Academic Qualification:

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Plant Biotechnology, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi.
• Master of Science in Biotechnology, University of Rajasthan.
• Bachelor of Science, Kanoria PG Mahila Mahavidyalaya, University of Rajasthan.

Academic positions:

• Scientist B: 2022 onwards, DBT-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
• Research Associate III: 2017-2022, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi.
• Senior Research Fellow (DBT): 2013-2017, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi.
• Junior Research Fellow (DBT): 2011-2013, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi.

Awards

• Prof. S.K. Sopory Young Scientist Award (2023), Indian Society of plant Physiology, New Delhi.
• Member of INYAS (2023), Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi.
• Young Scientist Award (2021-22) of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi
• Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award (2021-22) of The National Academy of Sciences, New Delhi
• Prof. Har Swarup Memorial Lecture (2022), Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi.
• INSPIRE Faculty award (2021),   Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi.
• SERB-Women Excellence Award (2020), SERB, New Delhi
• Young Scientist Award (2020) of Indian Virological Society, New Delhi
• Young Scientist Award (2019) of Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi
• Best poster award at VIROCON-2017 under the aegis of Indian Virological Society
• Young Scientist Award (2014) for best oral presentation in national conference on ‘Science of OMICS for agricultural productivity: Future perspectives” under the aegis of Society for Plant Biochemistry & Biotechnology, New Delhi.

Plant-virus interaction

Research Interest:
Globally, agricultural productivity and sustainability are seriously threatened by viral infections, which can cause yield losses of up to 100%. Lack of resistance sources against plants viruses prompted us to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying defense response in plants. We are interested to:

• • Investigate the interactions among the plant-viral proteins and target these interactions for the discovery of novel regulatory module(s).
• • Identify and characterize virus-responsive miRNAs and lncRNAs in plants.
• • Delineate the role of lncRNAs-mediated regulation of epigenetic modifications in their corresponding targets during virus infection.
• • Develop molecular markers for disease identification and crop improvement through marker assisted breeding.

The outcome will ultimately result in developing virus tolerant and health efficient crops in order to reduce the yield loss and economic impacts of virus infection.

