Research Scholar Surbhi Kumari presented research paper at University of Tasmania in Australia

Surbhi Kumari, a research scholar from the Department of Life Science of Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) presented her research paper in an international conference in Australia this past week. Surbhi Kumari, a Ph.D student working under the supervision of Dr. Gautam Kumar presented her research on “How heat and drought stress negatively affect rice spikelet fertility through oxidative damage and metabolic impairment”. CUSB Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kameshwar Nath Singh praised Surbhi and her supervisor Dr. Gautam Kumar (Assistant Professor, Life Science) for representing the University on the international platform. Dean of SEBES Prof. Pradhan Parth Sarthi, and Head of Department Dr. Ram Pratap Singh all congratulated her on her achievement and efforts.

Providing details Dr. Gautam Kumar said that members of the Australian Society of Plant Scientists hosted the international conference on the topic “the Science of Earth and beyond” at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia. The Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space conducted discussion on plants in extreme environments, featuring NASA’s Gioia Massa, the German Aerospace Center’s Jens Hauslage, Brett Williams from QUT, Matthew Gilliham from the UoA, and Lauren Fell from QUT.  In her research, Surbhi Kumari found that combining heat and drought stress causes oxidative damage and metabolic impairment in rice spikelets.

Rice cultivation is negatively impacted by high temperature or drought stress at various growth stages, with the reproductive stage being the most vulnerable, affecting plant productivity directly. Rice panicle length and spikelet sterility are affected by combined stress during the reproductive stage, resulting in low grain yield. Surbhi Kumari presented this worldwide cultivation problem on an international platform. Her work is noticed and appreciated by the experts attended the international conference.