alpha-tocopherol, an important molecule used in pharmaceutical and health supplements, is one of the focused research areas in the group. A genetically transformed cell suspension of sunflower was developed to obtain a 10-fold increase in the alpha-tocopherol levels in comparison to the sunflower seed source. Currently, a rational scale up strategy is being developed to successfully translate the cell suspension culture of sunflower from shake flask to reactor level using computational fluid dynamics.

Another research work in this area includes studies on phytoremediation of textile dyes and recalcitrant drugs by Helianthus annuus cell/hairy root culture technology as in vitro model systems. A current study explores the same with the application of genome scale metabolic modeling.