Dr Valarmathi

Scientist Profile

Research interests and current focus

Screening wild sugarcane germplasm for drought tolerance related traits
Genome editing and functional genomics approach to decipher molecular mechanism of tillering in sugarcane
Understanding sugarcane root system architecture for abiotic stress tolerance related traits

List of current externally funded projects

Title: Identification of new genetic resources for drought tolerance related traits from Erianthus a related genera of sugarcane (2013-2015), Agency: DST-SERB (PI), Rs.4280000/-
Title: Targeted editing of host translation initiation factor to confer resistance to virus in sugarcane (2021-2024). Agency: DST SERB (Co-PI). Rs. 5000000/-
Title: Improving tillering and yield in sugarcane through creating novel alleles of strigolactone biosynthesis gene MAX4-1 using CRISPR/Cas9 (2022-2025) Agency DBT (PI). Rs. 4000000/-
Title: Deciphering the genetic basis of root-system architecture for developing climate resilient sugarcane (2022-2025). Agency: BRNS (PI). Rs. 3000000/- Genome editing of Teosinte Branched 1 gene to improve tillering in sugarcane. Agency ICAR EFC (2023-2026) (PI). Rs. 5000000/-

Awards and honours

DST-SERB Early Career Research Award-2017
DST- SIRE International Post-Doctoral Fellowship, USA-2023
DST- Travel grant award to attend Plant and Animal Genome Conference at San Diego, USA-2025
James E Irvine Travel Award by Internation Consortium for Sugarcane Biotechnology-2025

International Exposure

DST- SIRE International Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program, Louisiana State University, USA. December 2023- July 2024.

