Extremophile land plants have evolved convergently to become tough survivors in harsh soil and climatic conditions, such as extremes of soil pH, temperature, drought, high salinity, heavy metals, high light intensity, and UV radiation. Thus, the extremophile plants hold the potential key to improving stress-resilience in crop plants in the face of global climate change and desertification. Moreover, extremophile plants also exhibit industrial importance, being the source of active pharmaceuticals, new fuels, and essential chemicals. Transcriptome analysis of extremophiles is a common approach towards discovering genes and molecular mechanisms for adaptation to stress apart from identifying the pathways responsible for the biosynthesis of commercially essential metabolites. Again, the current scenario inextremophile research ranges from the study of &nbsp;extremophile plant models, e.g., Arabidopsis lyrata, to various plants of economic and ecological significance. The genetic signatures obtained from the transcriptome libraries of these extremophiles are utilized towards their conservation by employing the genome-editing approaches apart from extending their applicability towards the introgression of abiotic tolerance traits into agronomically important crop plants. This chapter aims to summarize the recent transcriptome analyses of extremophile species from the Indian Thar desert and other extreme eco-regions of the world.

World University root node

Department of Bioscience & Bioengineering

IIT Jodhpur

Transcriptome Analysis and Why it Matters

Chapter 3. Understanding the Facets of Extreme Land Plant Adaptation from Transcriptome Analysis

Aluminum (Al) toxicity in acid soil is one of the most severe environmental stress factors that limit world food production. Al ion (Al 3+ ) is highly reactive with negatively charged ligands of the cell and disturbs cell division and expansion at sub-micromolar levels. Since the harmful effects are caused by both cyto- and genotoxicities of Al, plant cells show various dose- and time-dependent responses. On the other hand, plants have evolved different Al tolerance strategies that protect sensitive cells from Al 3+ . These include restructuring of the cell wall to prevent deposition of Al 3+ and organic acid release by plasma membrane transporters to chelate out and exclude Al 3+ in the rhizosphere, regulated by the transcription factor STOP1 or its orthologs, and internal detoxification mechanisms including root-to-shoot translocation, antioxidant defense, and Al sequestration in vacuoles to prevent cytotoxicity. In recent years, genomics approaches, particularly genome-wide association studies and transcriptome analyses, have provided genetic evidence of well-known genes’ involvement in Al tolerance and uncovered new Al tolerance genes in plants. This chapter summarizes the findings from recent genomic studies that add to our understanding of the complex plant responses to Al toxicity.

Heavy Metal Toxicity and Tolerance in Plants: A Biological, Omics, and Genetic Engineering Approach

Aluminum Stress Tolerance in PlantsInsights from Omics Approaches

This paper presents simple and intuitive strategies for effective online assessment of a freshman engineering course. The proposed strategies for unproctored online exams include creating multiple sets with identical options, using image-format questions, maintaining short duration of exam, and employing a rotational assignment. Unlike a single-set paper where the class average was found to be disproportionately high, the proposed strategies helped in correctly restoring the class average. Feedback and results from 141 students show a significant statistical difference in the scores obtained using the proposed multi-set quiz framework, as opposed to conventional single-set papers. The paper also presents a simple setup of remote proctoring using dual-video and screensharing to replicate in-person classroom exams without the need of commercial proctoring services.

Department of Electrical Engineering

Learning: Research and Practice (Accepted)

Strategies for maintaining academic integrity in remote unproctored and proctored online assessments for engineering courses

Department of Computer Science & Engineering

&ldquo;IIT Jodhpur is committed to impart quality education to facilitate the creation of qualified, competent and responsible human resources to meet the emerging technological challenges of the world. It is working towards creating an equitable learning platform that is positive, accessible and effective in the face of the modern societal and scientific advancements.

Flexibility in curriculum, in all its academic programs, encompassing elements of teaching, research, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship is the most unique feature of IIT Jodhpur. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), under the National Mission on Cyber Physical Systems, has identified IIT Jodhpur as a Technology &amp; Innovation Hub in the area of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. The institute has also been nominated as the coordinator for the Jodhpur City and Knowledge Cluster by the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India.

The sprawling 852-acre IIT Jodhpur campus is a majestic tribute to the deep-rooted diverse cultural heritage of the region. The campus is an architectural masterpiece, which is slated to become an international exemplar of sustainability with net-zero energy, and advanced water and waste management strategies.&rdquo;