St.

Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Mumbai

Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology

PALINDROME
2018
Empower Change

ISSUE NO. 8
 Our Legacy

“Nurturing liberal education and critical thinking, since 1869”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela

This is truly in sync with the legacy of St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Mumbai,
which is at the cusp of its sesquicentennial anniversary. A throwback to the past glorious
150 years reveals the endeavors that it has so ardently strived to accomplish with the
intent of creating an environment of liberal learning and critical thinking. Since the
time of its inception, remarkable stories have been added to this journey starting from
liberal education to its globalization, through to making education accessible to even
those with disabilities. It has always relentlessly strived for excellence in education and
advocated the virtue of its beneficence to society at large. In line with these are the
various achievements and awards that the college has been conferred with, including
the “STAR COLLEGE AWARD” by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of
India.

All of these have indeed contributed into making St. Xavier’s not just a college, but a
way of life.

Here’s to many more such years of learning and growing.

 Palindrome
2017-2018

EMPOWER CHANGE

ISSUE NO. 8

Published By : Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology St. Xavier’s College Autonomous - Mumbai
Disclaimer : All views expressed by the authors are either compilations of referred articles or personal
Cover image courtesy : Pixabay ([Link]
 from the teacher’s desk

Dear Students,

We value a strong teacher-student relationship and aim to train

you to become the future leaders in the field of Biotechnology. We
facilitate your learning needs to stir your curiosity, instil critical
thinking and creativity with an inquisitive research-oriented mind.

You are the reflective agents of true learning who in the future can
bring about changes to our wonderful planet with sustainable
design without waste and using sustainable alternatives making
sustainability a lifestyle.

This magazine demonstrates the confidence you have acquired

and developed while working towards your post-graduate degree
which will forever assist you to communicate effectively on a
global scenario.

We congratulate the students of [Link] Part II batch of 2018-2019

who are instrumental in the making of our annual magazine
Palindrome. We wish you all fruitful coming years of great
discoveries, best of luck and abundant God’s blessings.

Dr. Karuna Gokarn

Ms. Norine D’Souza
Dr. Shiney Peter
Dr. Ira Vashisht

“Change is the end

result of all true learning”
Leo Buscaglia (author, speaker, and professor)
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

I am thrilled to present to you Issue No. 8 of the Palindrome magazine. This magazine is an
annual publication by the Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology.
This year our theme revolves around empowering change in the society and focusses on the
different aspects and areas in the field of Biotechnology that affects the industry, scientific
community and the people in general. One of the most fascinating things about scientific
research is its unpredictability. This unpredictability combined with the brilliant brains of
masses is the face of innovation and also a key player in the struggle towards a sustainable
future. At the end of the day, our entire effort is directed towards prolonging life. We owe
this to our future generations and on a wider perspective, to our mother earth.
This magazine serves as a platform to encourage co-curricular activities and at the same
time gives an outlet to students to express themselves creatively and share their views on
relevant matters.
I am extremely grateful to our sponsors Lupin Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Indian Oil Corporation
and Bassein Catholic Cooperative Bank without whom this publication would not have
been possible. I extend my gratitude to Dr. B. A. Menezes and Dr. Rajendra Shinde along
with the college management for always being supportive and encouraging. I would also like
to thank our Head of the Department (Dr. Karuna Gokarn), the faculty (Dr. Shiney Peter,
Ms. Norine D’souza and Dr. Ira Vashisht) as well as the non-teaching staff (Mr. Rajesh
Mahadik and Mr. Prashant Manchekar) for their constant help and guidance.
Being a part of the editorial team has been one of the most enriching and unique experiences
which has helped us to hone our skills and effectively work as a team. I thank the editorial
team, authors and all contributors who stood as pillars and worked enthusiastically towards
the publication of this magazine.
I hope that this effort is well received by our readers and helps them gain new insights.

- Clarice Bhattacharya
Editor-in-Chief
 CLARICE BHATTACHARYA

Editor-in-Chief

SHIZA SARGUROH

Content Head
SHAVIN FERNANDES

Creative Director

SHALINI ROY CHOWDHURY

EDITORIAL TEAM

ASHIKA SINGH

AKHILA M. NAIR

RUQAYYA MANASAWALA

TEJAS SURYAWANSHI

RUTUJA CHALKE

VEDANSHI DHARNIDHARKA

KUSH GUDKA

DIVYA GAUD
SOCIAL INITIATIVE REPORT
Palindrome 2017-18 aimed at achieving an
educationally sound society by a minuscule
contribution in spreading scientific
consciousness among the community,. This
feat was achieved by collaborating with
Sparsha Charitable Trust.
The NGO majorly works towards involving
under privileged students in various activities
to make learning fun along with focussing
on the overall welfare of every child. Every
Saturday in the month of February was
dedicated for this noble cause. The volunteers
were dispersed in 5 centres across the city.
With the cumulative efforts of the students,
volunteers and the teachers, a science
exhibition was successfully organised at the
end of the month. The students with utmost
diligence presented their working models,
charts, prototypes, experiments; exhibiting
not only their scientific knowledge but also
their colours of creativity & imagination
at its full swing. The exhibition gracefully
served the main purpose of involving every
child and making science enjoyable for them.
It was indeed a mutually enriching experience.
We feel fortunate to have had this opportunity
to encourage the students to learn and express
their creativity, and give back in a small way.
 19th and 20th of January 2018

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Palindrome
2017-18
IN THIS ISSUE
Is Biotechnology the solution to the glaring 1
environment reality?
Women in Science 2
Human Hand in Suffering 4
Dam Revenge 6
Electricity and Microbes 8
Shooting Blanks 9

News & Views 10

Crypto-Care 12
The Physics of Biology 14
Bridging the Gap 16

Comic-Mimic 18
Off-Beat 20

Internal Projects 22
Dissertation Abstracts 23
Careers in Biotechnology 36
A next level Detective 38
Science behind Superheroes 39
In Conversation with the H.O.D 40
What motivates a Biotechnologist 42
The Department 44
 IS BIOTECHNOLOGY THE SOLUTION TO THE
GLARING
ENVIRONMENTAL REALITY?

Technology has always waste (Biore-

been at the cusp of devel- mediation)
opment and dramatic but also com-
improvements in ing up with
every sphere of ecofriendly
our lives since biodegradable
time immemori- plastics.
al. Right from indus- The agriculture
trial revolution sector is has-
to modern sled to meet
biotechnolo- the ever increas-
gy, the world ing food demand of
has adopted the the population thus,
newer technologies pressurizing the en-
with open arms to vironmental reserves.
harness the most out The probable solution
of available resources. would be adopting the use
From vaccines, recombinant produc- of hybrid varieties which would
tion of insulin, point of care devices, which give increased productivity and re-
have revolutionized healthcare to the develop- sistance to adverse environmental condition.
ment of new cultivars in agriculture to keep up However, a lot of skepticism exists over the use
with the increasing demands. It is safe to say of this technology and its impact on the natu-
that most of us use the products and services ral system which needs to be evaluated. There
of this technology on a day to day basis. In the are several studies which show that the general
process of this forwardness, however, the envi- benefits of biotechnological processes far out-
ronment has always suffered the consequences weigh the risks involved with its usage. Howev-
of being second to economic growth. er, caution needs to be executed to make sure
So can this research intensive industry of bio- the risks are minimized to the least degree pos-
technology be of any help in combatting the sible to make the most of this rapidly evolving
global environmental challenges that we face to- technology. Apart from this, the inconsistencies
day? With the recent positive wave in the coun- in the regulatory framework surrounding this
try to reduce the plastic pollution in the environ- technology needs to be sorted to help it reach
ment, biotechnology is helping lead the way by its full potential.
not only using microbes to degrade the plastic
-Shiza Sarguroh
MSc II

1
WOMEN IN SCIENCE
To be accepted as a scientist who Sunetra Gupta
happens to be a woman is still an A novelist and winner
uphill task in areas considered a of the Royal society
man’s world. However, women have of Rosalind Franklin
not only flourished in the field of award for her scien-
science and scientific leadership, tific achievements.
but have also have become an inspi- She is a professor at
ration for many others to make theirOxford University of
mark as scientists. theoretical epidemi-
ology at department
Aruna Dhathathreyan of Zoology. Her area
Professor and scientist at CSIR- of interest includes the
Central Leather Research Institute, evolution of diversity
Chennai, India. Her fields of work in infectious pathogen
and research include biophysics, especially those for ma-
biophysical chemistry, and surface laria using mathematical
sciences. model.

Anna Mani Darshan Ranganathan

The only woman scientist to work She was an organic chemist from
with C.V. Raman, is well known India who was known for her work
for her work in atmospheric phys- in bio-organic chemistry, including
ics and instrumentation, study of “pioneering work in protein folding”
radiation, ozone and atmospheric and “supramolecular assemblies,
electricity. Joining the India Mete- molecular design, chemical simu-
orological Department in 1948 she lation of key biological processes,
rose to become the Deputy Director synthesis of functional hybrid pep-
General of Observatories in Delhi. tides and synthesis of nanotubes.”

Dr. Kamala Sohonie Dr. Suman Sahai

The first Indian woman to get a She is the Founder of the Gene
Ph.D in a scientific discipline and Campaign, has received the Pad-
owns a number of golden titles. She ma Shri and the Borlaug for her
applied to the IISc for a research efforts towards providing better
fellowship and met with rejection livelihoods in rural communi-
merely because she was a woman! ties. Her undying determina-
But that did not deter her from pur- tion made the Government
suing her passion and proved her pay attention to the effects of
calibre by discovering the enzyme genetically-modified crops and
‘Cytochrome c’. the problems Indian farmers
face.

2
Paramjit Khurana Shubha Tole
Researcher at the Department Of Professor at TIFR and recipient
Plant Molecular Biology in Del- of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prize
hi University. She has developed in 2010. She seeks to study how
‘All Weather Seeds,’ which help genetic mechanisms control our
farmers that depend on weather brain, to understand defects like
conditions. The developed hybrid autism and epilepsy. She discov-
strains of mulberry, wheat and ered a master regulator gene which
rice are resistant to drought, heat controls the development of the
and have a higher UV radiation brain’s cortex hippocampus and
capacity. amygdala.

