Sachin Rustgi

Associate Professor of Molecular Breeding and Faculty Scholar in Clemson University School of Health Research
Adjunct Associate Professor in Dept. of Crop & Soil Sciences at Wash. State Univ., Pullman
Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, PeeDee Research and Education Center

Office: John B. Pitner Center, Pee Dee REC
Phone: 843-519-0475

Email: srustgi@clemson.edu
Vita: Download CV
Personal Website: https://sites.google.com/g.clemson.edu/rustgilab

Educational Background

Ph.D. Crop Biotechnology
C.C.S. University, Meerut 2006

M.S. Botany
M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly 2001

B.S. Biology and Chemistry
M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly 1999

D.I.S.M. Diploma in Information Systems Management
Aptech, Chandausi 2000

Courses Taught

PES 8900 Crop Biotechnology Journal Club
PLPA 8300 Molecular Plant Pathology Journal Club

Profile

Dr. Sachin Rustgi is affiliated as Associate Professor of Molecular Breeding at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, and Faculty Scholar at the Clemson University School of Health Research and Center for Human Genetics, as well as Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman and Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut. Dr. Rustgi’s research primarily focuses on developing dietary therapies for individuals with celiac disease or allergy to wheat or peanut, developing biomarkers for heat tolerance in wheat, soybean, and peanut, and novel strategies to mitigate the major insect pests or fungal pathogens of the primary South Carolina crops. His research has resulted in several high-impact publications in internationally recognized journals, including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, the Plant Journal, the Journal of Experimental Botany, and Plant Molecular Biology, to name a few. Additionally, Dr. Rustgi has authored or edited three books. Given his academic contributions, he was awarded the Faculty Excellence in Research Award of the Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences and See Fellow Award of the Society of Extension Education, Agra, India, and invited to join the Wheat Initiative Expert Working Group on Wheat Quality for Processing and Health.

Research Interests

I oversee the Molecular Breeding program at Clemson University Pee Dee Research & Education Center (PDREC). The program is centered on the research area of 'Next-generation plant breeding and management strategies to cultivate healthy, safe, and abundant crops.' This research focus harmonizes with the mission and vision of the Department and College, as well as Clemson University's broader commitment to discovering sustainable solutions for agriculture and natural resources. Within this extensive research theme, my team has been actively engaged in pursuing several specific objectives, some of which are ongoing activities: 1) Developing wheat and peanut genotypes with reduced immunogenicity through germplasm screening, genetic modification, and gene editing. 2) Identifying biomarkers for heat tolerance in soybean, peanut, and wheat. 3) Exploring the potential use of nucleic acids as pesticides to effectively manage major pests and pathogens affecting crops in South Carolina. 4) Creating cotton genotypes with a reduced regeneration rate after defoliation or those exhibiting a close-to-annual growth habit. 5) Advancing the development of genome editing reagents and innovative gene delivery methods in wheat, peanut, and peach. Throughout these initiatives, I've successfully secured funding to support our diverse research projects, published results, and fostered collaborations with colleagues both within and beyond Clemson University.

Lab Members

Zachary Jones, Ph.D., 2022
Hrishikesh Ingole, Ph.D., 2022
Johnson Toyinbo, Ph.D., 2022
Gaganjeet, Ph.D., 2023
Jonathan Windham, Ph.D., 2026
Reena Fasaludeen, Ph.D., 2027
Dr. Gautam Saripalli, Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2023
Dr. Jyoti Kakati, Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2024

Extension and Outreach

1. Naveed S, Jones M, Campbell T, Rustgi S (2024) Insights into cotton regrowth and management. CU Land-Grant Press 1195.
2. Alam T, Anco D, Rustgi S (2023) Breeding peanut for reduced allergen content. CU Land-Grant Press 1183.
3. Rustgi S, Jones Z, Yang M, Wen S (2022) Transcriptomic and proteomics studies in common wheat for grain quality traits and Fusarium head blight resistance. Annual Wheat Newsletter 68:49-56.
4. Rustgi S, Jones Z, Ou X, Liu B (2021) Fine tuning the genetic control of chromosome pairing in polyploid common wheat. Annual Wheat Newsletter 67:87-93.
5. Rustgi S, Kashyap S, Alam T, Kerr R, Jones Z, Naveed S, Shekar PV, Gemini R, Reisenauer P (2020) Non-immunogenic wheat needed to feed 10% of the US population suffering from wheat-related disorders. Annual Wheat Newsletter 66:93-98.
6. Rustgi S, Kashyap S, Gandhi N, Naveed S, Windham J, Yang M, Gemini R, and Reisenauer P (2019) A creative solution to gluten-induced disorders using a unique combination of multigene editing and nanoparticle-based gene-delivery. Annual Wheat Newsletter 65:79-84.
7. Rustgi S, Kashyap S, Gandhi N, von Wettstein D, Ankrah N, Gemini R, Reisenauer P (2018) Novel wheat genotypes designed to meet the future needs for safe and surplus food. Annual Wheat Newsletter 64:56-61.
8. Rustgi S, Gandhi N, von Wettstein D, Ankrah N, Gemini R, Reisenauer P (2017) Celiac-safe wheat genotypes: A target not beyond reach. Annual Wheat Newsletter 63:85-88.
9. Rustgi S, von Wettstein D, Ankrah N, Ou X, Sun Y, Gemini R (2016) Quest for celiac-safe wheat. Annual Wheat Newsletter 62:89-92.

