Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Mission & Objectives

Infectious diseases continue to be a serious health problem throughout the globe. The situation is further complicated by the emergence of drug resistant newer clones. Progress in controlling, eliminating or eradicating infectious diseases are a key part of the international health agenda. Keeping this in mind this Division of Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB) is conducting various research programmes on Leishmania donovani, the causative agent for visceral leishmaniasis, and major enteropathogens like Vibrio cholerae and Shigella spp., which are major health concerns in India. With the use of genomics and proteomics the group at IICB has already undertaken intervention strategies for controlling the diseases caused by these human pathogens. The strategies include: 1) prevention of host-parasite interaction, 2) identifying new trans-membrane proteins, specific for the parasite that can be potential target sites for drug development, 3) targeting sub-cellular organelle, glycosome for anti-leishmanial drug design, 4) developing DNA topoisomerase-based therapeutic agents derived from indigenous plants, 5) structure-function relationship of important enzymes like DNA topoisomerase/adenosine kinase, 6) protein kinases in relation to cell signaling, 7) programmed cell death in Leishmania, 8) development of vaccines and diagnostics, 9) stress survival and regulation of virulence gene expression in V. cholerae, 10) role of diverse intra and extracellular small signaling molecules in expression of genes essential for growth, survival, biofilm formation and virulence of V. cholerae, 11) genetic mapping of ctx, rrn and sxt loci of V. cholerae genome to understand rapid emergence of new epidemic clones, 12) comparative genomics of Shigella species.

Research Topics

Structural function of individual domains of type I and type II
DNA topoisomerase of Leishmania donovani
DNA topoisomerases of L. donovani as targets for development of therapeutics
Programmed cell death of L. donovani induced by DNA topoisomerase inhibitors
Macrophage biology in relation to disease pathogenesis using visceral leishmaniasis as the model macrophage disease
Comprehensive cyclic nucleotide signaling in the infectivity of a eukaryotic intracellular pathogen like Leishmania
Immunomodulators of natural origin for effective therapy against macrophage-associated diseases
Regulation of protein kinase(s) and protein phosphatase(s) in Leishmania promastigotes
Storage, maintenance and characterization of Leishmania strains
Signaling mechanisms involving phosphatidyl choline hydrolysis to control interaction between macrophage and L. donovani
Studies on developmentally regulated galactosyltransferase, galactose terminal glycoconjugates and attenuation of L. donovani promastigotes
Search for new chemotherapeutic targets against Leishmania
Role of phospholipid composition on the adjuvanticity and protective efficacy of liposome-encapsulated L. donovani antigens
Development of a simple blood based assay for the diagnosis of visceral leismaniasis
Antigen presentation of experimental leishmaniasis
Immunoprophylaxis and immunotherapy against experimental leishmaniasis
Identification of host protective antigens of L. donovani
DNA vaccines against experimental visceral leishmaniasis
Hybrid cell vaccination against leishmaniasis
Modulation of immune response by dendritic cells
Regulation of anti-cancer activity with a ROS scavenger
Studies related to medicinal plants and their potentialities
Studies related to O-acetylated sialoglycoconjugates (Neu5,9Ac2-GPsALL) in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Understanding the impact of glycosylation of biomolecules in health and disease
Investigation on human C-reactive protein involved in various acute phase responses
Effect of hns mutation on colonizing efficiency of Vibrio cholerae
Studies related to stress survival and virulence gene expression in V. cholerae
Genome diversity and molecular basis of evolution of pathogenic clones of V. cholerae
Molecular basis of stringent response in V. cholerae
Comparative genomics of Shigella spp. to understand evolution of epidemic S. dysenteriae type 1 clone

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS OF THE DIVISION

Faculties

Snehasikta Swarnakar

Senior Principal Scientist & HOD

sikta@iicb.res.in

Hemanta K. Majumder

Senior Scientist NASI

hkmajumder@iicb.res.in
Nahid Ali

Rajaramanna Fellow

nali@iicb.res.in
Pijush Kanti Das

Senior Scientist NASI

pijushdas@iicb.res.in
Subhajit Biswas

Principal Scientist

subhajit.biswas@iicb.res.in
Sudipta Das

Ramalingaswami Fellow

sudipta.das@iicb.res.in
Sujoy K Das

Senior Scientist

sujoydas@iicb.res.in
Uday Bandyopadhyay

Senior Principal Scientist

udayb@iicb.res.in
Upasana Ray

Senior Scientist & Deputy Head

upasana.ray@iicb.res.in