ANINDITA UKIL

Macrophages are primary defense cell line of our body and are centrally located in the host response to infection. Production of factors such as reactive nitrogen and oxygen intermediates (RNIs and ROIs) endows these cells with potent microbicidal activity. Furthermore, phagocytosis leads to rapid microbial degradation in lysosomes, a process increased by Fc and complement receptor-mediated uptake of opsonized pathogens. Despite this well equipped machinery, some intracellular pathogens target macrophages for infection. Each of them adopts unique strategies to subvert macrophage antimicrobial functions and manipulation of macrophage signaling pathways plays a major role in this regard. These pathogens whenever attached to cell surface, give faulty signals, so that generation of defense molecules and proinflammatory pathology can be hampered, which in turn destabilize the host-parasite interaction. We are presently working on visceral leishmaniasis, a macrophage-associated fatal disease, which is caused by the protozoan parasite, Leishmania donovani, which resides and multiplies within the phagolysosomes of the host macrophages. During the digenetic life cycle, Leishmania parasites face two kinds of tremendous stress, (i) a huge shift of temperature from 22?C in sand fly gut to 37?C in mammalian host and a shift of pH from 7.4 in sand fly gut to 5.5 in parasitophorous vacuoles in mammalian macrophage and (ii) when they enter macrophage they face oxidative stress due to a respiratory burst of macrophages producing reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species. In order to establish infection, Leishmania invariably develop mechanisms to neutralize the macrophage microbicidal machinery. One of the mechanisms is to interfere with signal transduction from cell surface to nucleus for manipulation of ultimate downstream effects.

ANIRBAN SIDDHANTA

Cell Biology/Biochemistry Characterization of phospholipids with a special reference to phosphoinositides, i.e. inositol phospholipids that play major role as a constituent of biomembranes and as important signaling molecules Role of cell signaling in the apoptotic death of pancreatic beta cells during diabetes Protein structure-function: Regulation of the activities of phosphoinositide kinases by post-translational covalent modification and by other protein-protein interactions e.g. with small G-proteins Phospholipid signaling in: 1) Plant-microbe interaction

ANJAN DASGUPTA

Major Focus: Nanobiotechnology Interaction Between Synthetic and Biologically evolved nanoforms: One important discriminatory criterion of any biological assembly is the non-Euclidian nature of its shape and form. In contrast a synthetic nanoform tends to maintain the Euclidian norm, their surface to volume ratio decreasing reciprocally with size (1/r) . This make a synthetic nano object more surface active in comparison with the biologically evolved nanoforms. Keeping this distinction in mind we would like to address cross talks between synthetic nanoforms and different components of the cellular and sub cellular machinery. The special areas in which some progress has been made include: a. Protein Folding – Nanosensors to track folding pathways b. Nanoparticle Cell Interactions c. Smart Nanoforms as delivery systems We have already done some preliminary progress in this regard. For example we have been able to distinguish synthetic nano-crystals with cubic and hexagonal symmetry from their interaction with collagen. This model can be used to sense collagen mediated disease. We have also used copper nanoparticles to discriminate between mutants of hemoglobin. Our work on nanoform induced thrombotic response is now well documented in literature. The cell specific cytotoxic effect induced by some synthetic nanoforms is presently under investigation. We would like to continue in these lines further in the next five years.

D.J.CHATTOPADYAY

· Molecular Biology of Vibrio cholera el for Phages. · Molecular Biology of Giardia lamlia, the causative agents for giardiasis. · Regulation of gene expression of negative stranded RNA viruses: the structure-function studies of different regulatory proteins. · Oxidative damage of different macromolecules in the cell and its mechanism. . Microbial diversity study- culture dependent and independent . Industrial enzymes.