Charusita Chakravarty
Chemistry professor at IIT Delhi, Yamuna Krishnan
Associate Member of the Centre Awardee of the Shanti Swarup
for Computational Material Sci- Bhatnagar prize in 2013. She works
ence, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre in the field of bionanotechnology,
for Advanced Scientific Re- wherein she synthesizes filamen-
search, Bangalore. Her work on tous DNA which is administered
the effects of change in molecu- in cells to provide information on
lar base of DNA proteins has won conditions inside such as acidity
her the Shanti Swarup Bhat- and other factors. This technique
nagar Prize. has the potential to mimic the be-
haviour of viruses and help in in-
Dr. Manitha Nair creasing drug delivery efficiency.
Awardee of the Inno-
vative Young Bio- Mitali Mukerjee
technology Award Senior Principal Scientist-Ge-
2012. Her research nomics and Molecular Medicine
focuses on development and clin- and developer of Ayurgenom-
ical translation of biomimetic ics. Her broad research area is
nanomaterials towards muscu- the understanding of human ge-
lo-skeletal regeneration. She also nome structure and its variations
studies the signalling cues which for applications in development
occur in lineage-specific differ- of biomarkers for predicting the
entiation of stem cells. She was susceptibility to diseases and in
awarded the Kerala State Young understanding of human pheno-
Scientist Award in 2016 for her types.
outstanding contributions in Sci-
ence and Technology.

-Bushra Khan and Neha Kumari

MSc I
3
 HUMAN HAND IN
SUFFERING

for sustainable agriculture. Despite of being

scientifically proven, many nations hover
the question of it being unethical & toxic
to human beings. Concomitantly, The anti
GMO groups suggest that it does not support
marginal farmers but are only profitable to
multinational companies with overpriced

B
iotechnology, over a period of crops and are therefore promoted worldwide.
time, has proved to be a unique However, the world today is facing a scarcity
amalgamation of biology and in food and it is practically impossible to
technology in addressing varied serve this ever increasing population by
issues ranging from agriculture conventional methods. It is therefore the need
to human health. However, as acceleration is of the hour to adopt newer technologies with
always backed by deceleration, biotechnology an open mind and try focusing on curbing the
too is not exempted from it. An involvement ill effects and improving the beneficial effects
of numerous human minds attracts a conflict of the same.
of interest which is quite inevitable in its
being. Keeping that in mind, we as individuals Talking about ethical objections, the use of
meant to have a sound scientific attitude need embryonic stems cells can’t be overlooked.
to address a few cardinal discrepancies in the Stem cells have been proven to be an
progress of this field. effective potential to cure traumatic injuries,
transplantation and eradicating problems
One of the earliest innovations of such as infertility. Various religious groups
Biotechnology is genetically modified crops believe that its use is unethical as it is a potential
(GM crops). With the increase in population, human being. Nations like Europe forbid the
urbanisation and reduction in the culturable idea of using embryonic stem cells for research
land space, GM crops serve as a good candidate but allow abortion, contraception etc. which
is quite ironic. Senator Hatch hits the nail
when he says “I believe that human life begins

4
in the womb, not a petri dish or refrigerator. To
me, the morality of the situation dictates that
these embryos, which are routinely discarded,
be used to improve and save lives. The tragedy
would be in not using these embryos to save
lives when the alternative is that they would
be discarded.” To tackle such issues research
institutes should follow the regulations by the
US National Academies of Sciences and the
International Society for Stem Cell Research.

Continuing on the use of embryos,

biotechnology’s gift to infertile couples was the
inception of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) which
comes under the broader umbrella of Assisted
Reproductive technology (ART). Although
the technique has been an overwhelming
achievement, its misuse can’t be repudiated.
Few of these include unregistered IVF clinics,
female foeticide, illegal sex determination,
exploitation of individuals in the name of
monetary helps & commercialization of the
entire objective. Stringent regulations and
rigorous monitoring can be useful in curbing
those grave issues.

However, the process would be cumbersome as

it requires a coordinated connection between
the regulators, doctors, policy makers and the
end receivers.

In a nutshell, it is important to be aware about

the current scenarios and to have a broader
perspective when it comes to accepting newer
technologies along with weighing all the
ifs and buts that it comes with. Changing
perspective is difficult but not impossible,
and with appropriate information it can be
achieved in the long run.

-Tejas Suryawanshi and Stinita D’souza

MSc II

5
 T
DAM he word ‘Nature’ lets one
imagine, a beautiful picture
of sparkling white sand
REVENGE surrounded by emerald green
water, or a calm green forest
with a glint of sunlight, or snow-kissed
mountains with encircling clouds. Nature is
indeed synonymous with exotic, beautiful
and serene but what happens when nature
gets furious? It takes on dangerous, life-
threatening avatars - tsunamis, cyclones,
floods, earthquakes, storms, etc. and these
are what we refer to as Natural Disasters.
Natural disasters claim thousands of lives
all over the globe every year causing great
economic and human losses.
The main question here is ‘Is nature to be
blamed solely? Aren’t we humans majorly
responsible? As ridiculous as it may sound,
we truly are responsible for natural disasters
as it is mainly our actions that compel nature
to take on its furious forms.
Let’s take the example of the recent Kerala
Floods that traumatized the entire nation. It
may seem that release of water from dams
brought on this great flood. But could that
be the only reason? Illegal poaching, cutting
BEFORE down trees for forest produce, deforestation
and other human activities have equally
contributed to this doom. ‘Every action has
an equal and opposite reaction’, Newton’s
third law of motion is quite relevant. The

Image Courtesy: NASA Earth Observatory

6
 environment does find its way of getting
back at us for our misdeeds.
Floods, tsunamis, cyclones are very
destructive, but the aftermath of such
disasters are more destructive and grueling.
In case of Kerala floods, mass death of
earthworms have further added to the woes of
l farmers in the entire state. Environmentalists
are boggled by this phenomenon which
they explain is quite rare. Since the top soil
was washed away by floods, the new layer
of exposed soil is unable to absorb water
efficiently, increasing the soil temperature.
Earthworms in the soil crust cannot cope up
with such high temperatures and wriggle out
of the soil, break themselves up and die in
the open. This further causes cracking of soil
y ultimately leading to dry, parched patches
of land that can no longer be brought under
cultivation. There is also the lurking fear of
an impending epidemic that may plague the
state.
What is nature really trying to teach us?
The key is to not mess with nature and to
improve on policies set up to conserve AFTER
mother nature. We do require stringency in
the implementation of existing environment
conservation policies. Science plays an
y important role in assessing environmental
damage and setting up better policies
for environment protection. Hence,
environmentalists and scientists together
prove to be a valuable asset for any country.
-Ruqayya Manasawala
MSc II

7
 ELECTRICITY
AND MICROBES

Population explosion has increased the hydrogen, and for cost-effective wastewater
demand for natural energy resulting in treatment. This technology also has potential
exploitation of natural reserves & subsequent applications in the area of energy efficient
exhaustion. To save the resources for future desalination of water and bioremediation. The
generations, it is the need of the hour to devise main advantage of this technique is that we
alternatives to harness the power of nature; need not work under stringent sterility, a task
fermentation is one of the many alternatives. most microbiologists dread simply because of
the fact that the sample usually comes from
Historically, fermentation has been utilized to wastewater, sludge, or sediment. EF is also
enhance flavour, texture & shelf life of eatables an alternate option to produce and extract
& beverages. Nowadays, fermentation is used useful chemicals from pure substrates as well
for production of various value added products, as treat bio-waste taking into consideration
biogas, biofuels, etc. Electro-fermentation parameters such as pH & osmolality.
has garnered a lot of attention that merges
traditional industrial fermentation with the Extensive research is required to bring EF from
science of electrochemistry for the production the lab scale to the market. The potential of EF
of fuels, hydrogen and electricity with the help is very wide, and its versatility in integrating
of indigenous microbiota. EF-based strategies bio-based production of food, biofuels,
have witnessed various advancements in order industrial green chemistry through renewable
to increase the compactness and efficiency current production chains (solar, wind etc.),
of the setup to make it cost effective and will attract the interest of the industrial world
sustainable. and will be a new frontier of the upcoming
bio- based economy.
Various industries and research institutes
have demonstrated the large-scale operation
of microbial electrochemical technologies for
on-site conversion of urine into ammonia and -Mayuri Goriwale and Subhasini Singh
MSc II

8
 SHOOTING BLANKS
BLANKS?

‘S
ilent killer on the loose’ is a with an organism named Wolbachia that
trivial statement heard during hijacks the reproductive machinery of the
the monsoon. The killer leaves mosquitoes thus rendering them sterile.
behind a few signs and symptoms such as
high grade fever, chills at night and severe Female mosquitoes generally mate only
headache, joint pain, fatigue, nausea once in their lifetime, thus a successful
cramps, vomiting. Well you guessed it mating with a sterile male prevents the
right, it is the MOSQUITO. They are the development of an offspring. Due to the
carriers of the humanity’s deadliest diseases mass release of sterile males into the wild,
causing millions of deaths across the globe. the non-sterile males are outnumbered by
Stagnant water serve as breeding grounds for a huge margin. Another important step
mosquitoes, so eradication and population- is segregation between male and female
control efforts involve removal or treatment mosquitos. If females were to be released in
of such water sources. Many hypotheses the wild then instead of reducing the female
state that global warming is likely to increase population, the released population would
their number and range. With conventional add on to the existing population. Thus
methods of controlling mosquitoes losing to reduce this, a method such as ‘Genetic
their effectiveness over a period of time, a Sexing’ has been developed which helps
technique known as Sterile Insect Technique eliminate the female population in the early
seems to be quite promising. In this technique stages of development.
mosquitoes are modified by infecting them
An important reason as to why males were
chosen to be made sterile is because females
copulate only once but males copulate
number of times. This helps in spreading the
sterility trait to a wider range. SIT engineered
male mosquitoes were released in Brazil
using drones. The experiment was found to
be effective but the widespread was found to
be quite less. This technique is quite naïve
and has a lot of scope for development.
Advanced research would definitely lead
to its maximum utility and a mosquito free
world wouldn’t be a distant dream.

