Rutwik’s work aims at understanding the role of plant microRNAs in the plant-insect herbivore interaction. He analyzes the plant and insect miRNomes and transcriptomes to understand the cross-kingdom roles of miRNAs. He also tries to understand the role of microRNAs in herbivore’s detoxification mechanisms.

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Rituparna investigates the interaction between brinjal fruit and brinjal’s major frugivorous pest, the fruit and shoot borer Leucinodes orbonalis. She tries to find the plant defense signaling molecules and defense compounds that influence this interaction using the GCMS- and LCQTOF-based metabolomics. She also uses RNAi for the reverse genetic characterization of brinjal and L. orbonalis genes involved in this interaction and tries to generate the L. orbonalis-resistant brinjals.

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Manish tries to understand the effects of brinjal secondary metabolites on the polyphagous devastating pest, the tobacco leafworm Spodoptera litura. He uses LCQTOF-based metabolomics approach to identify the brinjal metabolites and their metabolic products in S. litura. He also uses RNAi for the reverse genetic characterization of brinjal and S. litura genes involved in this interaction and tries to generate the S. litura-resistant brinjals.

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