GEETANJALI SUNDARAM

The research in the lab deals with the regulation of cell cycle by MAPKinases in the model eukaryote Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Our long term goals aim at developing a model for all the molecular cross talks involved between the classical cell cycle regulatory pathway and the classical MAPK pathway, their common regulators as well as effectors. Such a model would potentially facilitate the exploitation of MAPKinases like p38 as well as certain cell cycle regulatory molecules such as Cdc25 as therapeutic targets against cancer.

KRISHANU CHAKRABARTI

Plant Biochemistry, Microbial Enzymology. Studies on plant peroxidase and lignin-cellulose production.Application of this knowledge in screening for appropriate cultivars for use as timber, fibre etc. Use of microbial sources for the production of cellulase, pectinase, protease for application in industry and agriculture. Specific utilization of microbial consortia for biofertilizer, plant hormone producer, degumming of ramie fibre.

MAITRAYEE DASGUPTA.

Understanding the molecular profile that predisposed legumes to nodulation ; Investigations undertaken on a primitive legume Arachis We use an aeschynomeneae legume Arachis hypogea for our investigation. Molecular taxonomy indicates this legume to be closest to the point of divergence between legumes and nonlegumes. In these primitive legumes, rhizobia enters through epidermal cracks and directly colonize the cortex. It is expected that it would have the common minimal program for establishment of root nodule symbiosis. In addition it is now widely accepted that the flower development pathway has been hijacked for nodule development. We are taking reverse genetic approaches to investigate the function of symbiosis determinant genes in Arachis with an eye to understand their rerecruitment from flower development to nodule formation processes. Mechanism of short term adaptation of the photosynthetic machinery in response to high light. A short term chromatic adaptation called state transition is the focus of our attention. Light absorbed specifically by one photosystem increases the light harvest potential of the other at its expense. The phenomenon was largely believed to be involved in adjusting the photosynthetic machinery to variation in quality of light. The molecular principle behind this phenomenon is believed to be the phosphorylation of the light harvest protein LHCII, which differentially binds with the phoptosystems depending on its phosphorylated state. We are trying to understand the significance of state transition and have already demonstrated that the phenomenon has a perfect relation with the intensity of the incident light. Our focus is on understanding the role of LHCII protein phosphorylation and its subsequent attachment with the photosystem I or II in determining the net light harvest and optimum efficiency of photosynthesis.

MAITREE BHATTACHARYYA

Protein structure and function Oxidative stress and Diabetes Mellitus Hemoglobin and Red blood Cell Chronic Arsenic toxicity, role of nutrition and oxidative stress Microbial ecology Leghemoglobin--biochemical and biophysical characterisation

MRINAL K. PODDAR

1. Mode of action of (a) psychopharmacologic drugs, (b) acupuncture and (c) environmental factors at the level of (I) neurotransmitters and receptors activities (ii) neuronal membrane (iii) neuroendocrinological and (iv) molecular changes. 2. Neurotoxicological and biochemical effects of environmental pollutants (pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, Cigarette smoke etc.), medicinal plant extract (e. g. Kalmegh, Cannabis sativa, osimum etc.) and their active ingradient(s) on adult and developing system. 3. Neurobiochemical and neuropharmacological mechanism of thermoregulation under different environmental temperatures. Interaction of psychoactive drugs, local anaesthetics with biomembrane and biomolecules. 4. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of pharmacologic drugs. Neuroimmune regulation in relation to nutritional status of diet and aging. 5. Neurobiochemical and neuropharmacological aspects of sleep and the isolation and characterisation of endogenous sleep and awake factors. 6. Action of long-term consumption of methylxanthines (caffeine and theophylline) in the development of cancer in mammary gland. 7. Neurochemical and Neuroimmune regulation of aging in relation to dietary status.

