Dr. Varsha Dhar
Dr. Varsha Dhar
Designation : Research Associate I
Qualification : M.Phil-Ph.D. Environment and Sustainable Development
Department/Project : VARD & IPR- Agriculture
Location : Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Email : varshad@nifindia.org
Dr.Varsha holds a PhD and MPhil in Environment and Sustainable Development from the Central University of Gujarat. Her academic journey also includes an MSc in Microbiology from H.N.B Garhwal University, Uttarakhand, and a BSc in Microbiology (CBZ). Additionally, she has pursued an MA in English from IGNOU, showcasing her diverse academic interests and pursuits. Her current research at NIF focuses on investigating herbal leads for the effective management of plant diseases, aiming to contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. Her PhD focused on anaerobic wastewatertreatment for simultaneous SO42- reduction and denitrification, biological H2production, Fe reduction, DNRA &Anammox processes in bioelectrochemical systemsusing SRB mixed culture. Her research skills include microbiology &fermentation techniques, aerobic/anaerobic culture development, biogas monitoring, kinetic studies, bioreactors and MEC/MFC development,handling of GC, PSA, UV-Spectrophotometer, Multimeter, Anaerobic chamber, sample preparations for FTIR, ICP, AAS, SEM, DNA isolation, Electrophoresis and PCR, statistical tools.
Publications
Choudhary, H., Dhar, V., Dave, P. P., & Pareek, S. (2025). Postharvest anthracnose disease in mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit: Sustainable alternatives for the control. Crop Science, 65, e70064. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70064.
Dhar, V., & Singh, R. (2023). Biohydrogen production potential with sulfate and nitrate removal by heat-pretreated enriched sulfate-reducing microorganisms-based bioelectrochemical system. Archives of Microbiology, 205(1), 1-12.
Dhar, V., & Singh, R. (2021). Impact of partially submersed iron scraps in simultaneously sulfate and nitrate removal using sulfate-reducing bacteria. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 24, 101823.