- Kush Gudka and Prashant Suvasia

MSc I

9
 NEWS & VIEWS

The NGS equivalent of Nobel Prize in Physiology Reticular Adhesions: The

Protein sequencing is and Medicine 2018 new entrant in the class
here of cell-matrix adhesions
The Nobel Prize in Physiology
A new method of protein and Medicine 2018 was jointly Newly discovered structures
sequencing has been awarded to James P. Allison by a team of research scientists
developed by researchers and Tasuku Honjo for their at the Karolinska Institute,
at the University of Texas at discovery of inhibition of Sweden, the ‘reticular
Austin. This method is a lot negative immune regulation adhesions’ are protein
more sensitive and effective at in cancer treatment. While complexes that aid cells in
identifying protein molecules James P. Allison studied the attaching to their surrounding
as opposed to the currently T cell protein CTLA-4 which i.e the extracellular matrix.
employed Mass spectrometry. functions as a brake on T cells, They have unique molecular
It can now be possible to Tasuku Honjo discovered composition which is distinct
sequence millions of individual the PD-1 protein expressed from the already known
protein molecules in a single on the surface of T cells with focal adhesions. The study
sample simultaneously. This a similar function as that of also implies their role in the
technology could help better CTLA-4. Novel therapeutic attachment of daughter cells
understand the role of proteins strategies such as this Immune at the right place after cell
in normal functioning or checkpoint inhibition therapy division.
diseased conditions. have helped broaden our
ammunition in the fight
against cancer. 10
 NEWS & VIEWS

Enzymes to help unleash Expanding the How [Link] turned the

the body’s power to fight Biotechnology horizon in tables to colonize the gut
back the big C India
The human gut commensal,
A study has identified an To make the most of the Bacteroides fragilis modulates
enzyme PEG-KYNase which numerous offerings of the its surface architecture to
helps degrade the molecule Biotechnology industry, an facilitate binding of IgA
Kynurenine that acts as increased amount of funding in mice which helps in the
a roadblock to immune is pouring in to facilitate mucosal colonization. The
surveillance leading to the better R&D opportunities, set study indicates that apart
growth of cancer cells and up manufacturing plants as from pathogen clearance, IgA
metastasis. The next step to well as knowledge and think response is also utilized for
this therapeutic approach is tanks. With this regards, the microbiome establishment.
to initiate clinical trials to test Telangana govt. has proposed
the safety and efficacy of the to set up India’s first Biopharma
enzyme. hub to be spread across 40,000
square feet in the Genome
Valley, Hyderabad.
- Shiza Sarguroh
MSc II
Soutce: [Link] and [Link]

11
 CRYPTO-CARE
B
B
A quick heads up on what exactly is
the blockchain technology & artificial
intelligence:

Blockchain was primarily conceptualized

by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 for easier and
secured transactions using cryptocurrency.
The principle of this technology is quite
simple; yet powerful. The transactions are
encrypted in the form of blocks and each block
is linked to the consecutive block thus forming
a chain. There is no third party intervention
that can add, delete or modify those blocks
thus protecting it from any breach. The cost
incurred for circumventing those blockchains

W
ith the advent of technology is much higher than value of what’s being
in practical use for facilitat- protected which secures the entire system.
ing various objectives, its use Meanwhile, Artificial Intelligence is generically
in improving the healthcare defined as “the development of computers to
standards is not far behind. The paradigm is engage in human-like thought processes such
shifting towards a more sustainable approach as learning, reasoning and self-correction”.
for better healthcare facilities. The block- AI encompasses a wide range of applications
chain technology has efficiently paved its way in varied fields including healthcare such as
through to prove itself as our first step towards robotics (especially associated with assistance
sustainability. Concomitantly, Artificial Intel- in surgical operations), diagnostics, statistical
ligence quite intelligently seems to follow the analysis of medical data, etc. The two major
lead. branches are virtual & physical.

12
 B
B
How does blockchain technology & conducted, thus proving to be cost effective.
artificial intelligence fit into the entire plot One of the notable features of this software is
of healthcare? interrogative analysis of the patient’s symptoms
to provide diagnostic and treatment related
The healthcare industry is swarming with heaps suggestions.
of data on patient medical records, clinical
trials data & outcomes of various research One of the recent applications of AI is in the
endeavours. The data tends to be redundant and prognosis of Type 2 diabetes by screening for
is subject to tampering most of the time. The use SNPs. The unconventional use of artificial
of blockchain technology majorly focuses on neural networks highlights the brain and heart
creating a secure database for efficient storage related abnormalities instead of focussing on
of data that can be shared, exchanged and used the conventional diagnostic applications by
amongst the concerned stakeholders. It can be using imaging techniques such as single-photon
used to manage medical records; the system is emission computed tomography (SPECT) and
completely decentralized hence there are no positron emission tomography (PET).
chances of changing the data. Blockchain aims
at breaking the barrier of data opacity when Made for each other!
it comes to medical research. The researcher
can have direct access to the patient’s data Artificial intelligence and blockchain
(only by consent) and device novel strategies technology work synergistically. Blockchain
for effective treatment. This also increases the technology enables storing personal data in a
amount of data that can be amassed for a single processed form whereas AI helps in operating
objective. The industry incurs huge losses due the data, while it is still in the encrypted state
to counterfeit drugs. Blockchain can be used in a secured manner. Using AI algorithms,
to track the supply chain and help in avoiding the data stored in blockchain can be used for
such situations. investigation, like in the audit process. The
advances in AI are acting as the guiding light for
Talking about AI, one of its most fascinating constructing better blockchains with improved
aspect is the “jeopardy! software” (mainly used qualities such as self-adaptation, self-learning
by the Watson hardware, developed by the etc. Both of these cutting edge technologies
IBM), that has appeared to be a boon in health are essential catalysts for developments in
care. It is a probabilistic software that aims at providing improved guidance and giving
troubleshooting complexities with respect to spectacular benefits in medical as well as non-
diagnostics and treatment purposes. This helps medical fields.
in eliminating the irrelevant tests that are being

- Shalini Roy Chowdhury and Rutuja Chalke

MSc II
13
 THE PHYSICS OF BIOLOGY

F
rom the juvenile stages of our A mechanical force has been found to regulate
introduction to the field of science, we cellular processes from cell proliferation to
are primed to identify it as a consortium differentiation, embryogenesis to formation
of distinct disciplines like chemistry, biology of bone structure, maintaining homeostasis
and physics. How interesting would it have to generating inflammatory responses.
been if the lines separating these disciplines as The pursuit to understand the dynamic
isolated entities were blurred? The boundaries relationship of cell mechanics with biology
between physics and biology became less was the driving force for mechanobiology to
obvious with the discovery of the DNA double grow dramatically.
helix by Crick and Watson along with Franklin
and Wilkins. Erwin Schrödinger’s 1944 book, During morphogenesis, the initial intrinsic
“What Is Life?” inspired Crick and Watson primary forces are responsible for cell
about genes and genetic coding. This marked migration and rearrangement, however,
the first merger of physics and biology. Despite extrinsic forces play key role during maturation
physicists uniting to solve biology related of cells to form skeletal and smooth muscles.
issues, there were few void spaces that divorced Bone Mechanobiology involves remodeling
the two fields as individual disciplines. of osteoblasts and osteoclasts with the help
of mechanosensors (proteins complexes) that
In the last decade, path breaking experiments can adapt to external environment and bring
challenged cell biology, wherein cellular about communication between the cells.
mechanics were solely identified by genetic Neuromechanobiology, an unexplored field
composition of the cell. Experiments involves understanding the effect of electric,
established the importance of mechanical chemical and mechanical environment on the
forces or physical forces in the environment, nervous system. Effectual understanding of
the way cells sense and respond to signals. This these external forces can give better insights
led to the emergence of a new field of science into neurotherapeutics for most of the
that formed an interface between biology and debilitating disorders.
physics - MECHANOBIOLOGY.

Scientific opinion progressed in one field can propagate to be

significant in another.
We don’t quite know yet what the physics of biology will entail.
But we for sure won’t understand life without it.

14
Although the way cells respond to mechanical surrounding the tumor can result in its
signals is still not clear, these signals can be metastatic progression. Manipulation of these
converted into medical value with some external environments involved in progression
technological innovations. Any changes in the of signaling cascades can offer new insights for
transduction system can lead to development treatment of cancer.
of diseases like heart failure, asthma,
osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, lower back With several laboratories developing tools
pain, deformities and even cancer. Recent like three-dimensional microfluidics and
progress in medical application of these forces magnetic nanoparticles to analyze the forces
has investigated the influence of mechanical acting between cells, between proteins and
forces in therapeutics. cell membrane, Mechanobiology is primed
to emerge in the future, and expand our
Mechanobiology has been involved in healing understanding of cellular mechanics.
serious wounds by forming a layer above the
-Akhila M. Nair
wound. Due to the contraction of cells around MSc II
the adhesion molecules there is complete
closure of scars around the wound. While
generating scaffolds for tissue regeneration,
mechanical stresses should be taken into
consideration. During tissue fabrication, these
stresses provide the spatial arrangement and
organize the cells. They control the cellular
phenotype that is growth, differentiation,
apoptosis, necrosis, formation of different
cell lineages during tissue repair and regulate
patterning of cells. Extracellular matrix mainly
controls the signal transduction mechanism
and thus, mechanical forces involved after
incorporation of artificial ECMs must be
regulated for tissue and organ reformation.

Cancer, which has become a leading cause

of death can be cured with the approach of
Mechanobiology. Mutations in the genetic
makeup play significant role in development
of tumor. However, the physical environment

15
 BRIDGING THE GAP
The gap in understanding science will lead to misconstruing it.
-T. V. Venkateswaran

T
he world is progressing towards determines how scientific knowledge will
exploring different scientific be absorbed and diffused in the economy.
advances making it increasingly It’s high time we make science accessible
evident that the present and the future to the public who also happen to fund a
depend heavily on it. However, the lot of it, and inspire critical thinking and
societal acceptance and reception of such scientific temperament. Sometimes, the
technologies is questionable. One of the channels through which such information
major factors is the lack of communication of is made available to the public may not
researchers and scientists with the general interpret it correctly or might take it out of
public as well as within the community context. Dialogue between the scientific
itself. Often times the researchers also community and the society will help
get lured by publication bias and end up spread the right information as well as
publishing articles in predatory journals validate the existing information available
thereby encouraging pseudo-scientific to the public. Apart from this, it will help in
views. in India, biotechnology being one of developing informed public policies and
the innovative sectors has a significant role also enlighten them of the uncertainties
to play in enhancing global profiles which involved in scientific pursuit.
ultimately contributes to economic growth
of the country. There are a large number There is nobody more nuanced than a
of institutions providing huge scope to researcher herself to disseminate the
facilitate research and development complex information with ease and
(R&D) in the field of biotechnology. The precision. So it’s important that the scientific
relationship between academics, R&D, community takes it up as a responsibility
market structure, market dynamics, and not an obligation.
innovation, and scientific communication

-Lizelle Fernandes, Conceetha Sequeira and

Haifa Parkar
MSc II

16
 An initiative by the batch of 2016-18 to
propagate and make
science accessible in daily life

FRESHLY BREWED SCIENCE

Science is simple, so much so that it can easily be discussed over a cup of coffee
and that exactly is where we began. A simple assignment was pushed forward with
a vision in mind to become the unconventional platform accessible for science.

We at The science café believe science is for all. As an organization, it is an initiative

for all the inquisitive minds out there and deliver science to them in simplest and
unique possible way. We run on sheer eagerness to unravel the mysteries around us.
We thus plan to share science by conducting a series of talks and events by experts
in the fields at social places like cafes in an informal way with the public.

