Ashwani Kumar (scientist)

Last updated
Ashwani Kumar
Born
New Delhi, India
Alma mater University of Delhi & University of Alabama at Birmingham
Known forStudies on Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Awards Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology 2022. DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Senior Fellowship (2021 to 2026). 2017–18  N-BIOS Prize. 2016  DST Swarnajayanti Fellowship
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions
Doctoral advisor Prof. Vani Brahmachari and Prof. Mridula Bose

Ashwani Kumar is an Indian microbiologist and the Senior Principal Scientist at the Institute of Microbial Technology (ImTech). He is known for his studies on Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. His laboratory focuses on understanding the reasons for drug tolerance observed in humans. His laboratory hypothesizes that tuberculosis is a biofilm infection, so its treatment needs the administration of multiple drugs for at least six months. The Department of Science and Technology has awarded him Swarnajayanti Fellowship for 2016–2017. Department of Biotechnology has awarded him the National Bioscience Prize (2017-18). He was also selected for DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Senior Fellowship (2021 to 2026). He was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, in 2022. For his contributions in tuberculosis pathogenesis, he was awarded with Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology 2022. He is considered as one of India's Leading Scientist in the field of Tuberculosis and his lab is doing some of the best research in India.

Contents

Biography

Ashwani Kumar is a Senior Principal Scientist at the Institute of Microbial Technology (ImTech) [1] where he heads a laboratory, popularly known as Ashwani Kumar's Lab. [2] and serves as a principal investigator. [3] He is known to have done extensive research on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and has served as a member of MDRIpred project, [4] an open source server for predicting inhibitors against drug-tolerant M.tb H37Rv. [5] He has published a number of articles; [6] ResearchGate, an online repository of scientific articles has listed 31 of them. [7] His laboratory has demonstrated the presence of cellulose encased biofilms [8] inside the hosts including human. [9] He also works on regulation of autophagy by signalling gases such as carbon monoxide [10] and hydrogen sulfide. [11] The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for him contributions to biosciences, in 2017–18. [12]

Selected bibliography

Articles

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biofilm</span> Aggregation of bacteria or cells on a surface

A biofilm is a syntrophic community of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy extracellular matrix that is composed of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). The cells within the biofilm produce the EPS components, which are typically a polymeric combination of extracellular polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and DNA. Because they have a three-dimensional structure and represent a community lifestyle for microorganisms, they have been metaphorically described as "cities for microbes".

<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Species of pathogenic bacteria that causes tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also known as Koch's bacillus, is a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family Mycobacteriaceae and the causative agent of tuberculosis. First discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch, M. tuberculosis has an unusual, waxy coating on its cell surface primarily due to the presence of mycolic acid. This coating makes the cells impervious to Gram staining, and as a result, M. tuberculosis can appear weakly Gram-positive. Acid-fast stains such as Ziehl–Neelsen, or fluorescent stains such as auramine are used instead to identify M. tuberculosis with a microscope. The physiology of M. tuberculosis is highly aerobic and requires high levels of oxygen. Primarily a pathogen of the mammalian respiratory system, it infects the lungs. The most frequently used diagnostic methods for tuberculosis are the tuberculin skin test, acid-fast stain, culture, and polymerase chain reaction.

<i>Mycobacterium</i> Genus of bacteria

Mycobacterium is a genus of over 190 species in the phylum Actinomycetota, assigned its own family, Mycobacteriaceae. This genus includes pathogens known to cause serious diseases in mammals, including tuberculosis and leprosy in humans. The Greek prefix myco- means 'fungus', alluding to this genus' mold-like colony surfaces. Since this genus has cell walls with a waxy lipid-rich outer layer that contains high concentrations of mycolic acid, acid-fast staining is used to emphasize their resistance to acids, compared to other cell types.

