1. Established transcriptional reprogramming events associated with an early call of rice seedlings for encountering heat stress.

2. Established the genetic complexity, expression profiling and functional characterization of rice ClpB, C and D proteins. Showed protein chaperone activity in rice ClpB and ClpD proteins.

3. Established that the rice has three Hsp100 forms- one cytoplasmic ClpB-cyt (ClpB-C/Hsp100), one plastidial ClpB (ClpB-P/Hsp100) and one mitochondrial ClpB (ClpB-M/Hsp100).

4. Produced polyclonal antiserum against rice ClpB-C/Hsp100 proteins.

5. Showed that rice ClpB-C/Hsp100 proteins bear immunological kinship to yeast Hsp104. Showed that plant Hsp100 proteins are highly-conserved.

6. Established that ClpB-C/Hsp100 expression is developmentally-controlled apart from their stress-regulation: seeds and developing embryos of rice have constitutively high levels of this protein.

7. Isolated and sequenced rice ClpB-C/Hsp100 gene (EMBL/Gene Bank/DDBJ database; accession no. AJ316025). Isolated and sequenced rice ClpB-C/Hsp100 gene promoter (Accession number AJ302059).

8. Showed that rice ClpB-C/Hsp100 gene is transcriptionally regulated. Established genome-wide distribution of perfect, gapped and stepped HSEs in 1kb upstream region of rice genes.

9. Established the genetic complexity and expression profiling of rice Hsf gene family in response to multiple stresses. Established that out of 25 OsHsf genes, OsHsfA2c specifically binds to ClpB-C/Hsp100 gene promoter. Established that HsfA2c specifically binds to ClpB-C/Hsp100 protein, forming possibly a regulon.

10. Showed that rice ClpB-C/Hsp100 gene is post-transcriptionally regulated: 5’-UTR appears redundant for constitutive expression of protein in seeds while it is obligatory in vegetative tissues where ClpB-C expresses upon heat stress.

11. Showed that rice ClpB-C/Hsp100 cDNA complements yeast hsp104 deletion and loss of thermotolerance trait in yeast; Produced transgenic plants over-expressing ClpB-C/Hsp100 gene.

12. Established the genetic complexity and expression profiling of rice sHsp gene family proteins. Established the genetic complexity and expression profiling of rice Hsp70/Hsp40 gene family proteins.