Publications

1. Dean JFD, La Bonte DR, Nankar AN, Rustgi S, Santantoni N, Smith GR, Yu S, Chen C (2026) The US NPGS is a Critical Resource for Plant Breeding. Crop Science DOI: 10.1002/csc2.70372 [IF 2.4]
2. Alam T, Saripalli G, Ballen-Taborda C, Rustgi S (2026) Genetic regulation of major immunogenic protein accumulation in peanut seeds. Functional and Integrative Genomics 26:132. [IF 4.0]
3. Jan S, Jan F, Rathore M, Singh Y, Kapoor P, Chaturvedi P, Ghatak A, Ramesh P, Kumar U, Prasad M, Kumar S, Rustgi S, Weckwerth W, Kalia S, Varshney RK, Mir RR (2026) Deciphering cold stress resilience: Multiomics insights in contrasting wheat genotypes from the Western Himalayas. Plant Biotechnology Journal 24:4577-4598. [IF 12.8]
4. Ahmed MZ, Yadav N, Rustgi S, Saripalli G, Esquive IL, Bryant TB, Graham S, Jacobson AL, Gireesh M, Joseph SV, Pozo-Valdivia AD, Addesso KM, Raszick TJ, Khan R, Rodrigues JCV, Bilbo TR, Greene JK, Reay-Jones FFP (2026) Global Phylogeography of Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) across eight countries reveals a single-haplotype incursion into the United States beyond its putative native range. J Applied Entomology 150:604-619. [IF 1.8]
5. Saripalli G, Kakati JP, Ou X, Liu B, Rustgi S (2026) Reprogramming Meiosis to Enhance Diversity and Chromatin Introgression in Polyploid Crops: A Focus on Wheat. Advances in Agronomy 196:65-108. [IF 8.78]
6. Hammond S, Sathasivam M, Fallen B, Smith J, Bridges WC, Rustgi S, Narayanan S (2025) Identification of new germplasm sources and physiological traits for breeding heat-tolerant soybean varieties. Crop Science 65:e70209. [IF 2.4]
7. Tallapragada M, Rustgi S (2025) When Visual-Verbal Overlap Matters: Examining its Boundary Conditions in Communicating Innovations. Science Communication https://doi.org/10.1177/10755470251403517 [IF 4.2]
8. Shekar PV, Kumar A, Mulgaonkar N, Kashyap S, Choudhir G, Fernando S, Rustgi S* (2025) Aptamer Development for SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron Variants Using the Spike Protein Receptor Binding Domain as a Potential Diagnostic Tool and Therapeutic Agent. Biomolecules 15, 805. [IF 5.6]
9. Alam T, Rustgi S (2025) Peanut Genotypes with Reduced Content of Immunogenic Proteins by Breeding, Biotechnology, and Management: Prospects and Challenges. Plants 14:626. [IF 4.7]
10. Ingole HP, Saripalli G, Jones ZT, Parthiban M, Toyinbo J, Narayanan S, Mir RR, Rustgi S* (2025) Genome-wide association analysis for pollen viability under heat stress in peanut. Plant Stress 15, 100760. [IF 8.1]
11. Toyinbo JO, Saripalli G, Ingole HP, Jones ZT, Naveed S, Noh E, Narayanan S, Rustgi S* (2025) Impact of Mutations in Soybean Oleate and Linoleate Desaturase Genes on Seed Germinability of Heat-Stressed Plants. Crops 5, 2. [IF 2.1]
12. Alam T, Saripalli G, Rustgi S (2025) Gluten-free diet, a friend or a foe, an American perspective. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 80:1-6. [IF 3.1]

Chapters and Books
1. Gaikwad KB, Babu PH, Rustgi S (2027) “Wheat Genomic Atlas: Genes, QTLs and Molecular Markers for Wheat Improvement,” Springer Nature.
2. Jones ZT, Gaganjeet, Rustgi S (2026) Nanoparticle-Mediated Gene Delivery in Plants: A Focus on Pollen Transformation. In: Ristroph KD, Ahmed B, Demirer GS, Kah M (eds.) “Nanodelivery Systems in Plants: Principles, Pathways, and Applications”, John Wiley & Sons, USA (in press).
3. Jones ZT, Rustgi S (2026) Advances in Understanding and Reducing Allergens in Wheat. In: Rosentrater, K.A. (ed.), “Improving the processing quality of wheat,” Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing (in press).
4. Gahlaut V, Rustgi S, Jaiswal V (eds.) (2026), “Smart Crop Development - Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change Actions,” Springer Nature, pp 293.
5. Kakati J, Ingole H, Rustgi S (2026) Biomacromolecular Pattern-Guided Breeding for Nutritional Quality and Safety Under Heat Stress in Soybean and Peanut. In: Gahlaut V, Rustgi S, Jaiswal V (eds.), “Smart Crop Development - Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change Actions,” Springer Nature, Pp 133-165.

Links

Faculty Scholar CU School of Health Research
Google Scholar Profile
WSU Molecular Plant Sciences Program Profile
Faculty Center for Human Genetics
Member CU Advanced Plant Technology Program

Meet Sachin Rustgi