The very first edition was commenced by Dr. Santhosh Gaikwad, the only practicing
taxidermist of India. The second edition of our café covered the topic ‘You are what
your microbes eat’. The session was conducted by Mr. Shreyas Kumbhare, one of the
pioneers in gut microbiology. We don’t stop just as it, a lot more of intriguing ways
to indulge in science is about to be delivered. Curiosity has been man’s long-lived
nature, we only aim at creating a space for all curious minds from all age group
come participate and feed their curiosity. This oddity is our sole driving force with
which we are willing to contribute to science and society.

17
18
By: Vishakha
19 Sakhareriya and Aswini Anbazhagan
01 Placenta encapsulation
Women across the globe are spellbound by the benefits of placentophagy (placenta-eating).
Even though the concept is nebulous and still in its infancy, it has been followed by renowned
celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, January Jones and Alicia Silverstone. The custom of
placenta consumption has been majorly prevalent amongst the Chinese, Vietnamese,
Hungarians and Italians. Its perceived benefits are reducing post-natal bleeding, increasing
breast milk production and reducing postpartum depression by increasing the energy levels
and balancing hormones. Placentophagy is said to be a potent concoction that provides the
necessary nutrients along with elevation of iron levels which aid in restoring the mother’s
body after childbirth.

So how does one encapsulate the placenta?

The placenta is required to be collected within 48 hours of childbirth to avoid contamination.
After collection, it is washed to get rid of the clots and blood. Later, it is steamed; followed by
dehydration. Some encapsulators steam the placenta with herbs to make it more palatable.
After dehydration, the placenta is ground into a fine powder which can be encapsulated.
One can expect to receive around 150-200 capsules which can be consumed directly, added
to smoothies or sprinkled on salads. The estimated cost of placenta encapsulation is around
$200-$400.
Although the efficacy of consuming placenta hasn’t been scientifically proven, its benefits
lay an extensive path for it to become an effective health supplement for postpartum women
in the near future.

- Sarah Barretto
MSc II

20
 02 Water Bears of the
invertebrate world
Tardigrades are nature’s beautiful creation, having the ability to sustain all kinds of harsh
environmental conditions prevalent in nature. They belong to the phylum Tardigrada
which was discovered 230 years ago consisting of 700 different species. They are eight-
legged, mini creatures which are found to reside on moss, lichens, and algae near aquatic
environment.
Many species are transparent and they are tiny about a quarter to half a millimetre long. At
one point, they were in the race to be the model organism to study development. They are
commonly known as water bears and have gained popularity since the last couple of years
due to their special features; such as cryptobiosis and tolerance to radiation. Interestingly,
tardigrades lower their metabolism to a level enough to keep them viable and not carry
out major metabolic processes during unfavourable and harsh conditions. They produce
proteins named Dsup i.e. damage separation protein that protects its DNA from damage
on exposure to radiation thereby imparting radioresistance to the tardigrades. Other
than this, they were found to be stable and maintain their reproduction ability when they
were taken. The variations exhibited in population density and species with change in
environmental conditions suggested that they could act as potential bioindicators.

- Rutuja Subhash
MScII

Smart microbes
03
Microbial ecosystem is characterized by the complex network of interactions existing
amongst the microbial communities, with synthetic biology having the ability to combat
any adverse perturbation caused. Microbiome engineering is a promising approach which
involves altering microbial composition to improve phenotypic parameters of microbes to
benefit the ecosystem and has several applicative aspects in agriculture and therapeutics.
One of its application is treatment for phenylketonuria. Deficiency of phenylalanine
hydroxylase enzyme leads to the inability of metabolizing phenylalanine thus leading to
phenylketonuria. When supplemented orally, the enzyme gets degraded by the gastric
acids.
A recent study at its preclinical stage suggests that live bacteria such as engineered [Link]
and lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus reuteri strain can be used to treat phenylketonuria
in animals. Simplicity of the technique lies in delivering live bacteria that produce the
enzyme, assuring continual production and persistence in the gut mucosa.
These engineered live organisms do not colonize the human gastrointestinal tract as well
as can be biocontained to avoid their survival in the environment. Several studies confirm
the feasibility of using live bacterial biotherapeutics with containment approaches in
patients, thus, indicating a steady progress.

- Ashika Singh
MSc II
21
 Internal Projects

Amrita Suresh, Sameeksha Bhaye, Jimcy Rajan, Aakansha Chand, Abhilash Babu, Froila D’costa,
Michelle Das, Evelyn D’Souza

Production of Dextran using food waste and its utility in bacteriological media
Project Guide: Dr. Biswa Prasun Chatterji

Cytotoxicity profiling of Musa sp. (Banana inflorescence) and Mangifera indica

(Mango kernel) extract: An in vitro study.
Project Guide: Dr. Shiney Peter

Nehal Dwivedi, Sanhita Ghuge, Mehvash Godiwala, Shweta Johari, Joice Mathew,
Tanvi Kaku, Advait Kayal

Impact of media and chemical constituents on PHB production by

Bacillus subtilis and Cupriavidus necator
Project Guide: Ms. Norine Dsouza

Prospecting in vitro models for assessing the cytotoxicity of food colours

Project Guide: Dr. Shiney Peter

Shruti Kharat, Komal Mishra, Priya Mishra, Nikita Bhosale, Minal Nenwani, Jinal Mehta, Vikram
Saini

Production of dextran from beet pomace and its utility in growth of fungi and
probiotics: An approach towards solid waste management
Project Guide: Dr. Biswa Prasun Chatterji

Cytotoxicity of plant extracts and their combinations with chemotherapeutic drugs

on human cell lines
Project Guide: Dr. Shiney Peter

Arshad Shah, Hanzel Saldanha, Kris Silveira, Priyanka Subramani, Roma Sundar, Sushmita Var-
hadi, Partth Thakur

Media optimization and substrate suitability study for biofilm formation by

cadmium tolerant microorganism
Project Guide: Ms. Norine Dsouza

Effect of polyphenols extracted from Phaseolus vulgaris on proliferation and iron

uptake: An in vitro perspective
Project Guide: Dr. Shiney Peter

22
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Role of PSMD9 in regulating the mRNA expression levels of migration and growth
arrest related targets

Amrita Suresh (PI- Dr. Prasanna Venkatraman, ACTREC)

Differential gene expression helps us to predict the condition and fate of the cells. PSMD9 is
a proteasomal chaperone that interacts with other subunits such as PSMC6 and PSMC3 and
helps in the assembly of 26S proteasome. Our unpublished data suggests a role for PSMD9 in
cellular migration and growth arrest. Over expression of PSMD9 in HEK-293 cells upregulates
the mRNA expression levels of intracellular fibronectin, STAT3, C-MYC, CTNNB1, DAPK1.
Comparisons were also made in the mRNA expression levels of these genes in cells grown
on fibronectin matrix. When cells were grown in fibronectin the mRNA expression levels of
PSMD9 increased 30-fold and a concomitant decrease in all above-mentioned targets were
observed except for DAPK3. Overexpression of PSMD9 up to 30-fold showed a proportional
decrease in fibronectin in a dose-dependent manner. We propose that human PSMD9
acts as a transcriptional factor and regulates the mRNA expression levels of these targets
similar to rat PSMD9. Hence, better understanding of PSMD9’s control in regulating
these targets may help us to develop a novel target to design a therapy against cancer.

In silico characterization of fish antifreeze proteins

Hanzel Saldanha (PI- Dr. Aparna Chaudhari, CIFE)

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are biological antifreezes that have unique properties
including thermal hysteresis (TH), ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI), and
interaction with membranes and/or membrane proteins. These properties have
been used in the preservation of biological samples below freezing points. 17
antifreeze proteins of fish were selected from NCBI and UNIPROT database based on their length.
The amino acid composition of all 17 antifreeze proteins, their physical and chemical poperties
were determined using Protparam tool. Cysteine residues were checked using Cys_rec tool. The
secondary structure of all the proteins were predicted using sopma and gor tool respectively. PDB
files were created by using swiss model and chimera tool respectively which were then used for
the further mentioned tools. Also other tools like Coach server ,itasser , meta pocket 2.0, motif
finder, prosite ,netoglc,p sort, coil server , predict protein, rampage and what if server were
used and its description is mentioned in the further details of the proposal(in the objectives
section). Hence, using all this tools we can study various physiological and structural Antifreeze
proteins of fishes and also its applications in various computational (bioinformatics) studies.

23
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Construction of a genetic linkage map of soybean

(Glycine max) based on SSR markers

Jimcy Rajan (PI- Dr. Sudhir Kumar Gupta, Nuclear Agriculture and
Biotechnology Division, BARC)

Differential gene expression helps us to predict the condition and fate of the cells. PSMD9 is
a proteasomal chaperone that interacts with other subunits such as PSMC6 and PSMC3 and
helps in the assembly of 26S proteasome. Our unpublished data suggests a role for PSMD9 in
cellular migration and growth arrest. Over expression of PSMD9 in HEK-293 cells upregulates
the mRNA expression levels of intracellular fibronectin, STAT3, C-MYC, CTNNB1, DAPK1.
Comparisons were also made in the mRNA expression levels of these genes in cells grown
on fibronectin matrix. When cells were grown in fibronectin the mRNA expression levels of
PSMD9 increased 30-fold and a concomitant decrease in all above-mentioned targets were
observed except for DAPK3. Overexpression of PSMD9 up to 30- fold showed a proportional
decrease in fibronectin in a dose-dependent manner. We propose that human PSMD9 acts as
a transcriptional factor and regulates the mRNA expression levels of these targets similar to rat
PSMD9. Hence, better understanding of PSMD9’s control in regulating these targets may help
us to develop a novel target to design a therapy against cancer.

Characterization of change in bacterial cell size to maintain homeostasis

Aakanksha Mahendra Chand (PI- Prof. Supreet Saini, Indian Institute of

Technology Bombay)

Bacteria are found in almost all ecological niches on Earth, and exist in different shapes
and sizes. These morphological characteristics help bacteria to survive in an external
environment and also contribute towards their growth and development, thus
providing information about the effect of fluctuations on a complex genotype. It was
stated that during reproduction process, due to increase in the cellular components,
the amount of lipid also doubles which thereby leads to increase in cell membrane as
the concentration of lipid bilayer increases. It has also been observed that cell size of
a bacterium is a function of the growth rate in the given environment. Growth rate is
dependent on various factors such as nutrient accessibility, light intensity, temperature,
pH etc. Bacterial systems are exposed to varying external environment and such conditions
causes stress within the bacteria which leads to change in the morphology of cell. In
this project, we aim to understand the molecular underpinnings of the physiological
change by the bacteria under their controlled environments thereby maintaining
homeostasis and the application of such structural variation is also explored.

