Project : Towards identifying parasite-specific proteins involved in DNA replication in the protozoan Leishmania donovani
Funded by: DBT (~68.99 lakhs)
Period: August 2022-August 2025
Project : Characterization of the functional role of SET domain proteins SET2 and SET3 in the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani
Funded by: DST-SERB (~58.08 lakhs)
Period: Feb 2020 - Feb 2023
GRANTS (COMPLETED):
Project : Investigating cell cycle dependent gene expression in the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani: a genome-wide study
Funded by: DBT (~82.6 lakhs)
Period: March 2019-March 2022
Project : Investigating DNA replication protein Cdc45 in Leishmania donovani
Funded by: DST (~49 lakhs)
Period: September 2015-September 2018
Project : Investigation of the roles of GNAT-family histone acetyltransferases Elp3a and Elp3b in the protozoan Leishmania donovani
Funded by: DBT (~67.5 lakhs)
Period: September 2016-September 2019
Project: Functional characterization of HAT4 in Leishmania donovani
Funded by: CSIR (~24.5 lakhs)
Period: April 2012- March 2015.
As part of this project aims histone acetylase HAT4 was knocked out and the effects on global gene transcription, replication and cell cycle were analyzed. The work was published in Scientific Reports in 2016.
Project : Functional characterization of histone acetyltransferases HAT2 and HAT3 in the protozoan Leishmania donovani
Funded by: DBT (~61 lakhs)
Period: September 2012-August 2015.
This project aimed to knock out histone acetylases HAT2 and HAT3 in Leishmania donovani and study the effects on replication, repair and cell cycle progression. The work on HAT3 was published in Nucleic Acids Research in 2015 and the work on HAT2 was published in PLoS Pathogens in 2017.
Project : Characterization of the DNA replication proteins Cdc6/ORC1 and MCM in the archaeon Picrophilus torridus
Funded by: DST (~39 lakhs)
Period: April 2012-March 2015.
This project aimed to clone the Cdc6/ORC and MCM genes of Picrophilustorridus, express the proteins heterologously in E.coli, and biochemically characterize the proteins in terms of their DNA binding properties, ATP hydrolysis activity, interacting partners and helicase activity. The work was published in Journal of Bacteriology and Scientific Reports in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Project: Identification and characterization of proteins involved in histone acetylations in the protozoan parasite Leishmania
Funded by: DBT (~52.5 lakhs)
Period: October 2009-September 2012.
This project proposed to identify and biochemically characterize histone acetylases (HATs) from Leishmania donovani. We cloned the genes encoding the MYST family of HATs, and biochemically characterized them to determine their substrate specificity using in vitro techniques. The subcellular localization at different stages of the cell cycle have also been determined. This work was published as part of the papers in Nucleic Acids Research and PLoS Pathogens in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
Project: Cloning and characterization of a histone acetylase from Leishmania donovani
Funded by: UGC (~ 11 lakhs)
Period: May 2009-April 2012.
This short project examined and biochemically characterized one of the four main histone acetylases in Leishmania donovani, in terms of its substrate specificity. This work was published in Microbiology in 2012.
Project: The regulation of histone acetylation events in Leishmania major
Funded by: CSIR (~16 lakhs)
Period: August 2009-July 2011.
This proposal examined the status of histone H4 acetylation at two specific residues – K4 and K10. These two sites of acetylation are conserved across trypanosomatid species and we have investigated the physiological relevance of these two acetylation events. Part of this work was published in Nucleic Acids Research last year.
Project: Cloning and purification of the MCM proteins of Leishmania major and identification of Leishmania replication proteins
Funded by: CSIR (17.5 lakhs)
Period: July 2006-June 2009.
As part of this project we cloned out all the MCM genes of Leishmania and biochemically characterized one of them, MCM4. The importance of this protein in vivo was studied. We also studied protein-protein interactions with respect to MCM4. This work has been published in PLoS One in 2011.
Project: Identification and characterization of DNA replication proteins in Leishmania major
Funded by: DBT (37.5 lakhs)
Period: March 2006-Feb 2009.
This project was the first to get funded and the money from this grant helped us start work on DNA replication. We targeted the ORC1 protein for this study. The work on ORC1 has been partly published in 2008 and 2012 in BBRC and Microbiology respectively. The work on PCNA was published in Microbiology in 2009.