In October 2019, Dr.Monika Mahajan joined Punjab Agricultural University as an Assistant Biochemist. Her main area of research is nutritional quality evaluation along with the extraction, identification, and characterization of nutraceutical/bioactive compounds in vegetables.She also has a good background in plant metabolic engineering and plant developmental biology.She is also looking after All India Co-ordinated Research Project (Vegetable Crops) at PAU.She is currently having two DST projects, one as PI and other as Co-PI. Currently two M.Sc. Students are working under her guidance. She has published 13 book chapters and 37 research papers in journals of national and international repute. She is an active reviewer for various journals.

Research Interests

1. Nutritional Quality evaluation of vegetables and their processed products
2. Extraction and characterization of Neutraceutical/Bioactive compounds in vegetables 
3. Screening of potential genotypes/varieties of tomato and chilli suitable for processing
4. Plant Metabolic Engineering of biochemical pathways

On Going Projects

1. All India Co-ordinated Research Project (Vegetables)
2. Optimization of innovative processing technology for polyphenols retention and bioavailability in millet food products funded by DST-SHRI; (2024-2026) as PI
3. Optimization of Cultivation and Processing Techniques of Quinoa for Women Farmers and Entrepreneurs of South Western Region of Punjab funded by DST-SEED3 years (2024-2027) as Co-PI

Projects Accomplished

• Implementation of setting up/up gradation of quality control/Food Testing Laboratory at Bathinda, funded by MOFPI as associated Scientist-completed in 2023

• Skill Development training programme on Value addition of Jowar and Bajra for quality enhancement and livelihood generation funded by NABARD under Gramya Vikas Nidhi (2023-24) as PI-completed in 2024

Selected Research Publications 

1. 1. KaurK, GuptaN andMahajanM(2023)A novel edible coating of beeswax impregnated with karonda polyphenol rich extract maintains the chemical and bioactive potential of fresh ber fruit during storage at low temperature. Hortic EnvironBiotech 64: 1001-1014 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13580-023-00533-y(NAAS rating: 8.40/ IF: 2.4)
   2. Mahajan M, Singla P and Sharma S (2023) Sustainable postharvest processing methods for millets: A review on its value-added products. JFood Process Eng47: e14313 (NAAS rating: 9.0/ IF: 2.9)

• Kaur J, Dhillon G K and Mahajan M (2023) Nutritional, sensory and storage evaluation of   Indian flatbread supplemented with quinoa and pearl millet flour. J Food Process Eng 46: e14392(NAAS rating: 9.0/ IF: 2.9)

1. 1. MahajanM, BonsHK. Dhillon GKand AggarwalP(2022)Unlocking the impact of drying methods on quality attributes of an unexploited fruit, karonda (Carissa carandas L.): A step towards food and nutritional security. South AfrJBot 145: 473-480(NAAS rating: 9.1/ IF: 2.7)

• SainiP, BhatiaS, Mahajan, M, KaushikA, Sahu SK, Kumar A, Satbhai SB, Patel MK, Saxena S, ChaurasiaOP, LingwanM, MasakapalliSK, YadavRK(2020)ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 Negatively Regulates DECREASE WAX BIOSYNTHESIS to increase survival during UV-B stress. Plant Physiol184 (4): 2091-2106 (NAAS-13.40/ IF: 6.9)

Awards and honors 

1. Invited speaker, International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (16th-21st June, 2019), Wuhan, China
2. SERB-NPDF (2016-2018)
3. Awarded DBT-Research Associateship, 2015
4. CSIR-SRF, 2010
5. ICAR-NET (LS) 2009
6. CSIR-UGC-NET (LS) 2007