PRASANTA K. BAG

Pathogenesis of enteric bacteria: Our laboratory is involved on isolation and characterization of enteropathogens from environmental samples, to elucidate the ecology and public health significance of these enteropathogens in the aquatic environment. Monitoring existing environmental strains and undertaking detailed studies of how pathogenic strains evolved from them is essential to our understanding of human disease. Our laboratory demonstrated that Vibrio cholerae non-O1, non-O139 and Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from natural surface water from different sites sampled in diarrhea endemic zones in Kolkata were having pathogenic potential. We have also developed a simple latex agglutination based diagnostic technique for detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Our present focus is on the mechanism of pathogenesis of some enteric bacteria. Antimicrobial activity from medicinal plants: Emergence of resistance to multiple drugs is a serious clinical problem in the treatment and containment of the disease. Ethnopharmacology and natural product drug discovery remains a significant hope to solve that problem. Our research interest is on isolation, purification and characterization and mechanism of antimicrobial activity against enteropathogens from medicinal plants. We have demonstrated the antibacterial, antisecretory and antihemorrhagic activities of Azadirachta indica. Molecular principles of species interaction in the rhizosphere of a leguminous plant: Biochemical and Metagenomic approaches: While unraveling molecular mechanism of rhizobium legume interaction has attracted the most scientific attention little is known about the community character of the microbes in the rhizosphere of legumes. Establishing a link between microbial diversity in the rhizosphere and the role they play in the natural ecosystem is a major challenge. While rRNA profiling gives an idea of the gross biodiversity, monitoring diversity of functional genes gives an idea about the biochemical interdependence of the community. Some of the functional genes, for example lipase, can be both ecologically enlightening as well as commercially useful. Our laboratory is involved on determination of the microbial community composition (culturable and unculturable) within and outside the rhizosphere of an oil seed legume (Arachis hypogea) on the basis of variations in lipase/esterase specific genomic loci with a view to understand effect of plant-microbe interaction in the respective soil ecosystem. Also the application potential of the identified lipase/esterase (s) would be evaluated.

SAIBAL MUKHERJEE

Molecular genetics, Cell biology and Neuroscience. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism responsible for different human genetic diseases (single gene disorder and complex diseases) with special emphasis on neurogenetic diseases. Identification of different molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the neuronal death due to stress, like stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases. Role of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases (PTP’s) expressed specifically in the brain (mainly in striatum, cerebellum etc), in regulation of their substrates which leads neuronal protection.

SANGHAMITRA SENGUPTA

One of the fundamental questions in genetics is why some individuals but not others succumb to severe life-threatening infection. A growing body of evidence indicates that the risk of acquiring infection and the risk of developing severe complications, both are determined by host genetic factors. Though our understanding of the genetic basis of resistance or susceptibility to infection is still in its infancy, it is almost certainly determined by a very large number of genes, and the patterns of inheritance are therefore complex. There are some clear and repeatable genetic associations with particular diseases e.g. HLA associations with leprosy, tuberculosis, persistent hepatitis, HIV and malaria. Malaria is the most common parasitic disease in developing countries including India. As mentioned earlier, both parasite and host genetic factors contribute to the outcome of the disease. To find human genes involved in malarial infection and severity, candidate gene studies and candidate chromosomal region analyses have been performed several groups. Case–control studies have detected association between severe malaria and polymorphisms on several genes, including genes within the MHC complex. In particular, polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor (TNFa) gene have been associated with increased susceptibility to severe malaria. Furthermore, genetic analyses of affected sib pairs evidenced linkage of mild malaria to the MHC region, with a peak close to the TNFa locus. The biological evidences of involvement of TNFa in human malaria are many, e.g. (1) High TNFa plasma levels have been associated with increased susceptibility to severe malaria. (2) Anti-TNFa therapy inhibits fever children with cerebral malaria. To this end, my research interest is to investigate whether DNA sequence polymorphisms in central MHC-complex may explain differences in phenotypes related to malaria infection and severity of the disease in humans. My approach includes three interlocking elements: genetic epidemiology, functional analysis and informatics.

