• Plant regulatory biology, high throughput genomics, bioinformatics.

• Scientist III (April 2013 - present): NIPGR.
• Research Scientist (2011-2013): Interdisciplinary Centre for Plant Genomics, Delhi University South Campus.
• Research Scientist (2005-2011): Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Delhi University South Campus.
• Ph. D. (1999-2005): Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Delhi University South Campus.
• M. Sc. (1997-1999): Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Delhi University South Campus.
• B. Sc. (Botany- Honors, 1994-1997): Gargi College, Delhi University.

• SERB 'Women Excellence Award' (2013) by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), India.
• Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award (2008) in Biological Sciences by National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI).
• Junior and Senior Research fellowships (1999-2004) from CSIR.
• The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE- 1999).
• AWARD-98 awarded by Delhi University Student's Union.
• University Gold Medal in B. Sc. Botany honors (1997), awarded by Delhi University.
• Pratibha Mukherjee Memorial award (1997), awarded by Gargi College Delhi University.

Globally the rate of climate warming has averaged twice over the last 50 years than that of last 100 years. The mean air temperature is predicted to rise by up to 4oC by the end of this century. Higher temperatures negatively impact agriculture directly both in terms of yield and quality. In tomato, increased temperatures have been shown to significantly disturb microsporogenesis and megasporogenesis that result in substantial decrease in fruit set. Our group is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying plant response to harsh environment such as heat stress. In particular, the upstream factors regulating the known heat shock responsive genes is currently not well understood. MicroRNAs form one such class of small regulatory molecules with potential to control these genes. The idea is to identify and characterize heat-responsive miRNAs in tomato and dissect out the regulatory networks that are responsive to heat stress. This would provide clues to better understand stress signaling and heat tolerance. This feat will be achieved by adopting a global approach by comparative analysis of the modulation of miRNA expressions in contrasting tomato cultivars during different stages of plant development with special emphasis on flower and fruit development. The long-term goal of the lab is to elucidate the miRNA networks and identify key genes instrumental in regulating response to heat stress. These key regulators can then be manipulated to engineer for the better survival, yield as well as quality potential of tomato and other related crop plants.

• Dr. Sonia Balyan        NIPGR, RA
• Dr. Shikha Rani         SERB-NPDF
• Sombir                     Ph. D. Student
• Sarita                       Ph. D. Student
• Chandni                    Ph. D. Student
• Jaishri Rubina Das      Ph. D. Student

