Paramjit Khurana facts for kids

Paramjit Khurana was born on August 15, 1956, in India. She is a famous Indian scientist. She specializes in Plant Biotechnology, which is about using science to improve plants. She also works in Molecular Biology (studying life at a tiny, molecular level) and Genomics (looking at all the genes in an organism). Currently, she is a Professor at the University of Delhi. Dr. Khurana has won many awards and published over 125 scientific papers.

Her Journey to Becoming a Scientist

Paramjit Khurana studied at the University of Delhi. She earned her Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Botany in 1975. Botany is the study of plants. She then got her Master of Science (M.Sc.) in 1977 and a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in 1978. She completed her highest degree, a Ph.D. in Botany, in 1983.

Dr. Khurana began her career as a scientist in 1983. She worked at the University of Delhi's Plant Cell and Molecular Biology Unit. From 1984 to 1987, she taught at S.G.T.B. Khalsa College. She also worked as a research associate in the U.S. at Michigan State University in 1987-1988.

After returning to India, she continued her work at the University of Delhi. She became a lecturer, then a reader, and finally a professor in 1998. From 2004 to 2007, she was even the head of her department.

Amazing Discoveries in Plant Science

Dr. Khurana has made big contributions in plant science. She has done important research on wheat and mulberry plants.

Making Stronger Wheat

In wheat, she worked on making Indian wheat stronger. She used genetic transformation, which means changing a plant's genes. This helped the wheat fight off tiny worms called cereal cyst nematodes. She also made wheat more tolerant to abiotic stress. This means the wheat can handle tough conditions like too much salt or not enough water.

Improving Mulberry Plants

Dr. Khurana also developed special mulberry plants. These plants are called transgenics. They can grow well even when there is a lot of salt in the soil (salinity) or during dry periods (drought stress). This is important because mulberry leaves are food for silkworms, which make silk.

Helping Crops Grow Better

Her work focuses on genetic engineering strategies. This means finding smart ways to change plant genes. The goal is to make crops stronger against stress. This helps farming continue even when the climate changes.

Mapping Plant Genes

Dr. Khurana has also helped map the genes of plants. She worked on sequencing chromosome 11 of rice. She also sequenced chromosome 5 of tomato and the entire chloroplast genome of mulberry. This helps scientists understand how plants work.

Mentoring Future Scientists

As a professor, Dr. Khurana has guided many students. She has mentored 10 Post-Doctorates, 15 Ph.D. scholars, 4 M.Phil. students, and 20 Master’s students. She helps them become new scientists.

Her Big Dream

One of her main goals is to create "all-weather crops." These are plants that can grow well no matter the weather. This could greatly increase India's food production. She also developed modified mulberry plants that can grow in dry, unused lands. Dr. Khurana hopes her scientific work will help everyone. She once said, "Ten years down the line, I will still be working in my laboratory. I hope my products benefit everyone."

Awards and Honors

Dr. Paramjit Khurana has received several special recognitions for her work:

• She received the 'Certificate of Honour' from Gantavaya Sansthan in 2011. This was given on International Women’s Day.
• She also won the Professor Archana Sharma Memorial Award in 2011-2012. This award came from the Indian Science Congress Association.

Fellowships

A fellowship is a special membership or grant given to experts in a field. Dr. Khurana has been honored with several fellowships:

• She became a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 2010.
• She was made a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India in 2003.
• In 2014, she became a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
• She also received the Prof. J.C. Bose Fellowship from the Government of India. This fellowship lasted from 2012 to 2017.