Dr. Soumalee Basu
Assistant Professor

Dr. Soumalee Basu worked for her Ph.D. at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology on the dynamics of different cyclic-autocatalytic reaction networks and pictorial representation of protein sequences. During her postdoctoral studies at the the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Dr. Basu worked on a neuronal network based model of the olfactory cortex, a part of the brain responsible for identifying different odours.

Later, at the University of Calcutta, she carried out quantum chemical calculations on the different nucleic acid bases and their rare tautomeric forms in order to find out the energetics of spontaneous mutation.

Joining as a Lecturer, in West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata, she started working on the dynamics of Leucine-rich Repeat (LRR) proteins using normal mode analysis. Studies were also carried out on the associated domains of this family of proteins. Later, her group concentrated on a type of plant and an animal LRR protein involved in innate immunity. The plant LRR protein is the Polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP), which is a multi-gene family of proteins found in the cell membrane that inhibits the cell wall degrading enzyme Polygalacturonase (PG) from the invading pathogen, which could be fungus or insect. Comparative modeling with subsequent docking studies have revealed important features of the protein-protein interaction that forms the basis of this category of defense. Recently, she has initiated studies on how this family of proteins have evolved.

LRR protein that is responsible for innate immunity in animals include the TLR (Toll like receptors) proteins. Dr. Basu's interest focuses on the change in the structural and functional aspects of different animal TLR proteins with the change in the number of the leucine-rich repeats. The aim of her group is to decipher the possible reason of using LRRs as a favourite motif in protein-protein interaction for all life forms starting from bacteria to humans as well as for its use in a variety of cellular processes.

Very recently, spectroscopic studies on flavonoids, one of the most characteristic class of compounds found in higher plants have been another avenue of research for the group. Study of the antioxidant activity of flavonoids and their possible role in the cure of Alzheimer's disease and/or other neurodegenerative diseases is the objective of the study.

Courses offered
Basic Bioinformatics
Applied Bioinformatics
Genoinformatics

Research Scholars:

Aditi Maulik (SRF)
Suneeta Devi (JRF)
Madhu Sudan Dutta (JRF)

Project students:

M.Tech.:
Priyanka Chhawchharia
Indu Bamel
Sucharita Das
Shruti Adhikari

Integrated Ph.D.:
Hiya Lahiri

Project students who worked previously

M.Tech.:
Hiren Ghosh
Asif Iquebal Sarkar
Suneeta Devi
Souvik Dutta
Sourav Mondal
R. Balaji

Integrated Ph.D.:
Sanjay
Barnali
Keka
Manisha
Priya
Upasana
Nayanasree
Partha