Debabrata Biswas , Ph.D.

Senior Principal Scientist & Head, Molecular Genetics Division
Molecular Genetics
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Research Interest

  • Mechanistic understanding of transcriptional regulation by key factors that are directly involved in formation of various forms acute human leukemia.
  • Mechanistic understanding of epigenetic landscape changes and their implications in regulating various chromatin related events that are directly involved in formation of various forms of human cancers.
  • Mechanistic understanding of transcriptional regulation by recently described long non-coding(lnc) RNAs

Positions available: Those having an interest in Cancer Biology and related events and are willing to learn and work in this exciting field, are encouraged to apply. Candidates who have qualified for NET (CSIR/UGC) or any other forms of fellowships are encouraged to contact directly by email.
Postdoctoral positions are also available for the postdoctoral researchers. Those who have strong background of working on various chromatin-related projects and are interested working on transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, are encouraged to contact directly by email

Credentials

  • Wellcome-Trust DBT India Alliance Senior Fellow
  • Elected Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India
  • Wellcome-Trust DBT Intermediate Fellow
  • DBT- Ramalingaswami Fellow, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India [2012 – 2014] 
  • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Career Development Fellow, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA [2009 – 2012]
  • Mary Jose and Henry Kravis Fellow, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA [2008 – 2009] 
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA [2007 – 2008]
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA [2006 – 2007] 
  • Graduate thesis research, Molecular Biology program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA [2001 – 2006] 