24
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Self-assembly Driven Pattern Formation By Adherent Cells In Response To

Mechanical Heterogeneity

Nehal Dwivedi (PI- Dr. Abhijit Majumder, Indian Institute of

Technology Bombay)

Cell patterning is a preliminary step in tissue morphogenesis. In the current research, we

have asked the question about the role of mechanical heterogeneity on cell patterning.
To study in vivo cell patterning, the lab has designed a novel substrate by introducing
a glass bead within a homogeneous polyacrylamide (PAA) gel. The effect of substrate’s
geometrical parameters on the zone of radial alignment was found to be dependent on
the size of the embedded bead and thickness of the gel above the bead surface. Further,
neuroblastoma cells, human mesenchymal stem cells, NIH-3T3 fibroblast
cells and HeLa cells were cultured on the glass bead embedded substrate,
to check if the alignment is cell state-specific or not. Next, we fabricated
a model substrate which can resemble the in vivo mechanical microenvironment
of tumour cells, by introducing PAA bead of stiffness similar to tumour cells within
the PAA gel. Using similar technique, substrates can be tailor-made by varying their
geometrical parameters to control in vitro cell patterning, to create better tumour models,
lab on chip devices, etc and has potential application in the field of tissue engineering.

Mapping Soil Microflora for Plant Growth Promoting Activity and correlating
with Soil Health

Sanhita R. Ghuge (PI- Dr. Rajendra Marathe, Mahyco)

Soil microbes represent the unseen biological activity in soil that play critical role in
plant nutritional recycling and also comprise a large portion of the genetic diversity on
Earth. The present investigation was carried out with the objectives to estimate and screen
microbial flora in rhizospheric soil and root samples. The nutritional status in terms of N and P
content in soil samples was found to be in the range of 9.8 mg -122 mg/kg available N, and 0 mg
-125 mg/kg of available P. A total of 250 microbes were isolated and each one was screened for
different plant growth promotional traits. On the basis of different lab bioassays and
pot culture studies in net house, two potential isolates (Iso-90 and Iso-247)
selected, were identified using 16s rRNA sequencing as Klebsiella oxytoca and
Enterobacter cloaca. Both these cultures showed significantly better plant growth
promotional activities such as seedling vigour root and shoot growth in maize.
Pathogenicity of the strains needs to be studied, before using them as bio-inoculants.

25
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Cloning, expression and purification of Capping protein - / regulator

involved in Actin Polymerization Dynamics in Plasmodium berghei

Mehvash Godiwala (PI- Dr. Avinash Kale, CBS)

Apicomplexan parasites are a group of intracellular, obligate, eukaryotes responsible for

a wide range of diseases promptly malaria within humans and animals. Capping protein
(CP) is an essential component of the glideosome complex responsible for gliding
motility, prevents formation of elongated filaments and helps in branching to create
stable structures. CP is a heterodimer composed of α and β subunits which bind to
the actin filament and helps to control cell shape and movement. The aim of this
study is to induce the CP heterodimers by cloning and expressing the gene with
the pET vector system. Subsequent to protein induction, the heterodimers would
be purified and their molecular interaction would be studied with respect to actin.
Using molecular biology approaches, gene sequences for the subunits were cloned
using E. coli BL21(DE3), followed by extraction and amplification. The amplicons for
α-subunit were digested using BamHI and SalI then ligated within pET-23b vector
system. The results obtained with help of this study form the preliminary resource
needed for further protein expression and purification, which can be used for
understanding regulation of actin by capping proteins and identifying novel drug targets.

Development of Point of Care Device for Detection of Presence of

Cephalosporinase Enzymes in Bacteria

Sameeksha Bhaye (PI- Prof. Rinti Banerjee, Indian Institute of

Technology Bombay)

Antibiotic usage all over world has increased due to improper prescription, which has
led to amplify the incidences of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Prescription of any
antibiotic requires antibiotic susceptibility testing and time taken to analyze results
take approximately 20-24 hrs. Point of Care Test (POCT) which works on biosensing
technology has got recognition due to its advantages like easy handling and rapid
detection (5mins- 1hr). Cephalosporin is naturally synthesized β-lactam antibiotics
and its inappropriate utility has led to gain resistance up to 4th generation. Drug
resistant micro-organisms like MRSA and VRE had undergone mutation and synthesize
certain proteins like Penicillin Binding Proteins (PBP) which inactivates and hydrolyses
cephalosporins into its acids. Detection of these hydrolytic activity is implemented by
iodometric method. In this study, development of a Point of Care Test based on iodometric
test on paper based flow – through device has been attempted. The presence of
cephalosporinase enzyme in bacteria that are resistant to such antibiotics can be
easily detected with this device. This aids in rapidly deciding course of treatment.
26
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Investigating Structural Aspects of Histone Proteins H2A and H2B in the Formation
of the Specialized Nucleosome

Advait Shailendra Kayal (PI- Prof. Dr. Ashutosh Kumar, Indian Institute of
Technology Bombay)

Histones play a major role in the formation of chromatin by the compaction of

DNA and in the epigenetic regulation of transcription. The regions of the DNA that
are bound to the histones becomes inaccessible to the transcription machinery. For the
regions to become accessible, the histone proteins undergo certain post translational
modifications (PTM) such as acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation etc. It has
been observed that different types of PTMs may occur on the same histones, and seem to
have an effect on each other. These are termed as Cross Talks between the PTMs. One
PTM may promote or repress the addition or removal of another PTM. In this study, the
main aim is to obtain high yields of histone proteins and to carry out NMR
studies of the proteins. Further, we aim to form a dimer of H2A and H2B protein and
carry out its structural analysis. This project also aims to devise a methodology
by which the mechanism and the dynamics by which the cross talks
occur between the different PTMs on the histone tails can be understood.

Identification of genetic mutations in steroid 5- reductase type 2 and

androgen receptor genes in patients with disorders of sex development

Shruti Vilas Kharat (PI- Dr. Dhanjit Kumar Das, NIRRH)

Children across are born with abnormally developed chromosomal, gonadal or

anatomical sex known as disorders of sex development. In this study, we have
focused on two genes viz. SRD5A2 (Steroid 5-α reductase type 2) and AR
(Androgen Receptor). An individual with SRD5A2 or AR gene mutation is genetically
male with normal XY chromosomes but is born with ambiguous genitalia. The
objective of this study is to screen individuals with SRD5A2 and AR mutation and
determine the pathogenicity of mutations in causation of DSDs that ultimately
results in hormonal imbalance. In this study, 38 unrelated patients were successfully
analyzed for mutations in the Exon 1-5 region of SRD5A2 gene and Exon 2-5 region
of AR gene. In 15 patients, SRD5A2 gene mutation was found in Exon 1. In case of
AR gene, Exon 1 & 6-8 couldn’t be analysed due to standardisation issues with PCR.
However, 2 patients were detected with AR gene mutation in exon 4 and exon 5
respectively. Nonetheless, it is important to perform large cohorts’ analysis to study
genotype-phenotype correlations necessary for genetic diagnosis of these syndromes.

27
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Expression and Purification of Sge1 from Fusarium oxysporum [Link]. cubense for
understanding its role in pathogenicity in Banana

Komal Mishra (PI- Prof Jacinta D'Souza, CBS)

Fusarium wilt has emerged as the most potent global threat to banana cultivation.
The causative agent of the disease, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) has
evolved over the years affecting various cultivars of banana. Currently, Foc Race1
and Foc TR4 (Tropical Race 4) are the strains affecting the banana cultivation
in India and other countries. The pathogenicity has been majorly attributed to
transcription factors such as Sge1 that play a major role in colonization and in-
planta growth of Foc. In this study, Sge1 was cloned in different bacterial
expression vectors and overexpressed in E. coli host systems. The expression
of Sge1 (39 kDa) was not observed in pET28a+ vector system but when cloned
in pET32a+ vector, overexpression was observed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and
Rosetta 2 (DE3) pLys strains. The weight of the induced protein differed from the
actual molecular weight of the SGE1 protein. Bugbuster treatment (protein extraction
reagent) revealed the presence of the induced protein in the supernatant of the
cell lysate. This signifies that the induced protein is soluble and can be purified.

Determine phosphorylation status of AKT and STAT3 in cells

overexpressing the PSMD9 proteasomal chaperone

Sushmita Sunil Varhadi (PI- Dr. Prasanna Venkatraman, ACTREC)

The network analysis of protein-protein interaction enables us to understand the

interaction between different cellular components. Cellular migration is one such
event wherein aberrant signalling can trigger metastasis. The study focuses on
understanding the role of AKT in signalling between Integrin-Beta1 and STAT3
pathway in cells over-expressing PSMD9 proteasomal chaperone. To achieve
this, we used the HEK293 cells over-expressing PSMD9 grown on fibronectin as a
mammalian model for metastasis. We show that over-expression of the PSMD9
proteasomal chaperone resulted in suppression of AKT phosphorylation levels and
a corresponding increase in PSMD9 protein levels in cells grown on fibronectin
matrix. The result suggests that suppression of AKT phosphorylation has a key role,
presumably in cell cycle arrest and PSMD9-mediated cellular migration. Current
efforts focus on elucidating the role of hypoxia and serum starvation and how it
modulates the AKT phosphorylation levels, mimicking migration conditions. This study
lays the foundation for establishing the critical link between AKT and STAT3 as part of the
fibronectin/integrin axis in PSMD9 mediated cellular migration. The link would answer,
if it could make the STAT3-integrin beta-1 axis vulnerable to possible drug intervention.
28
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Evaluating role of ERBB2 as a potential therapeutic target in cervical cancer

Roma Sunder (PI- Dr. Amit Dutt, ACTREC)

Cervical cancer affects women worldwide. Molecular somatic alterations usually

cause mutation or amplification of a gene, altering the cell signalling pathway
which results in uncontrolled cellular proliferation. Blocking these genes by using
suitable inhibitor can aid in reducing carcinogenesis. ERBB2 an epidermal growth
factor receptor targeting breast cancer patients has shown good clinical efficacy.
In this research study, the role of ERBB2 as a potential candidate for molecular
targeted therapy in cervical cancer was evaluated. For functionally validating
the role of ERBB2, C33A and SiHa cell lines were used. These cells were transfected
by shRNA to knockdown ERBB2 and after puromycin selection five different
shRNA knockdown clones from each cell line were chosen for further experiments.
Certain characteristics such as cell proliferation, cell migration and anchorage
independent growth were examined in these knockdown clones with
respect to parent cells. This study concludes that knockdown of ERBB2 doesn’t
affect the overall cell survival, cell migration and cell transformation in
cervical cancer and may not be a potential target in cervical cancer cell lines.

