DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

Pioneering research into new avenues for cancer treatment and management is undertaken in this lab exploring molecular level dynamics of the disease and its response to chemotherapeutics. Cancer remains one of the most dreaded diseases afflicting mankind across space and time. Despite tremendous advances in medical science, it still remains a major clinical challenge. As opposed to the use of general cytotoxics, the new trend in cancer drug development is to target the exact molecular cause of individual cancer and its progression. This is based on the understanding of the underlying processes involved in the development of cancer. A general outline of the research work undertaken in this Lab is to understand these processes and to identify key proteins that can be intervened therapeutically. Another aspect is to analyse the signaling pathways activated in response to conventional as well as new targeted therapeutic agents in the cancer cells so as to identify and find solution for the factors that limits the success of both the first and second generation of therapeutic agents. One another aspect of the research undertaken in this lab is to explore the vast natural resources that has yet not been fully tapped, to find out bioactive compounds with anticancer activity that could represent novel lead structures, for drug development either directly or indirectly, in that they serve as lead compounds for the synthesis of new drugs.

The major research interests of the laboratory include (i) molecular biology of cell cycle regulation - G2/M arrest, G2 abrogation and apoptotic pathways employing aseptic cultures of the lower eukaryote, Physarum polycephalum, human peripheral blood lymphocytes and human cancer cell lines (ii) phytochemical analysis, screening for antiproliferative, anticancerous and cell cycle blocking agents (iii) studies on multidrug resistant strains of clinical bacterial isolates – genome and plasmid based gene characterization and molecular typing and (iv) cloning and characterization of cell cycle related genes, expression profiling studies in human cancers. Studies are also being planned on molecular systematics of insect pests and parasitoids.

The laboratory is interested in cost effective biopestide production to control mosquitoes; cost effective process development for biogas production from agro-wastes; biogas production from chicken /poultry wastes by two phase anaerobic digestion process; cost effective production of oyster mushrooms using solid state fermentation technology.

The major focus of the laboratory is on identification, isolation and characterization of bioactive molecules especially phytochemicals having immunomodulatory and in vitro cytotoxic activity against cancers (mouse and human). In vivo antitumor studies are carried out employing mouse models. In silico screening of compounds and docking studies are also being pursued actively. Other lab interests include immunological aspects related to Helicobacter pylori as well as monoclonal antibody production for therapeutic applications