Research and Review Articles

• Arora H, Singh RK, Sharma S, Sharma N, Panchal A, Das T, Prasad A, Prasad M (2022) DNA methylation dynamics in response to abiotic and pathogen stress in plants Plant Cell Reports, 10.1007/s00299-022-02901-x.
• Sharma N, Sahu PP, Prasad A, Prasad M (2022) Role of Sw5 gene cluster in fight against plant viruses. Journal of Virology, 9;96(5):e0208421.
• Sharma N, Sahu PP, Prasad A, Muthamilarasan M, Waseem M, Khan Y, Thakur JK, Chakraborty S, Prasad M (2021) The Sw5a gene confers resistance to ToLCNDV and triggers an HR response after direct AC4 effector recognition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, United States of America, 118(33): e2101833118.4. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2101833118
• Prasad A, Sharma N, Chirom O, Prasad M (2021) The sly-miR166-SlyHB module acts as a susceptibility factor during ToLCNDV infection in tomato. Theoretical and Applied Genetics1007/s00122-021-03962-4. DOI: 10.1007/s00122-021-03962-4
• Nagar P, Sharma N, Jain M, Sharma G, Prasad M, Mustafiz A (2021) OsPSKR15, a phytosulfokine receptor from rice enhances ABA response and drought stress tolerance. Physiologia plantarum, 10.1111/ppl.13569. DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13569.
• Sharma S, Prasad A, Sharma N, Prasad M (2021) Role of ubiquitination enzymes in abiotic environmental interactions with plants. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 181:494-507. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.03.185.
• Sharma N, Muthamilarasan M, Dulani P, Prasad M (2021) Genomic dissection of ROS detoxifying enzyme encoding genes for their role in antioxidative defense mechanism against Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus infection in tomato. Genomics, 30:889-899. DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.01.022.
• Prasad A, Sharma N, Prasad M (2020) Noncoding but Coding: Pri-miRNA into the Action. Trends in Plant Science, 26: 204-206. DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.12.004
• Sharma N, Prasad M (2020) Silencing AC1 of Tomato leaf curl virus using artificial microRNA confers resistance to leaf curl disease in transgenic tomato, Plant Cell Reports, 39:1565-1579. DOI: 10.1007/s00299-020-02584-2
• Sharma N, Muthamilarasan M, Prasad A, Prasad M (2020) Genomics approaches to synthesis plant-based biomolecules for therapeutic applications to combat SARS-CoV-2. Genomics, 24: 4322–31. DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.07.033
• Pandey S, Prasad A, Sharma N, Prasad M (2020) Linking the plant stress responses with RNA helicases. Plant Science, 299:110607. DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2020.110607.
• Prasad A, Sharma N, Hari-Gowthem G, Muthamilarasan M, Prasad M (2020) Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus: Impact, Challenges, and Management. Trends in Plant Science, 25, 897-911. DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.03.015
• Prasad A, Sharma N, Muthamilarasan M, Rana S, Prasad M (2019) Recent advances in small RNA mediated plant-virus interactions. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 39:587-601. DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2019.1597830
• Das A, Sharma N, Prasad M (2019) CRISPR/Cas9: A Novel Weapon in the Arsenal to Combat Plant Diseases Front. Plant Science, 9:2008.8. DOI:10.3389/fpls.2018.02008.
• Pandey S, Muthamilarasan M, Sharma N, Chaudhary V, Dulani P, Shweta S, 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. DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2018.11.018.
• Mandal A, Sharma N, Muthamilarasan M, Prasad M (2018) Ubiquitination: a tool for plant adaptation to changing environments. The Nucleus, 61, 253-260. DOI: 10.1007/s13237-018-0255-6.
• Sharma N, Prasad M (2017) An insight into plant–Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus interaction. The Nucleus, 60: 335-348. DOI: 10.1007/s13237-017-0224-5
• Sahu PP, Sharma N, Puranik S, Chakraborty S, Prasad M (2016) Tomato 26S Proteasome subunit RPT4a regulates ToLCNDV transcription and activates hypersensitive response in tomato. Scientific reports, 6, 27078. DOI: 10.1038/srep27078.
• Pandey G*, Sharma N*, Sahu PP, Prasad M (2016) Chromatin-Based Epigenetic Regulation of Plant Abiotic Stress Response. Current Genomics 17:490-498. DOI: 10.2174/1389202917666160520103914.
• Sahu PP, Sharma N, Puranik S, Prasad M (2014) Post-transcriptional and Epigenetic Arms of RNA Silencing: A Defense Machinery of Naturally Tolerant Tomato Plant against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 32:1015–1029. DOI: 10.1007/s11105-014-0708-2
• Sahu PP, Sharma N, Puranik S, Muthamilarasan M, Prasad M (2014) Involvement of host regulatory pathways during geminivirus infection: a novel platform for generating durable resistance. Functional & Integrative Genomics, 14: 47-58. DOI: 10.1007/s10142-013-0346-z
• Sharma N, Sahu PP, Puranik S, Prasad M (2013) Recent Advances in Plant–Virus Interaction with Emphasis on Small Interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Molecular Biotechnology, 55:63-77. DOI: 10.1007/s12033-012-9615-7
• Sahu PP, Pandey G, Sharma N, Puranik S, Muthamilarasan M, Prasad M (2013) Epigenetic mechanisms of plant stress responses and adaptation. Plant Cell Reports, 32:1151-1159. DOI: 10.1007/s00299-013-1462-x

*- Co-first author paper

Book Chapter

• Sharma N, Sahu PP, Kulshreshtha R, Prasad M (2018) Surfacing the role of epigenetics in host-virus interaction In: Basavaprabhu P.L. eds, Genes, Genetics and Transgenics for Virus Resistance in Plants, Caister Academic Press, U.K., pp 55-86
• Sahu PP, Sharma N, Prasad M (2017) Plant’s defense and survival strategies versus pathogen’s anti-defense and infection capabilities: The hormone-based mechanisms In: Pandey G eds, Mechanism of Plant Hormone Signaling under Stress, Vol 2. JohnWiley & Sons, pp 389-414.
• Pandey S, Sharma N, Prasad M (2020) Role of RNA-interacting proteins in modulating plant-microbe interactions. Advances in Genetics, 105: 67-94.

Patent Filed

Sharma N, Prasad M (2018) Method for producing virus tolerant healthy crops against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus [Application number: 201711039523 A].

Sharma N, Prasad M (2020) Nucleic Acids Encoding Artificial RNA against AC1 Gene and Methods of Developing Tolerance against ToLCNDV Infection [Application number: 202011008729]