Rattan Yadav

PhD

Dr Rattan Yadav is a Research Leader/Academic with expertise in Plant Genetics, Genomics and Breeding at the Institute of Biological, Environmental & Rural Sciences (IBERS) of the Aberystwyth University. He received his PhD degree from the University of Sussex and subsequently undertook post-doctoral research at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines before coming to Aberystwyth in 1996. Currently he also holds an adjunct professorship at CCSHAU, Hisar, India. 

Recent research grants:

1. Principal Investigator - Capturing Naturally Occurring Genetic Variations for Health Benefitting Traits in Pearl Millet germplasm for Sustainable Food, Nutrition and Health Security, Funder - Royal Society, UK, £150,218, 1 March 2020 to 1 September 2022.
2. Principal Investigator - 2020 ASEM-DUO Professor exchange, India and European Countries, £2550, January 2020 - December2021, http://www.asemduo.org/02_programs/programs_10.php
3. Co-Investigator – A new paradigm in boosting orphan crops to super grains: Linking metabolomics and gene editing to improve Teff for global food security and sustainable agriculture (SUPERTEFF) , Funder - European Commission, £191,193, March 2020 to March 2022.
4. Principal Investigator – Delivering low glycaemic index (GI) pearl millet grains for the benefit of type-2 diabetics in African regions, Funder - InnovateUK, £498,000, 1 November 2019 to 30 April 2021
5. Principal Investigator - Development of pearl millet hybrid seeds and novel food products: An affordable resource in the prevention of type-2 diabetes. January 2017- January 2019, £814,000, 2017-2019, Funders - Innovate UK
6. Principal Investigator - Application of crop genetics to improve Calcium content in millets and other crops for promoting health benefits in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, Funder - European Commission, 2015-2017, £216,008
7. Principal Investigator - Development of pearl millet for health benefits for type-2 diabetes – feasibility study of physicochemical properties and genetic enhancement, March 2015-July 2017, £499,998, Funder - Innovate UK (Unilever (UK) and Hindustan Unilever (India) as Industry partners)
8. Principal Investigator – Dissecting and accessing useful genetic variations for Iron and Zinc content in pearl millet using genome wide association studies, BBSRC and Unilever, 2014-2018, £245,000
9. Co-Investigator - Application of innovative plant breeding and phenotyping technologies to reduce the nutrient requirements of forages and improve livestock production efficiency, Funder - Innovate UK (2016-2021), total value £1.16M.
10.  Co-Investigator - Novel strategies for genetic improvement of disease resistance in perennial ryegrass, Funder - Innovate UK, 2015-2020, £785,394.
11. Co-Investigator -  Roots for the future – A systematic approach to root design (SUREROOT), BBSRC Link, £2.5 million over 5 years (2014-2019)
12. Co-Investigator - Genomics-assisted breeding for fatty acid content and composition in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), BBSRC Link, £2.4 million over 5 years. 2013-2018.

Course Viewer

• BR25620 - Research Methods

Lecturer

• BRM0720 - Current Topics in Biotechnology
• BRM0700 - Current Topics in Biotechnology

Grader

• BR36400 - Research Project
• BR36440 - Research Project

Tutor

• BRM0720 - Current Topics in Biotechnology

BRM3920: Crop Genomics and Genetic Engineering

BRM0700 - Current Topics in Biotechnology

Dr Yadav has broad background in genetics, physiology, genomics and plant breeding and applies such knowledge in improved crops production at global scale. His research, in the last three decades, has  focused mainly on capturing and translating naturally occurring genetic variations present in crops germplasm for ‘public good’ outcomes. He has particular interests in developing and integrating modern genetics and genomics tools to traditional plant breeding leading to enhanced food, nutrition, health, and environmental outcomes at global scales. To achieve such scientific goals, he collaborates extensively with academic, industries (Unilever, Hindustan Unilever, Germinal Holdings), and ‘not for profit’ inter-governmental organizations (such as CGIAR, FAO, IAEA) across the world and passionate about pursuing ‘international development’ goals via sustainable agricultural developments.

Externally, Dr Yadav has just completed his term as a member of BBSRC’s follow-on-fund (FOF) committee (2016-2020) and is currently a member of the Sub-panel 6: Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Sciences panel of  REF2021. Presently he also is a panel member of BBSRC’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), Academic editor of PlosOne; and sits on the panel of experts for Newton Fund's Environment and Agriculture panel, UKRI's Global Challenge Research Fund  (GCRF) and InnovateUK's Agri-Tech panels. Currently, he also is editing a special issue of Journal 'Agronomy' focusing on novel breeding technologies in cereals.