genetically engineered flavonol enriched tomato fruit modulates chondrogenesis to increase bone length in growing animals. Scientific Reports  6,21668.
• Goel R, Pandey A, Trivedi PK, and Asif, MH Genome-wide analysis of the Musa WRKY gene family: evolution and differential expression during development and stress. Frontiers in Plant Science: 7:299.
• Lakhwani D, Pandey A, Dhar YV, Bag SK., Trivedi PK, Asif MH Genome-wide analysis of the AP2/ERF family in Musa species reveals divergence and neofunctionalisation during evolution. Scientific Reports. 5, 18878.
• Pandey A, Misra P, Choudhary D, Yadav R, Goel R, Bhambhani S, Sanyal I, Trivedi R, and Trivedi PK (2015). AtMYB12 expression in tomato leads to large scale differential modulation in transcriptome and flavonoid content in leaf and fruit tissues. Scientific Reports  5, 12412.
• Pandey A, Misra P, and Trivedi PK (2015). Constitutive expression of Arabidopsis MYB transcription factor, AtMYB11, in tobacco modulates flavonoid biosynthesis in favor of flavonol accumulation. Plant Cell Reports, 34, 1515-1528.
• Pandey A, Misra P, Bhambhani, S and Trivedi PK (2014) Expression of Arabidopsis MYB transcription factor, AtMYB111, in tobacco requires light to modulate flavonol content. Scientific Reports  21, 5018.
• Pandey A, Misra P, Khan MP, Swarnker G, Tewari MC, Bhambhani S, Trivedi R, Chattopadhyay N and Trivedi PK (2014) Coexpression of Arabidopsis transcription factor, AtMYB12, and soybean isoflavone synthase, GmIFS1, genes in tobacco leads to enhanced biosynthesis of isoflavones and flavonols resulting in osteoprotective activity. Plant Biotechnology Journal 12, 69-80.
• Pandey A, Misra P, Chandrashekhar K and Trivedi PK (2012) Development of AtMYB12-expressing transgenic tobacco callus culture for production of rutin with biopesticidal potential. Plant Cell Reports, 31, 1867–1876.
• Misra P, Pandey A, Tewari M, Chandrashekhar K, Siddhu OP, Asif MH, Chakrabarty D, Singh PK, Nath P, Trivedi PK and Tuli R (2010) Modulation of transcriptome and metabolome by AtMYB12 transcription factor leads to insect tolerance. Plant Physiology, 152, 2258-2268.
• Misra P, Pandey A, Tewari SK, Nath P and Trivedi PK (2010) Characterization of isoflavone synthase gene from Psoralea corylifolia: a medicinal plant. Plant Cell Reports, 29, 747–755.

• Kaur N, Shivani, Pandey A, and Tiwari S. (2016) Provitamin A enrichment for tackling malnutrition. In: Mohandas S, Ravishankar KV (eds) Banana: Genomics and transgenic approaches for genetic improvement. Springer-Verlag Ltd. Singapore: pp 277–300. DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-1585-4_19