ISO 9001:2015

Bio-mining the Didwana Genomic Reservoir: An Integrated Pipeline for CRISPR-HDR Mediated Crop Resilience

Bindu Choudhary

Saline ecosystems are unique environments that host a specialized group of plants known as halophytes, which have developed remarkable adaptations to survive high salt concentrations. This project, conducted around Didwana Lake, a significant saline wetland in the arid region of Rajasthan, aims to document the floral diversity of the area. And bio mining of the halophytes reserves genes. Anthropogenic climate change and secondary salinization have rendered over 20% of global irrigated land agriculturally unproductive. Current breeding strategies for salt tolerance are limited by the narrow genetic diversity of modern cultivars. This research identifies the Didwana hypersaline basin in the Thar Desert (Rajasthan, India) as a critical "in-situ genomic bank." We documented 25 halophytic species surviving in extreme TDS (up to 300,000 mg/L) and alkaline pH (up to 9.3). Through targeted bio-mining of NHX1 (vacuolar Na+/H+ exchanger) and SOS1 (plasma membrane antiporter) alleles, we identified "Climate-Optimized Natural Genes" with superior ion sequestration kinetics. We propose a precision genome-editing framework using Homology-Directed Repair (CRISPR-HDR) to perform "allelic swaps" in staple crops (rice, wheat, corn). By replacing native, sub-optimal alleles with these hyper-functional variants, this research provides a non-transgenic pathway to reclaiming marginal saline lands, ensuring global food sovereignty.  The study also explores the potential biotechnological applications of these plants as a genetic resource for developing salt-tolerant crops and discovering novel bioactive compounds. The project involved field surveys for species identification and a detailed plan for molecular analysis, including DNA extraction, PCR-based gene amplification, and preliminary bioinformatics studies of salt-stress tolerance genes. The findings highlight the significant ecological and genetic value of this flora and provide a foundation for future research in plant biotechnology and conservation.


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