<i>Mycobacterium leprae</i> Bacterium that causes leprosy

Mycobacterium leprae is one of the two species of bacteria that cause Hansen's disease (leprosy), a chronic but curable infectious disease that damages the peripheral nerves and targets the skin, eyes, nose, and muscles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isoniazid</span> Antibiotic for treatment of tuberculosis

Isoniazid, also known as isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH), is an antibiotic used for the treatment of tuberculosis. For active tuberculosis, it is often used together with rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and either streptomycin or ethambutol. For latent tuberculosis, it is often used alone. It may also be used for atypical types of mycobacteria, such as M. avium, M. kansasii, and M. xenopi. It is usually taken by mouth, but may be used by injection into muscle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phagosome</span>

In cell biology, a phagosome is a vesicle formed around a particle engulfed by a phagocyte via phagocytosis. Professional phagocytes include macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells (DCs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vojo Deretic</span> American geneticist

Vojo Deretic, is distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Deretic was the founding director of the Autophagy, Inflammation and Metabolism (AIM) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence. The AIM center promotes autophagy research nationally and internationally.

Mitophagy is the selective degradation of mitochondria by autophagy. It often occurs to defective mitochondria following damage or stress. The process of mitophagy was first described over a hundred years ago by Margaret Reed Lewis and Warren Harmon Lewis. Ashford and Porter used electron microscopy to observe mitochondrial fragments in liver lysosomes by 1962, and a 1977 report suggested that "mitochondria develop functional alterations which would activate autophagy." The term "mitophagy" was in use by 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal stress protein</span>

The universal stress protein (USP) domain is a superfamily of conserved genes which can be found in bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa and plants. Proteins containing the domain are induced by many environmental stressors such as nutrient starvation, drought, extreme temperatures, high salinity, and the presence of uncouplers, antibiotics and metals.

Brahm Shanker Srivastava is an Indian microbiologist, inventor and a former deputy director and head of Microbiology division of the Central Drug Research Institute. He is the founder of Biotech Research, a non-profit non governmental institution promoting research in the field of biotechnology and is a director of Nextec Lifesciences Private Limited, a start up involved in biomedical products and research applications. He is known for his researches on microbial genetics and is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India.

Srinivasan Ramachandran is an Indian biologist, bioinformatician and a senior principal scientist at the department of genome analysis of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology. Known for his studies in the field of data analytics, Ramachandran is also an adjunct faculty, senior Principal Scientist and AcSIR Professor at the Faculty of Biological Sciences of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences in 2007.

Vinay Kumar Nandicoori is an Indian immunologist, biotechnologist and currently the director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, India. He is known for his studies on the kinase-mediated signaling networks in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative pathogen of tuberculosis. Holder of a master's degree in biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Nandicoori did his post doctoral work the University of Virginia and Texas A & M University.

Ravishankar Ramachandran is an Indian molecular biologist and a senior principal scientist at the department of molecular and structural biology of the Central Drug Research Institute. Known for his studies on the molecular mechanisms of human pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Ramachandran is a DBT-nominated member of the Institutional Bio-Safety Committee of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University. His studies have been documented by way of a number of articles and ResearchGate, an online repository of scientific articles has listed 142 of them. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences, in 2010.

Dibyendu Sarkar is an Indian biochemist, molecular microbiologist and a Chief Scientist at the Institute of Microbial Technology. He is known for his studies on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterial pathogen causing the disease of tuberculosis. His studies have been documented by way of a number of articles and Google Scholar, an online repository of scientific articles has listed 23 of them. He has also delivered invited speeches which included the Second Annual Meeting on Infectious Diseases held at the Indian Institute of Science in September 2017. He is an elected member of Guha Research Conference and a recipient of the Raman Research Fellowship of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences, in 2011.

Dr. Fayaz Ahmad Malik is an Indian pharmacologist, cancer biologist and a scientist at the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. He is known for his studies on investigating the regulatory mechanisms of Cancer Stem Cells during tumor metastasis. His studies also involve the identification of signaling networks conferring resistance to current anti-cancer therapies. His discovery of new anticancer agents holds a number of patents for the processes he has developed. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to Biosciences, in 2014.

Pawan Gupta is an Indian biotechnologist, immunobiologist, cell biologist and a Senior principal scientist at the Institute of Microbial Technology of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. He is known for his studies on Nuclear Receptors in Chronic Inflammatory Disorders and host-pathogen interaction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. His studies have been documented by way of a number of articles and ResearchGate, an online repository of scientific articles has listed 66 of them. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the DBT IYBA Award in 2009 and National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences, in 2015.