Towards understanding the role of a Type II metacaspase (CrMC2) in the cell death
of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: An evolutionary link to
Programmed Cell Death in higher organisms

Priya C. Mishra (PI- Prof. Jacinta S. D’Souza, CBS)

Programmed Cell Death (PCD), initiated by chemical and physical stress in various
organisms, involves various signalling molecules and proteins. In-silico studies
suggest the presence of CrMC1 and CrMC2 metacaspases in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
The CrMC2 gene was cloned in pET45b and pET32a, and expressed in
E. coli BL21 (DE3), Rosetta 2(DE3) pLysS and Rosetta gami 2(DE3) pLysS, with the two
vectors. The protein was found as separate subunits, p20 and p10, in E. coli Rosetta 2(DE3)
with pET32a, checked using anti-6XHis. Only the small subunit (p10) was purified
by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Optimum induction of full-length CrMC2
protein in E. coli remains to be done to identify the substrates and link between
caspase and metacaspase after purification. In another study, constitutively expressing
CrMC2 clones (CEC) of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were used to check the effect
of such ectopic expression in the presence and absence of stress. Compared to the
wild-type CC4533, the CEC did not show a significant increase in death. DNA laddering was
observed in oxidative stress. Nevertheless, the growth of CEC was slow compared to the wild-type.

29
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Identification, characterization and functional evaluation of vaginal

Lactobacillus spp.

Nikita Baban Bhosale (PI- Dr. Clara Aranha, NIRRH)

Human as holobioants share a mutualistic association with the microbial community.

The vaginal niche is predominated by Lactobacilli spp. and plays a vital role in
maintaining the reproductive health by various biochemical and biophysical
methods. Antimicrobial drugs are quite effective to combat these urogenital
infections but acquire resistance rapidly. In the present study, 7 vaginal Lactobacilli
strains were identified using gram staining and molecular biology techniques.
It was observed that 6 of the 7 strains showed optimum growth in MRS media
and 1 showed optimum growth in BHI. Lactic acid production was observed. The
growth inhibition against various RTI causing pathogens like [Link], [Link],
[Link], [Link], [Link], [Link] was studied and it was
observed that the supernatants from these Lactobacilli had the potential to
inhibit these pathogens. It therefore suggests that there is a presence of biochemically
active bactericidal component in the supernatant. This assay was carried out
using pH neutralized and pH non-neutralized supernatants and results show
that the inhibition by neutralized pH supernatants was higher than the non-
neutralized due to bacteriocin like molecules which requires further purification.

Extra-Cellular Cell-Free Chromatin Modulates PD-1

Shweta Johari (PI- Professor (Dr.) Indraneel Mittra, ACTREC)

The suppressive nature of immune cells in tumor-microenvironment plays a

crucial role in tumor progression but what triggers the regulation of anti-tumor immune
response is still unclear. To investigate whether the cell-free chromatin from
cancer cells also orchestrate the immune escape surveillance, we carried out
Immunofluorescence staining (IF) on primary human CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes
exposed to cancer cfCh (10 ng). Furthermore, RNA was harvested from primary
human T-lymphocytes exposed to cfCh (10 ng), HcfCh (40ng) and DNA
isolated from cancer patients (40 ng) to quantify PD-1 gene expression. The increase
in PD-1 gene expression was directly correlated with the increase in concentration of
cancer cfCh thereby indicating a kinetic relation between cfCh uptake and PD-1 gene
expression. The aforementioned modulation of PD-1 gene in primary T-lymphocytes
exposed to cancer cfCh is completely abrogated by utilizing the chromatin neutralization
agents thereby indicating the possible role of cfCh in dictating the expression of
PD-1 gene. Therefore, we propose that by targeting the cell-free chromatin released
from the cancer cells, the immune homeostasis balance from tolerized state to the
attacking state can be achieved without the expense of autoimmune associated events.
30
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Deciphering the Bacterial community associated with Indian Lotus (N. nucifera)
cultivated in Dal Lake, Kashmir

Kris Silveira (PI- Dr Yogesh Shouche, NCMR/NCCS Pune)

Lotus is an aquatic, rhizomatous perennial herb commonly found growing in marshes

and bogs, the plant is an economically viable and also possesses significant cultural
and religious value. A complex community of bacterial, fungal and macroscopic
organisms directly or indirectly affect the plant’s functioning. In the present study,
the endophytic bacterial diversity of Lotus plant ([Link]) was studied along with
the variation in diversity across the plants parts. 117 bacterial cultures were isolated,
identified and dereplicated primarily using MALDI-TOF-MS which were confirmed
by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Isolates from 16 different genera and 4 phyla largely
dominated by Firmicutes were present with less common taxa between each plant
part. The study also revealed that the community was differentially affected by the
microenvironment they existed in and with the physiological characteristics of
the plant that created a unique niche conducive for the growth of specific bacteria.
Understanding the diversity and localisation of bacteria widens our comprehension
of the Lotus plant and its multiple facets, along the way aiding in production of
therapeutic secondary metabolites, increasing crop yield and nutrient availability of soil.

HA-GQD hybrid NIR responsive Polymeric Nanocarriers for

Photothermal Therapy

Jinal Mehta (PI- Dr. Rohit Srivastava, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay)

Photothermal Therapy is a technique which destroys the cancer cells adroitly. It

makes use of Photothermal Nanotherapeutics, irradiated with Near Infra-Red (NIR)
light to generate heat, killing the diseased cells. An effort has been made to develop
a nanocarrier system comprising of a polymer and a thermoresponsive metal
nanomaterial for image guided photothermal cancer therapy. Glycol chitosan
functionalized Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particles were synthesized
by solvent emulsion method. Gold nanoparticles formes a shell over chitosan
functionalized solid spheres by ex-situ hybridization. Hyaluronic acid (HA) forms
a layer over these nanoshells via adsorption, and graphene quantum dots (GQDs)
are embedded in it. The purpose of these nanoparticles (NPs) having inherent
fluorescence is the NIRF imaging directed photothermal ablation of cancer cells.
The synthesized NPs of size 250-300nm, were subjected to various characterization
studies. They were analyzed for surface charge, uniformity, elemental concentration,
absorption maxima, and crystallinity. They showed excellent biocompatibility and
fluorescence in the NIR region in-vitro. To sum up, HA-GQD Au-PLGA, display
synergistic properties and can be considered as a multifunctional theranostic agent.
31
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Synthesis and characterization of silk nanoparticles for delivery of

bioactive molecules

Minal C. Nenwani (PI- Prof. T. Govindaraju, JNCASR)

Tremendous advances in material sciences have led to the development of

biocompatible, biodegradable and tunable biomaterials for application in the field
of medicine. Fibroin nanoparticles exhibit pH dependent drug release and have
encapsulation property. Sericin on the other hand is hydrophilic and has large number
of reactive amino acid side chain. In this study, fibroin and sericin proteins were
simultaneously regenerated from Bombyx mori cocoon and characterized. Further,
cytocompatible nanoparticles ranging from 100-150nm were fabricated using the
desolvation method. The size and surface charge were measured using dynamic light
scattering and cytotoxicity was measured against mouse fibroblast cell line. The
morphology of fibroin nanoparticles was also determined using Transmission Electron
Microscopy. The nanoparticles were further conjugated with fluorescent dyes and
characterized. This was backed up with cellular uptake studies wherein fibroin
nanoparticles exhibited a time dependent entry in fibroblast cells. The proposed
nanoparticles can be optimized for cell imaging studies. They can also be used as potential
drug delivery vehicles and functionalized for site specific drug delivery. Furthermore,
these nanoparticles can be modified for theranostic applications in disease management.

Cysteine specific fluorescence probe to monitor protein unfolding

Abhilash Babu (PI- Dr. Ruchi Anand, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay)

Fluorescence spectroscopy and protein labelling are sensitive method to understand

the dynamics, conformational changes and stability of proteins. Protein labelling is
commonly carried by addition of an extrinsic fluorophore like fluorophore L. It is specific,
sensitive and fluorescent only in the presence of free cysteine residues in proteins. Thus,
can be used for studying structural changes which occur during the complex unfolding of a
protein. tRNA Adenosine Deaminase (TadA), an RNA editing enzyme comprised of 161
amino acids has been used as a model system to study unfolding. TadA consist of five
cysteine residues at position 83, 86, 63, 109 and 137. Theses residues do not take
part in disulphide bond formation. As TadA unfolds itself, fluorophore L will conjugate with
the cysteine residues and show an increase in fluorescence intensity as the
unfolding increases. In order to understand the unfolding pattern these cysteine
residues were mutated to alanine and serine residues. The objective of this study
was to use principles and methodologies of molecular biology, protein purification,
fluorescence spectroscopy and CD spectroscopy to study protein unfolding.

32
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Genetic monitoring of zebrafish across different generations using microsatellites

Froila Joyce D’costa (PI- Dr, Mujahidkhan Pathan , ICAR- CIFE Mumbai)

The Zebrafish, Danio rerio, is an indigenous fish inhabiting widely in north east India
but very scare information is available with respect to the genetic diversity/population
structure of this species. Molecular markers represent an abundant source of genetic
markers which are highly polymorphic and dispersed evenly throughout eukaryotic
genomes, co-dominant in nature, highly polymorphic, easily typed, and Mendelian
inherited. In the present work three di repeat microsatellite loci viz., DZ9871I, DZ7125NC,
DZ1412NC were selected for genetic characterisation of zebrafish stocks collected from
wild viz., Cuttack, Mangalore, Tripura, West Bengal and Assam. The mean effective
number of alleles, observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, unbiased expected
heterozygosity and fixation index were 13, 0.72, 0.92, 0.95 and 0.20 respectively. All the loci
tested deviated significantly from Hardy Weinberg equilibrium. About 50 markers were
used to screen the parents (male and female) and 30 loci genotyped were heterozygous
for both the parents and 20 loci were homozygous for single/ both parents. The mean
heterozygosity was high for the samples genotyped and only few loci got fixed in the F1
generation. Thus, these markers can be used to monitor further filial generations of zebrafish.

Development of point of care device for the detection of presence of

bacteria in infections

Michelle Jerry Dias (PI- Prof. Rinti Banerjee, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay)

Bacterial infections (Urinary tract infections/Upper respiratory tract infections/Sepsis) are still
a leading cause of mortality across the globe. Though conventional techniques of diagnosis are
available, that are time consuming and have few limitations. Point of care devices (POCDs)
rescue this situation by providing specific data rapidly, without requirement of spatial
laboratories with expensive instruments and expert technicians. In this study development of
a point of care device is being targeted that will detect presence of bacteria from in samples of
infected individuals. Two strategies were designed one being modified cell staining device and
other device using biopolymeric, dye entrapped, organic nanoparticles synthesized by ionic
conjugation. Efficacies of both the devices were studied for the detection of bacteria with the
lowest detectable concentration of 1x105 cfu/ml. The results indicated that strategy involving
the nanomaterial was found to be working the best across the test bacterial strains and the
visible readout obtained in few minutes upon addition of sample. This will revolutionize the
current diagnostic scheme and surely lead to proper and regulated treatment of patients.