Research Publications

Valarmathi, Prasad Gandham, C. Appunu, K. Mohanraj, R. Sudhagar, P. Vinoth, G. Ariharasutharsan, A. Malarvizhi, P. Senthilrajan and Niranjan Baisakh (2025). Deciphering the Differentially Expressed Proteins with Possible Involvement in Tiller Bud Development in Sugarcane. Tropical Plant Biology, 18:30.
Ariharasutharsan, Pooja Negi, P. Vinoth, A. Malarvizhi, P. Senthilrajan, C. Appunu, Asish K. Srivastava and R. Valarmathi. Gamma ray induced significant phenotypic and metabolite changes in sugarcane variants derived through in vitro mutagenesis. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 217: 111597.
Sakthivel Surya Krishna, Rasappa Viswanathan, Ramanathan Valarmathi, Kasirajan Lakshmi, Chinnaswamy Appunu (2023). CRISPR/Cas‑Mediated Genome Editing Approach for Improving Virus Resistance in Sugarcane. Sugar Tech 25: 735-750.
Sakthivel Surya Krishna, S R Harish Chandar , Maruthachalam Ravi, Ramanathan Valarmathi, Kasirajan Lakshmi, Prathima Perumal Thirugnanasambandam, Ramaswamy Manimekalai , Rasappa Viswanathan , Govind kurup Hemaprabha and Chinnaswamy Appunu (2023). Transgene-Free Genome Editing for Biotic and Abiotic Stress Resistance in Sugarcane: Prospects and Challenges. Agronomy, 13, 1000.
Rathnasamy, S.A.; Kambale, R.; Elangovan, A.; Mohanavel, W.; Shanmugavel, P.; Ramasamy, G.; Alagarsamy, S.; Marimuthu, R.; Rajagopalan, V.R.; Manickam, S.; Valarmathi R., et al. Raveendran M (2023). Altering Stomatal Density for Manipulating Transpiration and Photosynthetic Traits in Rice through CRISPR/Cas9 Mutagenesis. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 45:3801-3814.
Nerkar G, Devarumath S, Purankar M, Kumar A, Valarmathi R, Devarumath R and Appunu C.2022. Advances in Crop Breeding Through Precision Genome Editing. Frontiers in Genetics. 13 880195.
Valarmathi Ramanathan, Rohit Kambale, Rakshana Palaniswamy, Hifzur Rahman, Raveendran Muthurajan. Comparative RNA-Seq analysis unravels molecular mechanisms regulating therapeutic properties in the grains of traditional rice Kavuni. Plant Science.324.111411
Naveenarani Murugan, Vignesh Palanisamy, Mahadevaiah Channappa, Valarmathi Ramanathan, Manimekalai Ramaswamy, Hemaprabha Govindakurup and Appunu Chinnaswamy.2022. Genome-Wide In Silico Identification, Structural Analysis, Promoter Analysis, and Expression Profiling of PHT Gene Family in Sugarcane Root under Salinity Stress. Sustainability.14
Valarmathi, H.K. Mahadevaswamy, V. Ulaganathana , C.Appunu , G. Hemaprabha and R.Sathishraj. Low cost high throughput image based root phenotyping pipeline for evaluation of sugarcane root system architecture under drought stress. Journal of Sugarcane Research.11;24-36
Vignesh,C. Mahadevaiah, R.Valarmathi, S. Dharshini , Singh Nisha, G. S. Suresha , S. Swathi , H. K. Mahadeva Swamy, V. Sreenivasa , K. Mohanraj, G Hemaprabha , Ram Bakshi & C.Appunu.2021. Comparative de novo transcriptome analysis identifies salinity stress responsive genes and metabolic pathways in sugarcane and its wild relative Erianthus arundinaceus [Retzius] Jeswiet. Scientific Reports.11:24514
Channappa Mahadevaiah, Chinnaswamy Appunu, Karen Aitken, Palanisamy Vignesh, Huskur Kumaraswamy Mahadeva Swamy, Ramanathan Valarmathi, Govind Hemaprabha, Ganesh Alagarasan and Bakshi Ram. 2021. Genomic Selection in Sugarcane: Current Status and Future Prospects. Frontiers in Plant Science.27
Valarmathi, H. K. Mahadevaswamy, V. Ulaganathan, C. Appunu, S. Karthigeyan, Adhini S. Pazhany. 2021. Assessing the Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of World Germplasm Collection of Erianthus arundinaceus (Retz.) Jeswiet Using Sequence-Related Amplified Polymorphic Markers Sugartech. doi.org/10.1007/s12355-021-01037-8
Sudhagar Rajaprakasam, Hifzur Rahman, Shamini Karunagaran, Kannan Bapu ,Ganesamurthy Kulandivelu, Rohit Kambale , Valarmathi Ramanathan , Raveendran Muthurajan.2021.Comparative transcriptome and metabolome profiling in the maturing seeds of contrasting cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L. Taub) cultivars identified key molecular variations leading to increased gum accumulation. Gene. 791: 145727
Raveendran Muthurajan , Valarmathi Ramanathan, Abhijeet Bansilal et al.2021. Controlled Over-Expression of AtDREB1A Enhances Tolerance against Drought and Salinity in Rice. Agronomy.11:159