Patents & Publications

  1. Talukdar P, Pal S, Biswas D. Post-translational modification-dependent oligomerization switch in regulation of global transcription and DNA damage repair during genotoxic stress. Nat Commun. 2024 May 15;15(1):4128. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-48530-8.
  2. Nandy A, Biswas D. Basic techniques associated with studying transcription elongation both in vitro and in vivo within mammalian cells. Methods. 2024 Jan;221:42-54. doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2023.11. 015. Epub 2023 Nov 29.PMID: 38040206.
  3. Basu S*, Nandy A*, Ghosh A*, Mall DP, Biswas D. Degradation of CDK9 by Ubiquitin E3 Ligase STUB1 Regulates P-TEFb Level and Its Functions for Global Target Gene Expression within Mammalian Cells. Mol Cell Biol. 2023 Aug 11:1-21. doi: 10.1080/10985549.2023.2239694. Online ahead of print. (*contributed equally)
  4. Pal S, Biswas D. Promoter-proximal regulation of gene transcription: Key factors involved and emerging role of general transcription factors in assisting productive elongation. Gene. 2023 Aug 20;878:147571. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147571. Epub 2023 Jun 16.
  5. Ghosh A*, Chakraborty P*, Biswas D. Fine tuning of the transcription juggernaut: A sweet and sour saga of acetylation and ubiquitination. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech. 2023 Sep;1866(3):194944. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194944. Epub 2023 May 24. (*contributed equally)
  6. Pal S, Yadav D, Biswas D. ATM-mediated ELL phosphorylation enhances its self-association through increased EAF1 interaction and inhibits global transcription during genotoxic stress.Nucleic Acids Res. 2022 Oct 28;50(19):10995-11012. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac943.
  7. Basu S*, Nandy A*, Barad MK, Pal S, Biswas D. Negative Feedback Loop Mechanism between EAF1/2 and DBC1 in Regulating ELL Stability and Functions. Mol Cell Biol. 2022 Oct 20;42(10):e0015122. doi: 10.1128/mcb.00151-22. Epub 2022 Aug 29.PMID: 36036574 (*equal contribution)
  8. Mall DP, Basu S, Ghosh K, Kumari N, Lahiri A, Paul S, Biswas D. Human FKBP5 Negatively Regulates Transcription through Inhibition of P-TEFb Complex Formation. Mol Cell Biol. 2022 Jan 20;42(1):e0034421. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00344-21. Epub 2021 Nov 15.PMID: 34780285
  9. Basu S*, Nandy A*, Biswas D. Keeping RNA polymerase II on the run: Functions of MLL fusion partners in transcriptional regulation. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech. 2020 Aug;1863(8):194563. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2020.194563. Epub 2020 Apr 27. (* equal contribution)
  10. Basu S, Barad M, Yadav D, Nandy A, Mukherjee B, Sarkar J, Chakrabarti P, Mukhopadhyay S, Biswas D. DBC1, p300, HDAC3, and Siah1 coordinately regulate ELL stability and function for expression of its target genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Mar 9:201912375. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1912375117. Online ahead of print.
  11. Kumari N, Hassan MA, Lu X, Roeder RG, Biswas D. AFF1 acetylation by p300 temporally inhibits transcription during genotoxic stress response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Oct 29;116(44):22140-22151. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1907097116. Epub 2019 Oct 14.
  12. Yadav D, Ghosh K, Basu S, Roeder RG, Biswas D. Multivalent Role of Human TFIID in Recruiting Elongation Components at the Promoter-Proximal Region for Transcriptional Control. Cell Reports. 2019 Jan 29;26(5):1303-1317.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.012.
  13. Ghosh K, Tang M, Kumari N, Nandy A, Basu S, Mall DP, Rai K, Biswas D. Positive Regulation of Transcription by Human ZMYND8 through Its Association with P-TEFb Complex. Cell Reports. 2018 Aug 21;24(8):2141-2154.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.07.064.
  14. Geng H, Brennan S, Milne TA, Chen WY, Li Y, Hurtz C, Kweon SM, Zickl L, Shojaee S, Neuberg D, Huang C, Biswas D, Xin Y, Racevskis J, Ketterling RP, Luger SM, Lazarus H, Tallman MS, Rowe JM, Litzow MR, Guzman ML, Allis CD, Roeder RG, Müschen M, Paietta E, Elemento O, Melnick AM. Integrative Epigenomic Analysis Identifies Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Adult B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancer Discov. 2012 Nov;2(11):1004-1023. Epub 2012 Oct 29.
  15. Akalin A, Garrett-Bakelman FE, Kormaksson M, Busuttil J, Zhang L, Khrebtukova I, Milne TA, Huang Y, Biswas D, Hess JL, Allis CD, Roeder RG, Valk PJ, Löwenberg B, Delwel R, Fernandez HF, Paietta E, Tallman MS, Schroth GP, Mason CE, Melnick A, Figueroa ME. Base-pair resolution DNA methylation sequencing reveals profoundly divergent epigenetic landscapes in acute myeloid leukemia. PLoS Genet.2012;8(6):e1002781. Epub 2012 Jun 21.
  16. Biswas D, Milne TA, Basrur V, Kim J, Elenitoba-Johnson KS, Allis CD, Roeder RG. Function of leukemogenic mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL) fusion proteins through distinct partner protein complexes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Sep 20;108(38):15751-6. Epub 2011 Sep 6.
  17. Biswas D *, Takahata S *, Stillman D. J., Different Genetic Functions for the Rpd3(L) and Rpd3(S) Complexes Suggest Competition Between NuA4 and Rpd3(S). Mol Cell Biol. 28:4445-58, (2008).
  18. Biswas D, Takahata S, Xin H, Dutta-Biswas R, Yu Y, Formosa T, Stillman D. J., A role for Chd1 and Set2 in negatively regulating DNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics. 178:649-59, (2008).
  19. Biswas D, Dutta-Biswas R, Stillman D. J., Chd1 and yFACT act in opposition in regulating transcription. Mol Cell Biol. 27:6279-87, (2007).
  20. Biswas D, Dutta-Biswas R, Mitra D, Shibata Y,  Strahl B.D, Formosa T, Stillman D. J., Opposing roles for Set2 and yFACT in regulating TBP binding at promoters. EMBO Journal. 25:4479-89, (2006).
  21. Shivaprasad PV, Thomas M, Balamani V, Biswas D, Vanitharani R, Karthikeyan AS, Veluthambi K., Factors contributing to deletion within Mungbean yellow mosaic virus partial dimers in binary vectors used for agroinoculation. J Virol Methods. 137:72-81, (2006).
  22. Biswas D, Yu Y, Mitra D, Stillman D. J., Genetic Interactions Between Nhp6 and Gcn5 with Mot1 and the Ccr4-Not Complex that Regulate TBP binding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics. 172:837-49, (2006).
  23. Biswas D, Yu Y, Prall M, Formosa T, Stillman DJ.,  The yeast FACT complex has a role in transcriptional initiation. Mol Cell Biol. 25:5812-22, (2005)
  24. Biswas D, Imbalzano AN, Eriksson P, Yu Y, Stillman DJ., Role for Nhp6, Gcn5, and the Swi/Snf complex in stimulating formation of the TATA-binding protein-TFIIA-DNA complex. Mol Cell Biol. 24:8312-21, (2004).
  25. Eriksson P, Biswas D, Yu Y, Stewart JM, Stillman DJ. TATA-binding protein mutants that are lethal in the absence of the Nhp6 high-mobility-group protein. Mol Cell Biol. 24:6419-29, (2004).
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