33
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Investigating the role of microridge dynamics in the ability to sustain tension in

zebrafish epidermis

Evelyn D’souza (PI- Dr. Mahendra Sonawane, TIFR Mumbai)

The epidermis being the outermost layer of metazoans experiences a variety of physical stresses,
and has developed mechanisms that allow its integrity to be maintained under such mechanical
stresses. It is known that aPKC (atypical Protein Kinase C), a part of the apical aPKC/Par3/Par6
complex, phosphorylates Lgl (Lethal Giant Larva) to restrict it to the basolateral domain. This
study aims at identifying a relationship between the elongated aPKC microridges and their
possible role in sustaining external stress in the zebrafish epidermis. The epidermis in these
embryos was subjected to an external mechanical stretch by injecting a drop of biologically
inert mineral oil into the hindbrain ventricle. Observations suggest that the aPKC morphants
are subjected to an increased mechanical stretch, due to which the cross sectional area of the
epidermal cells increase and the longer microridges in the morphants, by breaking down, can
act as membrane reservoirs to satisfy the sudden demand for membrane. It was also observed
that the longer microridges in the aPKC morphants are relatively less sensitive to Latraculin
A treatments, a drug that prevents actin polymerization, as compared to wildtype embryos.

Carbon nano-onion impregnated polymer nanoparticles as Near Infrared

fluorescent probe for bioimaging

Tanvi Sushil Kaku (PI- Prof. Rohit Srivastava, Indian Institute of

Technology Bombay)

Bioimaging is indispensable for studies relating to inter and intra cellular and molecular
interactions and Near infrared (NIR) imaging is a new generation line of bioimaging probes.
We aimed at developing carbon-based NIR-fluorescent, photostable imaging probes with
excellent biocompatibility for live cell imaging. Carbon nano-onions (CNOs) were synthesized
from hexane extract of Mangifera indica leaves with green synthesis approach. The CNOs
were further functionalized with PEG and PLGA rendering stability. Functionalization of
CNOs was confirmed using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and FTIR. Furthermore,
the morphological analysis showed that the CNOs impregnated in PEG and PLGA showed a
size range of 100 – 150 nm and 35-105 nm respectively. Optical characterization showed that
these particles show strong photoluminescence in NIR region. The CNOs-PLGA nanoparticles
showed excellent biocompatibility at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL when added to L-929. Flow
cytometry experiments revealed a high cellular uptake of CNOs-PLGA nanoparticles. Confocal
Laser Scanning Microscopy further confirmed cellular uptake, in different cell lines. In sum, we
developed an NIR-fluorescent bioimaging probe based on carbon with an environment-friendly
approachthatcan beused toenhancebioimaging byreducingautofluorescencebycellcomponents.

34
 RESEARCH INTERNSHIP 2017-18

Viscoelasticity of cellular micro-environment influences spreading dynamics,

morphology and proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells

Priyanka Subramani (Dr. Abhijeet Majumdar, IIT Bombay)

Existing literature focuses primarily on the effect of substrate elasticity on different cell
behaviours. The effect of viscous component (Loss Modulus) and anisotropy of a substrate on
hMSC’s behaviour is relatively unexplored. Elucidating the influence of a substrate’s loss modulus
on hMSC morphology, actin expression, and proliferation is mainly carried out along with cell-
cell interactions. It was found that cells on viscous gels had significantly higher cell spread
area as compared to elastic gels while the circularity followed the opposite trend. The mean
actin intensity decreased with increasing loss modulus. A study of the initial cell attachment
dynamics found that, up to the first 90 minutes post seeding, cells on viscous substrate showed
a trend of cell spreading similar to that followed by cells on a stiff substrate. At thickness’ below
the critical depth, cells were expected to show increased area as compared to thickness above
critical depth. However, the expected trend was not obtained. Overall, this study shows that the
viscoelastic nature of a material indeed influences cell behaviour and cell-cell interaction may
further augment this response. Understanding the response of cells to substrate viscoelasticity
and anisotropy could help us in designing efficient biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Biophysical characterization of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii GRX2 and its

interaction studies

Vikram Saini (Prof. Jacinta S. D’Souza, CBS)

The Chlamydomonas reinhardtii genome database shows six annotated Glutaredoxins

(GRXs) of which GRX2 is a dithiol Glutaredoxin (12 kDa). Monothiol GRXs function along
with the conserved protein family- the BolA like proteins. Genomic analysis predicted a
robust co-occurrence between the monothiol GRX and Bol A protein genes. Mass spectrum
of purified GRX2 predicted the molecular weight of the protein to be 12.7 kDa. Qualitative
analysis of far-UV CD spectra and FTIR spectrum of GRX2 confirmed the α-helical nature of
the recombinant GRX2 protein. BeStSel webserver was used for further quantification of the
recombinant GRX2 secondary structure revealing amount of α-helix to be up to 30% , ~12%
of β-sheets, 14% of β-turns and 44% of unordered structures. ITC analysis showed, strong
binding between CrGRX2 (oxidised) and GSH (reduced) with a binding affinity, K ass = 3.9
x 10 5 M -1. Overlay Assays of BolA with purified CrGrx2, showed no interaction proving only
monothiol GRXs interacts with BolA. Overlay assay of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii wild type
CC-124 under oxidative and osmotic stress conditions with purified GRX2, showed four distinct
bands of interaction suggesting the expression of partners of CrGRX2 during these conditions.

35
 CAREERS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biotechnology, being one of the progressive MICROBIOLOGIST: Duties of a micro-
fields, is an amalgamation of various branch- biologist include examination
es of science. It is expanding its horizons with of microorganisms, studying
every rising sun. It implies the use of biolog- their growth, their interac-
ical processes in the industrial domain for tion with humans, infections
the creation of a new product or to modify a caused by them, treatment
pre-existing product. It involves utilization of and prevention of disease, etc.
the living systems for development in health- Education required – Bachelor’s degree in the
care, food, agriculture industry, etc. It offers a related field.
plethora of career choices ranging from sales
and marketing to research and development, BIOINFORMATICIAN : They help the
manufacturing to quality control and assur- scientists to process, manage, and analyzey
ance. the genomic and molecular data
by the application of comput-
BIOLOGICAL TECHNICIAN:
ers. They are employed in sever-
The responsibilities of a biological
al fields like the pharmaceutical
technician is to assist scientists
industries, healthcare sectors, etc.
and biologists in experiments
Education requirement – A specialist
that deal mainly with live
background in biology related field.
organisms, setting up and
maintaining equipment, a collection
FOOD SCIENTIST AND
of information and samples, tracing and
TECHNOLOGIST: They are experts in
correcting faults in a mechanical or electronic
nutrition. They utilize their understand-
system etc.
ing in formulating new prod-
Education required – Bachelor’s degree in the
ucts and methods of food
field of biology. Training is provided on the
processing and preservation
job.
through genetic modification
DNA ANALYST: They are and additives.
forensic science technician Education required – Bachelor’s degree in
responsible for cataloguing food science
and analyzing DNA
evidence. They work in BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR:
the laboratory testing DNA Biotech startup is a thriving
samples. employment in India. Believe it or
Education required – A bachelor’s degree in not, heavy capital investments are
forensic sciences, molecular biology made by entrepreneurs globally
genetics, or related field. Other requirements thus, envisaging a regenerated
include knowledge of laboratory procedures better future. So, be your own boss!
and equipment; strong verbal and written Education requirement – Bachelor’s degree in
communication skills. Biotechnology

36
 SOIL AND PLANT PASS ON THE KNOWLEDGE: You can
SCIENTIST: This is a field of choose teaching as your profes-
applied biotechnology. They sion in your favourite orga-
apply their advanced knowledge of nization. One can go for it if
environmental science to maximize they have a passion for men-
land use and increase food toring students.
production. Education requirement – Mas-
Education required – Master’s degree with ter’s degree in Biotechnology and required to
coursework specific to the field that includes clear the NET-LS exam.
soil chemistry, biochemistry, entomology and
plant physiology. GET A JOB IN RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT:
TAKE UP JOBS IN INTELLECTUAL This is one of the interesting
PROPERTY RIGHT AND jobs and the best options if you
PATENTING: One can become are passionate about research.
a patent analyst whose job is to The work may be laboratory based or indus-
read the patent application and trial research and development.
understand the invention. Other Education requirement – Master’s degree in
positions like a patent agent, patent drafter, Biotechnology.
IP proofreader, or a legal researcher are also
available. QA QC ANALYST: They have a wide variety
Education requirement –Bachelor’s degree of industries to work in. They inspect and
is needed for the patent analyst position. test the equipment as well as
Requires strong communication and good products before, during, or
English. after the production process
to ensure that the standards
WRITING AND EDITING have been met. Their work
JOBS: One can be a scientif- includes analyzing and record-
ic editor. This is for the ones ing quality data.
who have a good grip on technical Education requirement – Vary greatly from
and scientific information and would enjoy a degree to specialized training depending
amending articles and stories to improve their upon the industry. On-the-job training may
credibility. be [Link] Associate, Senior Re-
Education requirement – Master’s degree in search Scientist, Biotechnology Sales, Foren-
Biotechnology and good English vocabulary sic Analyst etc.

The important aspects required to build a career in this field are education, communication,
and the passion to learn and work upon it. If you enjoy science, like investigation and solving
problems, and cherish learning every day, a career in biotechnology is for you.