Valarmathi, H.K.M. Swamy, K. Preeti and C. Appunu.2021. Comparative profiling of drought induced root metabolic responses in sugarcane wild relative Erianthus arundinaceus (IND 04-1335) and a commercial variety Co 99004. Journal Of Environmental Biology.42:668-677
Appunu, J. Ashwin Narayan, H. K. Mahadevaswamy, S. Karthigeyan, R. Valarmathi , C. Mahadevaiah , Ravinder Kumar, Mintu Ram Meena , Bakshi Ram.2020. Variability and molecular diversity of wild sugarcane germplasm collected from low temperature regions Lohit and Chang.lang of Arunachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Biotechnology.19
Ashokkumar S, Jaganathan D, Ramanathan V, Rahman H, Palaniswamy R, Raveendran. M.2020. Creation of novel alleles of fragrance gene OsBADH2 in rice through CRISPR/ Cas9 mediated gene editing. PLoS ONE. 15(8): e0237018.
Swathik Clarancia Peter, Naveenarani M, Manoj V, Sarath Padmanabhan, Dharshini S., Ashwin Narayan J, Suresha G., Mahadevaiah C. Valarmathi R., Hemaprabha G., Bakshi Ram and Appunu Chinnaswamy.2020. Isolation, characterization and expression analysis of stress responsive plant nuclear transcriptional factor subunit (NF‑YB2) from commercial Saccharum hybrid and wild relative Erianthus arundinaceus. 3 Biotech. 10:304.
Raveendran, M and Valarmathi. 2020. Molecular tagging of a novel genetic locus linked to accumulation of Lutein, a therapeutic carotenoid in rice grains. Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding. 80(1): 9-15
Valarmathi, H.K. Mahadeva Swamy , K. Preethi, J. Ashwin Narayan , C.Appunu and Hifzur Rahman. 2020. Characterization and in silico analyses of RTCS gene from sugarcane encoding LOB protein family of transcription factors: a key regulator of shoot-borne root initiation. Journal of Sugarcane Research. 10 (12-23).
Swathik Clarancia , M. Naveenarani , R .Valarmathi , G. S. Suresha , G. Hemaprabha , Bakshi Ram and C. Appunu. 2020. Isolation, characterization and expression analysis of novel water deficit stressresponsive DEEPER ROOTING 1 (DRO1) gene from drought-tolerant Erianthus arundinaceus. Journal of Sugarcane Research.10: (1-11).
Rakshana, R.Valarmathi and M.Raveendran. 2019. Optimization of tissue culture protocol for rapid regeneration of traditional therapeutic rice genotype ‘Kavuni’. Electronic Journal of plant Breeding. 10(2): 334-340
Valarmathi R., Hifzur Rahman, Saravanan S., Jagadeeshselvam N., Ashokkumar K., Sudha M., Chandrababu R. and Raveendran M. OsARD4 encoding an acireductonedioxygenase improves root architecture in rice by promoting development of secondary root. Nature:Scientific Reports. 8: 15713
Raveendran M., Hifzur Rahman, Muthukumar M., Valarmathi R and Jagadeeshselvam N. 2018. Drought responsive transcriptome profiling in roots of contrasting rice genotypes. Indian Journal of plant physiology. 23(3). 393-407
Rahman H., Dakshinamurthi V., Ramasamy S., Manickam S., Kaliyaperumal A.K., Raha S., Panneerselvam N., Ramanathan V., Nallathambi J., Sabariappan R., Muthurajan R. 2018. Introgression of submergence tolerance into CO 43, a popular rice variety of India through marker-assisted backcross breeding. Czech Journal of genetics and plant breeding. 54(3): 101-108.
Shoba et al., R.Valarmathi. Development and genetic characterization of a noval herbicide (Imazethapyr) tolerant mutant in rice. Rice 10:10. 2017.
H Rahman, V Ramanathan, J Nallathambi, S Duraialagaraja, M, Raveendran. 2016. Over-expression of a NAC 67 transcription factor from finger millet (Eleusinecoracana L.) confers tolerance against salinity and drought stress in rice. BMC biotechnology. 16(1):7
H Rahman, R Valarmathi, N Jagadeeshselvam, R Muthurajan. 2015. Comparative analysis of salinity responsive expression pattern of putative candidate genes in rice and finger millet. International Journal of Tropical Agriculture.33(2)PartIII. 1411-1417
Valarmathi, M. Raveendran, S. Robin & N. Senthil. 2014. Unraveling the nutritional and therapeutic properties of ‘Kavuni’ a traditional rice variety of Tamil Nadu. Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 24(3): 305-315
H Rahman, N Jagadeeshselvam, Valarmathi, B Sachin, R Sasikala, M Raveendran. 2014. Transcriptome analysis of salinity responsiveness in contrasting genotypes of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) through RNA-sequencing. Plant Molecular Biology. 85 (4-5)