Journal of Plant Science and Biotechnology

Dr. Ashishkumar G. Vala is an academician and researcher specializing in Plant Biotechnology, with more than nine years of teaching and research experience. He is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at Junagadh Agricultural University (JAU), Junagadh, Gujarat, India. His research expertise includes molecular biology, plant tissue culture, next-generation sequencing (NGS), molecular breeding, gene cloning, genetic transformation, molecular characterization, and genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9.

His research activities include transcriptome analysis, differential gene-expression studies, RNA sequencing for abiotic-stress tolerance, NGS data analysis, molecular characterization of crops, marker-assisted selection, and development of plant transformation vectors. He has also worked as an investigator/co-investigator on more than eight projects and has undertaken research involving groundnut, rice, stevia, castor, tomato, chickpea, and citrus.

He holds a Ph.D. in Plant Biotechnology and an M.Sc. in Agricultural Biotechnology from Anand Agricultural University. His professional development includes training in biomedical research data management, flow cytogenetics, transgenic trait detection, comparative genomics, coconut tissue culture, and plant genome utilization and editing.

• Plant biotechnology
• Molecular biology

1. Plant molecular biology and biotechnology
2. Molecular breeding and marker-assisted selection
3. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and transcriptomics
4. Differential gene-expression analysis
5. RNA-seq studies of abiotic-stress tolerance
6. Gene cloning and molecular characterization
7. Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation
8. CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing
9. Tissue culture, micropropagation and organogenesis
10. GWAS and QTL analysis
11. Bioinformatics and NGS-data analysis using CLC Genomics Workbench, Geneious, BLAST, R and SAS
12. Molecular characterization using PCR, RT-PCR, qPCR, RFLP, AFLP, ISSR, SSR and RAPD
13. HPLC, GC and GC-MS-based pesticide-residue analysis
14. Teaching and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students
15. Research-project development and participation as investigator/co-investigator
16. Participation in national/international conferences, workshops and faculty-development programmes
17. Training activities for students and farmers in biotechnology and agriculture

1. Gadhiya, J., Tomar, R. S., Mahatma, M., Rathod, P. J., Bhatt, S., Kandoliya, U., et al. (2026). Transcriptomic insights into osmotic stress-mediated regulation of stevioside in in vitro Stevia rebaudiana. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 44(1), 23.
2. Khajuria, A., Kandoliya, U. K., Parakhia, M., Gajera, H., & Vala, A. (2025). Nutritional morphological diversity in promising okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) genotypes: Linking pod pigmentation to mineral content. International Journal of Agriculture Plant Science, 7(4), 97–100.
3. Bhattacharya, S., Vala, A., & Tomar, R. S. (2025). Genetics, genomics, and breeding of dill. In Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Seed Spices, pp. 97–112.
4. Tomar, R. S., Vala, A., & Pandey, S. (2025). Advances in ajwain genetics, genomics, and breeding: Exploring the potential for improved health and crop productivity. In Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Seed Spices, pp. 1–12.
5. Sharma, S., Rathod, B., Vala, A., Chakrawarti, N., & Tomar, R. S. (2024). From DNA to dinner plate: Unraveling the biotechnological marvels of sustainable agriculture. In Sustainable Agriculture: Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Management and Food Security.
6. Joshi, M. K., Marviya, G. V., Jacob, F., Kandoliya, U. K., Pandya, P. M., & Vala, A. G. (2024). System-wide analysis of groundnut's salinity resilience: Integrating plant-cell interactions with environmental stress dynamics through cutting-edge transcriptomics. Journal of Biotechnology, 394, 34–47.
7. Rathod, B., Sharma, S., Chakrawarti, N., & Vala, A. (2024). Molecular marker-based approaches for crop improvement. In Sustainable Agriculture: Nanotechnology and Biotechnology for Crop Improvement.
8. Solanki, M. V., Mahatma, M. K., Varma, A., Thawait, L. K., Singh, S., Jangir, C. K., et al. (2024). Water deficit stress enhances the bioactive compounds of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) kernels at the expense of primary metabolites. Food Bioscience, 58, 103670.
9. Chavda, F. V., Vanpariya, P. H., Chavda, M. D., & Vala, A. G. (2024). Nurturing nature’s jewels: A holistic review of genetic and molecular strategies for fortifying pomegranate varieties. International Journal, 6(2), 8–14.
10. Nigam, K., Padhiyar, S., Bhatt, S., Kheni, J., Vala, A., Rajyaguru, R., & Tomar, R. S. (2023). Unveiling the abundance and composition of rhizobacterial communities associated with halophytic plants in Gujarat, India. Authorea Preprints.
11. Vala, A. G., Tomar, R. S., & Rathod, P. (2023). Genomics approaches for enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in groundnut: A pathway to crop improvement. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 8(5).
12. Vala, A., Tomar, R., Rathod, P., & Rajivkumar. (2023). Speed breeding: Accelerating crop improvement through controlled environments, genetics, and high-throughput phenotyping. International Advanced Research Journal in Science, Engineering and Technology.
13. Vala, A. K. G., Bano, N., Deshmukh, Y., Tomar, R. S., Joshi, C. G., & Subhash, N. (2022). Transcriptome analysis identifies novel genes and pathways for salt stress responses in Dandi cultivar. Cereal Research Communications, 50, 1–15.
14. Thoppurathu, F. J., Ghorbanzadeh, Z., Vala, A. K., Hamid, R., & Joshi, M. (2022). Unravelling the treasure trove of drought-responsive genes in wild-type peanut through transcriptomics and physiological analyses of root. Functional & Integrative Genomics, 22(2), 215–233.
15. Jacob, F., Mahatma, M., Deshmukh, Y., Kandoliya, U. K., Maraviya, G. V., Joshi, M., et al. (2022). Altered expression levels of transcripts of GNAC transcription factors during drought stress in susceptible and tolerant cultivars of groundnut. Plant Stress, 3, 100062.
16. Sharma, V., Bhattacharyya, S., Kumar, R., Kumar, A., Ibañez, F., Wang, J., Guo, B., et al. (2020). Molecular basis of root nodule symbiosis between Bradyrhizobium and ‘crack-entry’ legume groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Plants, 9(2), 276.
17. Vala, A. G., Joshi, C. G., Shah, A. K., & Narayanan, S. (2020). Molecular characterization of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes in response to salinity stress. International Journal of Chemical Studies, 8(3), 40–46.
18. Purohit, H. B., Vala, A. G., Talavia, B. P., & Kandoliya, U. K. (2020). Effect of gibberellic acid, potassium nitrate and silicic acid on biochemical constituents of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seedlings exposed to saline water. International Journal of Chemical Studies, 8(6), 270–276.
19. Parakhia, M. V., Tomar, R., Vala, A. G., Rathod, V. M., & Kheni, J. V. (2016). Whole genome sequencing of drought stress tolerance endophytic bacterium Enterobacter sp. Mr1. Journal of Bacteriology & Mycology: Open Access, 3(2), 00055.
20. Patel, A. S., Sasidharan, N., & Vala, A. G. (2011). Genetic relation in Capsicum annuum L. cultivars through microsatellite markers: SSR and ISSR. Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding, 2(1), 67–76.