SANJAY GHOSH

Ph.D.: Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta (1992-1997) Research area: Studies on the mercury and organomercurial degrading enzymes in nitrogen fixing soil bacteria. Post Doctoral Research: Department of Immunology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, USA. (1997-2000) Research Area: Nitric Oxide Synthase: Structure Function. Joined in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta as Lecturer in December, 2000. Research interest (2000-2010) I.Nitrosative stress response (i) Increasing number of evidences suggest that reactive nitrogen species (RNSs) and nitric oxide (NO) itself affect the redox state of cells like oxidative stress and modify cellular proteins reversibly or irreversibly. Thus a hostile environment is created which is termed as “nitrosative stress”. Yeasts are very good model for studying the effect of nitrosative stress on eukaryotic cells. Currently we are trying to identify the differentially expressed genes in presence or absence of nitrosative stress using differential display technique in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Protein tyrosine nitration (PTN) is a selective post-translational modification often associated with nitrosative stress. We are also investigating in vivo protein targets of tyrosine nitration using two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis followed by MS-MS analysis in Saccharomyses cerevisiae. (ii) With the aim of understanding the plant-pathogen interaction associated with yellow vein mosaic disease of Hibiscus cannabinus, evidence is presented showing that under viral infection, NO and other NO-derived products are overproduced, which leads to tyrosine nitration of proteins indicating that nitrosative stress could participate, as a significant component, in the mechanism of hypersensitive response. In addition, induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase like activity was observed only in viral infected plant. Our focus is on understanding the role of nitric oxide in compatible plant pathogen interaction. (iii) With the aim of understanding the role of nitric oxide in symbiosis, we are using Medicago sativa and Sinorhizobium meliloti as the model plant and the corresponding partner organism. We are also comparing similar response in Arachis hypogea: Bradyrhizobium system. II. Isolation, Production and Properties of industrially important cellulase and xylanase enzymes from extremophilic microorganisms: Extremophilic Cellulases and xylanases have lot of application in several industries like textile industry, Paper pulp industry, household purposes like, jam cleaning etc. We have isolated thermo alkali tolerant Penicillium citrinum from soil. We have developed a bioprocess for production of endoglucanase and xylanase using solid-state fermentation in a small scale. III. Microbial synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles and their applications. The field of nanotechnology has received major advances in various aspects of technology from sensors to the application of medicine. Our focus is on the environmental friendly synthsis of nanoparticles, the so called Green Chemistry. We are involved in identifying the factors which control the size and shape of the fungal cell synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles. We are also involved in studying the mechanism of synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles. Our future objective is focused on the application of biologically synthesized nanoparticles. IV Molecular characterization of bacterially expressed Drosophila Nitric Oxide Synthase The nitric oxide synthase of Drosophila melanogaster (dNOS) participates in essential developmental and behavioral aspects of the fruit fly, but little is known about dNOS catalysis and regulation. To address this, we expressed a construct comprising the dNOS reductase domain and its adjacent calmodulin (CaM) binding site (dNOSr) and characterized the protein regarding its catalytic, kinetic, and regulatory properties. We also expressed the oxygenase domain of dNOS (dNOSoxy), characterized its spectroscopic, kinetic, and catalytic properties, and interpreted them in light of a global kinetic model for NO synthesis.

SANTASREE MAZUMDER

Main research interest is topics related to clinical biochemistry with a particular emphasis on neonatal jaundice. The research activity of this lab includes development of antioxidant drug from herbal source to be used as supplement during photoptherapy of jaundiced neonates. We are planning to undertake a project of phase IV Clinical trial of a therapeutic formulation of a reputed pharmaceutical company.

SUDIP K BANERJEE

Environmental Biochemistry, and molecular toxicology. Biremediation and phytoremediation. Drug designing through quantitative structure analysis. Electronic monitoring of air pollution control devices(developed at West Bengal Pollution Control Board when serving as Chairman, 2004-2007). Biosensors,Toxicogenomics