Ahan Dalal
Symbioverse UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, University of Hyderabad, University of Calcutta, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Research areas: Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Plant Science · Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance · Plant Molecular Biology Research · Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
0000-0003-1876-1484
About
Dr. Ahan Dalal (they/he) is a plant and crop physiologist and the founder, CEO and Managing Director of Symbioverse UG (haftungsbeschränkt), based in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany. Their research since 2006 spans plant sciences, with a focus on whole-plant water relations, drought biology and quantitative physiological phenotyping since 2014. Their interests include plant hydraulics, stress recovery, plant–environment interactions, soil health and regenerative agriculture.
Through Symbioverse, they are developing a farmer-centred Regenerative Decision Engine that combines biological, environmental, agricultural and economic evidence with AI and scientific models to support decisions about when and how to intervene. They are a National Geographic Explorer and principal investigator of GRAINSHIELD — Grain Resilience with Regenerative Soil Health (2026–2028), a National Geographic Society–PepsiCo Food for Tomorrow project investigating regenerative approaches to drought resilience in wheat and maize in Spain. They also lead Symbioverse’s FIERCE-supported ampeloGhor-Space project on Earth-observation vineyard intelligence. Their entrepreneurship experience includes roles at Carbon13 (April–June 2025) and Zukunft.Gruenden (November 2025–February 2026).
They held an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (December 2023–May 2025), were a Non-tenured/Guest Assistant Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (January 2022–November 2023), and a Senior Researcher at Tel Aviv University (October 2019–March 2021). Their earlier postdoctoral research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (October 2014–September 2019) was supported by PBC and BSF fellowships. They earned a PhD in Plant Sciences from the University of Hyderabad in 2014. Their doctoral research included a DAAD-supported visit to Bielefeld University in 2009 and subsequent research visits to Giessen and Bielefeld.
As a non-binary BIPOC scientist and founder, they regard inclusivity as a core principle of Symbioverse and a criterion for research design, collaboration and decision-making. Their work connects plant-science research, field experimentation, scientific communication and farmer-centred climate resilience.
Employment
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Symbioverse UG (haftungsbeschränkt) Founder, CEO and Managing Director2025 - Present
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Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow (Experienced Researcher)2023 - 2025
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Hebrew University of Jerusalem Non-tenured/Guest Assistant Professor2022 - 2023
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Plant-Ditech Ltd. International Marketing Representative (part-time, hybrid)2022 - 2023
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Tel Aviv University Senior Researcher2019 - 2021
Education
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University of Hyderabad PhD, Plant Sciences2006 - 2014
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University of Calcutta BSc (Honours), Botany — First Class2001 - 2004
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University of Hyderabad MSc, Plant Sciences (Biotechnology) — First Division with Distinction? - 2006
Projects & Funding
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GRAINSHIELD - Grain Resilience with Regenerative Soil Health National Geographic Society2026 - 2028
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ampeloGhor-Space — EO-AI Regenerative Vineyard Intelligence FundingBox Accelerator sp. z o.o.2026 - 2027
Publications (19)
- Identification of nuclear pore proteins at plasmodesmata: potential role in intercellular transport? Save
- Early Detection and Quantification of Fusarium Wilt in Greenhouse-Grown Tomato Plants Using Water-Relation Measurements Save
- A tale of two pumps: Blue light and abscisic acid alter Arabidopsis leaf hydraulics via bundle sheath cell H+-ATPases Save
- Precision phenotyping of a barley diversity set reveals distinct drought response strategies Save
- Null mutants of a tomato Rho of plants exhibit enhanced water use efficiency without a penalty to yield Save
- Plasma membrane aquaporins regulate root hydraulic conductivity in the model plant Setaria viridis Save
- Drought and recovery in barley: key gene networks and retrotransposon response Save
- A tale of two pumps: Blue light and ABA alter Arabidopsis leaf hydraulics via bundle sheath cells’ H+-pumps and channels Save
- Drought and recovery in barley: key gene networks and retrotransposon response Save
- Flagellin triggers mesophyll dehydration: An early PTI defense against bacterial establishment in intercellular spaces Save
- A telemetric, gravimetric platform for real-time physiological phenotyping of plant–environment interactions Save
- Vascular bundle sheath and mesophyll cells modulate leaf water balance in response to chitin Save
- Dynamic physiological phenotyping of drought-stressed pepper plants treated with “productivity-enhancing” and “survivability-enhancing” biostimulants Save
- Risk-management strategies and transpiration rates of wild barley in uncertain environments Save
- To produce or to survive: How plastic is your crop stress physiology? Save
- Genetic engineering of AtAOX1a in Saccharomyces cerevisiae prevents oxidative damage and maintains redox homeostasis Save
- Alleviation of methyl viologen-mediated oxidative stress by Brassica juncea annexin-3 in transgenic Arabidopsis Save
- Attenuation of hydrogen peroxide-mediated oxidative stress by Brassica juncea annexin-3 counteracts thiol-specific antioxidant (TSA1) deficiency in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Save
- Molecular cloning and characterization of five annexin genes from Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern and Coss) Save