• Pandey S, Muthamilarasan M, Sharma N, Chaudhry V, Dulani P, Shweta, Jha S, Mathur S, Prasad M. (2019) Characterization of DEAD-box family of RNA helicases in tomato provides insights into their roles in biotic and abiotic stresses. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 158:107-116.
• International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (2018) Shifting the limits in wheat research and breeding using a fully annotated reference genome. Science, 361(6403): eaar7191.
• Balyan S, Kumar M, Mutum R, Raghuvanshi U, Agarwal P, Mathur S, and Raghuvanshi S.  (2017) Identification of miRNA-mediated drought responsive multi-tiered regulatory network in drought tolerant rice, Nagina 22. Scientific Reports 7: 15446.
• Mutum R, Kumar S, Balyan S, Kansal S, Mathur S, and Raghuvanshi S. (2016) Identification of novel miRNAs from drought tolerant rice variety Nagina 22. Scientific Reports (Accepted).
• Paul A, Rao S, Mathur S. (2016) The α-Crystallin Domain Containing Genes: Identification, Phylogeny and Expression Profiling in Abiotic Stress, Phytohormone Response and Development in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Frontiers in Plant Science. 7:426
• Jaiswal V, Gahlaut V, Mathur S, Agarwal P, Khandelwal MK, Khurana JP, Tyagi AK, Balyan HS and Gupta PK. (2015) Identification of novel SNP in promoter sequence of TaGX2-GA associated with grain weight and other agronomic traits in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.,). PLOS One doi 10.1371/journal.pone.0129400.
• Kansal S, Mutum RD, Balyan SC, Arora MK, Singh AK, Mathur S, Raghuvanshi S. (2015) Unique miRNome during anthesis in drought-tolerant indica rice var. Nagina 22. Planta 241(6):1543-1559.
• Balyan SC, Mutum RD, Kansal S, Kumar S, Mathur S and Raghuvanshi S. (2015) Insights into the small RNA mediated networks in response to abiotic stress in plants. In: Pandey GK (ed). Elucidation of Abiotic Stress Signaling in Plants, Springer Science, New York, USA : pp 45-91.
• Dhariwal R, Gahlaut V, Govindraj BR, Singh D, Mathur S, Vyas S, Bandopadhyay R, Khurana JP, Tyagi AK, Prabhu KV, Mukhopadhyay K, Balyan HS, and Gupta PK. (2015) Stage-specific reprogramming of gene expression characterizes Lr48-mediated adult plant leaf rust resistance in wheat. Funct. Integr. Genomics 15(2):233-245.
• Gahlaut V, Mathur S, Dhariwal R, Khurana JP, Tyagi AK, Balyan HS, and Gupta PK. (2014) A multi-step phosphorelay two-component system impacts on tolerance against dehydration stress in common wheat. Funct. Integr. Genomics 14(4):707-716.
• Mathur S and Dasgupta I (2013) Further support of genetic conservation in Indian isolates of Rice tungro bacilliform virus by sequence analysis of an isolate from north-western India. Virus Genes, 46(2): 387-391.
• Mathur S, Vyas A, Solanke AU, Kumar R, Gupta V, Sharma AK, Khurana P, Khurana JP, Tyagi AK (The Tomato Genome Consortium, the list of authors from UDSC) (2012). The tomato genome sequence provides insights into fleshy fruit evolution. Nature, 485(7400): 635-641.
• Anand S, Sangwan N, Lata P, Kaur J, Dua A, Singh A, Verma M, Kaur J, Khurana JP, Khurana P, Mathur S, Lal R (2012) Genome Sequence of Sphingobium indicum B90A, a Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) Degrading Bacterium. Journal of Bacteriology 194(16): 4471-4472.
• Mathur S, Vyas S, Kapoor S, Tyagi AK (2011) The mediator complex in plants: structure, phylogeny and expression profiling of representative genes in a dicot (Arabidopsis) and a monocot (Rice) during reproduction and abiotic stress. Plant Physiology 157(4): 1609-1627.
• Purkayastha A, Mathur S, Verma V, Sharma S, Dasgupta I (2010) Virus-induced Gene Silencing in rice using a vector derived from a DNA virus. Planta 232(6): 1531-1540.
• Mathur S, Vyas S, Solanke AU, Kumar R, Gupta V, Sharma AK, Khurana P, Khurana JP, Tyagi AK. (The Tomato Genome Consortium, the list of authors from UDSC) (2009) A snapshot of the emerging tomato genome sequence. The Plant Genome 2: 78-92.
• Gupta V, Mathur S, Solanke AU, Sharma MK, Kumar R, Vyas S, Khurana P, Khurana JP, Tyagi AK, Sharma AK (2009). Genome analysis and genetic enhancement of tomato. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology 29(2): 152-181.
• Mathur S and Dasgupta I (2007) Downstream promoter sequence of an Indian isolate of rice tungro bacilliform virus alters tissue-specific expression in host rice and acts differentially in heterologous system. Plant Molecular Biology 65(3): 259-275.
• Niazi FR, Dasgupta I, Singh J, Mathur S and Varma A (2005) Characterization of new strains in rice tungro viruses. Indian Phytopathology 58(3): 308-313.
• Nath N, Mathur S and Dasgupta I (2002). Molecular analysis of two complete rice tungro bacilliform virus genomic sequences from India. Archives of Virology 147(6): 1173-1187.

• Patent entitled “RTBV plant promoter and process thereof”. Inventors: Mathur S and Dasgupta I. International Patent Application number PCT/IN2005/000285.
• A patent for the USA, Eurasian countries, Japan and several other countries has been granted. The patent no. is 013229
• The patent has been commercialized with 'Bejo Sheetal Seeds', Jalna, India.