People

My interest lies in unraveling the biology behind the working of an enigmatic group of unicellular cyanobacteria called Cyanothece. The members of the genus Cyanothece are capable of accommodating the antagonistic processes of photosynthesis (an oxygen evolving process) and atmospheric N₂ fixation (an oxygen sensitive process) within the same cellular platform. In addition, the different Cyanothece strains harbor many interesting metabolic traits such as high levels of hydrogen production under aerobic conditions. I use these organisms as a model system to explore their potential in sunlight-driven targeted product formation.

Having completed my Ph.D. studies on the role of low-molecular-weight proteins associated with Photosystem II, I aim to further explore the in vivo Photosystem II assembly process in cyanobacteria. Owing to the oxidative nature of water splitting, the enzyme (Photosystem II) constantly gets damaged.  The current model suggests that following damage the reaction center protein D1 gets selectively replaced in a process that constitutes the Photosystem II repair cycle. In my current project, I explore the processes related to Photosystem II damage and repair.

I am a technician in the lab and enjoy working here with a group of energetic and passionate people! I am responsible for maintaining cyanobacterial cultures and assisting other lab members in addition to performing independent experiments such as PCR, subcloning, and plasmid preparation. I am very interested in working in the field of renewable energy, which will ultimately have a global impact.

My research interests focus on understanding the structure-function relationships between cellular architecture and biological processes.  Cyanobacteria are ideal model systems for this work because of their diverse metabolic lifestyles, which in some strains can include photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, and hydrogen production, often coordinated with storage body accumulation and mobilization.  My work uses a variety of experimental approaches, including biochemistry, molecular biology, and imaging methods including light and electron microscopy.

I completed my Ph.D. in August 2020 from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India. During my Ph.D. I focused on optimizing and developing synthetic biology tools for metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria. I have worked towards developing a model strain, S. elongatus PCC 7942 and its sister strain, S. elongatus PCC 11801 as a host for producing important chemicals. Currently, I am working as a post-doctoral research associate in the Pakrasi Lab.