Amit Singh is an Indian microbiologist and an associate professor at the department of microbiology and cell biology of the Indian Institute of Science. A Wellcome-DBT Senior Fellow, Singh is known for his studies on the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development for 2017/18. He was awarded with the prestigious CSIR- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award on 2021 for his phenomenal contributions in bio-scientific research. He received the 2021 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology in Biological Science.

Prabhu B. Patil is an Indian bacterial geneticist and a senior scientist at the Institute of Microbial Technology. Known for his studies on bacterial genetics, genomics and metagenomics, Patil has published his research findings by way of a number of articles; ResearchGate, an online repository of scientific articles has listed 95 of them. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences, in 2017–18.

Mycolicibacterium agri is a species of bacteria from the phylum Actinomycetota that was first isolated from soil. It is non-pigmented and grows rapidly at 25–45 °C on Ogawa egg medium. It has also been isolated from a human skin infection, and raw milk M. agri is capable of degrading octocrylene.

Pratyoosh Shukla is an Indian Microbiologist specialized in Enzyme technology and Protein Bioinformatics. He is presently working as Professor and Coordinator of the School of Biotechnology at the Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He was awarded with Indo-USA Research Professor at Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, USA in the year 2014 by American Society of Microbiology (ASM) and Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). He is Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS), Fellow of Academy of Microbiological Sciences (FAMSc/FAMI), Fellow of Biotech Research Society of India (FBRS).

References

  1. ↑ "Ashwani Kumar - ImTech profile". Institute of Microbial Technology. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  2. ↑ "Ashwani Kumar's lab - Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH)". ResearchGate. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  3. ↑ "Addgene: Ashwani Kumar Lab Plasmids". www.addgene.org. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  4. ↑ "MDRIpred: A webserver for predicting inhibitors against drug resistant M.Tuberculosis". crdd.osdd.net. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  5. ↑ "Welcome to MDRIpred". crdd.osdd.net. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  6. ↑ "Ashwani Kumar - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.com. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  7. ↑ "Ashwani Kumar Institute of Microbial Technology - IMTECH · Molecular Mycobacteriology 28 36 ·". ResearchGate. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  8. ↑ Trivedi, Abhishek; Mavi, Parminder Singh; Bhatt, Deepak; Kumar, Ashwani (September 2016). "Thiol reductive stress induces cellulose-anchored biofilm formation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis". Nature Communications. 7 (1): 11392. Bibcode:2016NatCo...711392T. doi:10.1038/ncomms11392. ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   4848537 . PMID   27109928.
  9. ↑ Chakraborty, Poushali; Bajeli, Sapna; Kaushal, Deepak; Radotra, Bishan Dass; Kumar, Ashwani (2021-03-11). "Biofilm formation in the lung contributes to virulence and drug tolerance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis". Nature Communications. 12 (1): 1606. Bibcode:2021NatCo..12.1606C. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21748-6 . ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   7952908 . PMID   33707445.
  10. ↑ Singh, Nisha; Kansal, Pallavi; Ahmad, Zeeshan; Baid, Navin; Kushwaha, Hariom; Khatri, Neeraj; Kumar, Ashwani (2018-06-03). "Antimycobacterial effect of IFNG (interferon gamma)-induced autophagy depends on HMOX1 (heme oxygenase 1)-mediated increase in intracellular calcium levels and modulation of PPP3/calcineurin-TFEB (transcription factor EB) axis". Autophagy. 14 (6): 972–991. doi:10.1080/15548627.2018.1436936. ISSN   1554-8627. PMC   6103408 . PMID   29457983.
  11. ↑ Iqbal, Iram Khan; Bajeli, Sapna; Sahu, Shivani; Bhat, Shabir Ahmad; Kumar, Ashwani (2021-01-18). "Hydrogen sulfide-induced GAPDH sulfhydration disrupts the CCAR2-SIRT1 interaction to initiate autophagy". Autophagy. 17 (11): 3511–3529. doi:10.1080/15548627.2021.1876342. ISSN   1554-8627. PMC   8632308 . PMID   33459133. S2CID   231636126.
  12. ↑ "Awardees of National Bioscience Awards for Career Development" (PDF). Department of Biotechnology. 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-26. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
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