-Divya Gaud and Nihira Deolikar

[Link]. I
37
 A NEXT LEVEL DETECTIVE
Want to procure your desired end product? biosensors in sport medicine and doping
Want to check the health of a plant or animal? control analysis. Wearable biosensors that
Want to know about the quality of food that determine the electrolytes and metabolites
you are eating? Ever wondered how incredible in sweat, saliva or tears have been developed.
it would be to detect any upcoming fatal As an application, microbial fuel cells are
disease? being used for water treatment and also as
potent power sources in case of environment
Biosensors are biological tools with based sensors. In case of food security and
characteristics such as specificity,
quality checks, hypoxanthine biosensors were
reproducibility, stability, biocompatibility, developed to determine the fish and meat
selectivity, accuracy that utilizes the interactionquality.
between the analyte and the biological entity
to produce a biological response which is Additionally, a biomimetic textile-based
measured using detectors. biosensor was developed which works on the
principle of direct insertion of the biosensor
Biosensors have found their wide applicability into the plant tissue. The advantages of using
in the healthcare sector. Fluorescence this technique was easy assessment of the crop
resonance energy transfer-based biosensors quality along with no physiological damage
help in diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia post insertion of the biosensor into the plant.
by determining the efficacy of imatinib
treatment. Aptamers, affibodies, peptide The rapid development in the field of
arrays, and molecularly imprinted polymers biosensors in the recent years is mainly
are used as sensing material considering the credited to developments in fabrication of
above application. Nucleic acid or antibody nanoparticles; use of novel bio-recognition
based biosensors such as piezoelectric, molecules; and novel nanostructured devices.
electrochemical, and optical biosensors Considering its wide applicability, biosensors
are used for the detection of Mycobacterial have become a boon to the society and show
infection. promising progress in production with help of
biotechnology.
Recent advances in the field of sports were
observed by developing affinity-based -Berness Falcao and Pragnesh Parmar
MSc II

38
 SCIENCE BEHIND SUPERHEROES
Superhero: Captain America
Superpower: Agility, strength, speed, endurance and reaction time superior to
any Olympic athlete who ever competed.
Superpower acquired through: Super soldier serum
Science behind the superhero:
Scientists have identified a number of genes like the ones involved in improving
the oxygen carrying capacity of blood or increasing muscle mass which can be
hyperactivated to give this desirable response.

Superhero: Deadpool
Superpower: Quick wound healing, Regeneration of lost limbs, Agility,
Anti-aging, Physical strength and quirky one liners!
Super power acquired through: Cancer treatment gone wrong
Science behind the superhero:
The quick healing power can be attributed to a super active immune system and an
efficient inflammatory response, while the natural ability to reverse aging could be
due to telomerase activity. The regeneration power comes from fast wound healing
and increased cellular proliferation and differentiation of undifferentiated stem cells.

Superhero: Spiderman
Superpower: Proportionate Strength and agility of a spider. A ‘Spider Sense’
that warns him of a nearby danger
Superpower acquired through: Bitten by a radioactive spider as a teenager
Science behind the superhero:
Mutation of DNA and integration of radioactive spiders DNA into him giving
him spider like abilities.

Superhero: Hulk
Superpower: Physical strength, brilliant warrior, uncontrollable power, genius
scientist
Superpower acquired through: Exposure to gamma rays
Science behind the superhero:
Gamma radiation breaks down the double stranded DNA, leading to epigenetic
switches during DNA repair and reassembly. Red blood cells and hemoglobin
breaks up, and one of its metabolite biliverdin turns blood green in color leading
to transformation into big, green hulk.
Superhero: The Flash
Superpower: Superhuman speed & ability to pass through objects by
modulating the speed.
Superpower acquired through: Spillage of a rack of chemical struck
by a lightning bolt.
Science behind the superhero:
A large number of mitochondria & continuous supply of enzymes
required in glycolysis provides the energy for running.
39
 IN CONVERSATION WITH
DR . KARUNA GOKARN

1. How is nature critical to a 21st-century

FACULTY CORNER

urban ethic?

We are living in the Anthropocene period

where climate and the environment have a
significant human impact. Access to land,
parks, sanctuaries and to natural waters, is
all related to health, safety, and recreation.
We need to treat our planet with reverence
and not just as a set of resources. Reclaiming
DR. KARUNA GOKARN a place for nature and implementation of
Head of Department, green infrastructure for a wholesome future
PG Dept. of Biotechnology, is critical to 21st-century urban ethic.
St. Xavier’s College,
Mumbai
2. Sustainability issues have been
discussed at length in the past but what
are the issues in translating theory to
practice?

Increasing population constrains our

resources and drains the economy.
Industrialisation brings economic growth
but is also responsible for deforestation,
greenhouse gas emissions, and global
warming causing climatic changes. We
are facing extensive water pollution and
solid waste (especially non-biodegradable)
disposal crisis. These and many more do
have adverse environmental, social and
health impact. Handling these issues is a real
challenge to mankind.

40
3. What do you think about the concept The value of academia is
of “environmental space”? Should every assessed in terms of service to
person in the world have the same share society, we have to reach out.
of environmental space?

We need to utilize any resource (renewable or

non-renewable) that our Earth's ecosystems 5. How do you think we can bridge the
provide, carefully and sensibly without gap in communication between academia
depriving the present and future generation. and society?
This is the concept of environmental space.
The value of academia is assessed in terms
Yes, everyone in the world has the right to
an equal share of environmental space and of service to society, that we have to reach
this will be true only when the resources out to. Yes, we can definitely bridge the gap
are consumed sustainably without violatingin communication between academia and
global equity. society by engaging in a dialogue-discourse
with society. For example, explaining research
and innovations in a lucid way not only
4. The market is becoming increasingly educates the public but also rationalizes that
competitive. In such times what can educational funds and resources are being
students do to make sure they stand out / spent judiciously. This would then satisfy the
are a cut above the rest? taxpayer’s interests.

Competition always contributes to quality,

it’s not always about winning. Students 6. What changes would you like to bring
should whole-heartedly put their 100% in about in the department to facilitate the
whatever they do. When you succeed, you process of learning?
realize that there is hardly any competition.
To elaborate, show sincere interest in any task My vision is to make our department a
taken, be inspirational and inspire others. Pay department of excellence with state-of-art
attention to details and take responsibility, facilities, one of the strongest not only in our
be confident, disciplined, and patient. Believe college but nationally and internationally. The
in yourself, voice your ideas and be unique. action plan is to communicate, collaborate
and network with industry and academia
globally for research and development.
Believe in yourself, voice your Using diverse and effective teaching-learning
ideas and be unique, so, take pedagogies and working as a team in true
the lead with excellence. spirit for the benefit of each and every student
approaching us.

41
 WHAT MOTIVATES A BIOTECHNOLOGIST?
Is it the excitement of seeing the transformed genetically modified organisms is a convincing
colonies the next day? Visualizing that one testament to this.
DNA band on agarose gel that will design my
biomarker? Evaluation of therapeutic efficacy Now one might ask, “What has biotechnology
of the anti-cancerous drug molecule that I achieved?” Are we there yet or where can we
designed or to see the colour of the solution place ourselves in the journey ahead? We
change on successful standardization of the cannot say exactly where we are, but one thing
new assay? What drives a biotechnologist? It’s we can say for sure, we surely have reached a
the rush you get when you see a positive result. stage where biotechnology has managed to
It makes your sleepless nights, slogging days venture from the confines of a laboratory to
and endless discussions worthwhile and you the real life. We have recently seen the rise
feel motivated enough to start the whole cycle of CRISPR which has taken the concept of
all over again… genetic modifications to an astounding level.
So much so, that even the developers of the
The biotechnology as we know it today seems technology seem to be unable to fathom its
to revolve around recombinant DNA; however, possibilities. Now, we can grow human body
the classical biotechnology began long before parts in a laboratory; we have stretched the life
we understood the enigma of genes. The expectancy tremendously with presentation
current form which has attracted tremendous of gene therapy and drug discovery; we have
attention and popularity seems to have observed a tremendous advancement in food
emerged around the end of the nineteenth crop quality and yield and the environment
century. Now, why do we see a spotlight on problems too have received a fair share of
biotechnology in magazines, news articles, boons of biotechnology.
journals, and all sorts of print and electronic
media? It is because biotechnology has What made all this possible? It’s the beauty of
been projected as a true friend and in fact, a biotechnology indeed, which has amalgamated
saviour of mankind. Karl Ereky, an agriculture the best of all biological sciences. Here, you can
engineer from Hungary coined this term in see a biotechnologist sitting with a physicist
1919 which could be the solution to two major for design of an analytical instrument,
crises known to man - Food and Energy. The along with a chemist working on the assay
prediction stands absolutely true if we see and a microbiologist/botanist/zoologist for
the scenario today, we are standing on the extraction of the enzyme responsible for
cusp of the major predicament encircling the the assay and a physician for observing the
exact same parameters and many more. Boom symptoms and recommendation of the test.
of research in biofuels, drug discovery and The commercial potential of biotechnology is

42
gigantic as it takes every aspect of human life advent of bioinformatics, came the greed for
under its umbrella. To share the major burden more data which led to NGS which in turn made
of achieving the bio-economy target, what has elucidation of whole genome or transcriptome
appeared at the forefront is entrepreneurship sequence of an organism a routine job.
which holds substantial promise. The most Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics,
promising aspect of biotechnology is that it has which were projected as the technology of the
managed to secure a position in the eligibility future is what we live in today and it is here
criteria for almost all the jobs associated to stay. Sounds challenging!! It is. But does it
with biological sciences. You can choose not make it even more interesting? So, buckle
from countless options like research and up, brace for more and keep working towards
development, biomedicine, instrumentation, your passion as there is so much that lies
diagnostics, education, law and several others. unexplored under that rock.
The best part is, each one of them holds
immense opportunities and an adventurous However, the roadblocks are challenging with
future. Very few fields can offer such versatility major issues like acceptance of GMO’s and
in terms of job prospects. several ethical concerns surrounding research
in Biotechnology. Every biotechnology
A level of anxiety and insecurity is often professional needs to be responsible about
observed in fresh graduates regarding job his experimentation objectives and side-
prospects in biotechnology. But what is lacking lines because the impact can be huge! Always
is not jobs, it is the awareness of opportunities try to be a problem solver because it is what
and sensitivity to the demand in the industry. Biotechnology was developed for…
This is the major cue as biotechnology is the Steve Jobs once said that, “I think that the
science of tomorrow, it changes its technologies biggest innovations of the 21st century will be
like smartphones update their software as per at the intersection of biology and technology.
demand. You need to be aware of what is the A new era is beginning”. If you have an idea
upcoming demand and try to place yourself to begin, skill to work and the tact to sell;
in that path today itself. See for an example, then there is nothing that can stop you from
everybody thought that experimentation and achieving success.
analysis of nucleic acids and proteins would be So, dear biotechnologist, “Are you motivated
the entire scope of biotechnology but one day yet?” I very well think you are….
scientists realized that we have collected so
much data that we need another technology
to extract maximum potential of this data
collection. Here comes bioinformatics! With

- Dr. Ira Vashisht, Asst. Professor

43
 The Department

FACULTY

FROM L R

Ms. Norine D’souza, Dr. Ira Vashisht, Dr. Karuna Gokarn(H.O.D),

Dr. Shiney Peter

NON TEACHING STAFF

Mr. Rajesh Mahadik Mr. Prashant Manchekar

CLASS OF 2017 - 19

44
 CREATIVE FOR A CAUSE

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Ͳ bǕ‡ȡ  Ǖ—ȡŸ
MScII
PUBLISHED BY :
Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology
St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous)
5, Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai
Maharashtra 400001