Ms. Hamida Banoo is a PhD candidate in the Department of Agri-Biotechnology at the BRIC-National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab. She completed undergraduate studies in science from Government Degree College, Kargil, and postgraduate degree in botany from the University of Ladakh.
Hamida is a Senior Research Fellow working on the functional characterization of TaIRO3, a basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor that regulates iron homeostasis in wheat under deficiency conditions. Her work integrates molecular biology, gene expression analysis, and tissue-specific approaches to understand regulatory networks governing iron uptake and mobilization, with the aim of developing biofortified wheat to address micronutrient deficiencies and improve nutritional security.
Hamida has contributed to publications in major plant science journals, including The Plant Journal and Plant, Cell & Environment, and a book chapter on modifying secondary metabolites in barley. She has presented her work at international conferences, including the ICPP 2025 conference in Coimbatore, and actively engages in collaborative research in crop biofortification.
As a Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow, she is employing single-cell transcriptomics to uncover cell-type-specific regulatory mechanisms of iron mobilization in wheat. Outside her research, she enjoys creative activities such as painting, crafting, designing, stitching, and crochet, along with trekking and sports such as badminton, table tennis, and volleyball.