| Position |
Scientist
|
| Affiliation |
CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL)
|
| Location |
Pune
|
| Current Role |
Scientist/Teacher
|
| Area of Research |
Computational Biology, Computational Chemistry, Membrane Receptors, Protein Dynamics
|
| UG |
Chemistry (1999) St. Stephen's College, Delhi University
|
| PG |
Biotechnology (2001) IIT Bombay, Mumbai
|
| PhD |
2005, University of Heidelberg, Germany
|
| Awards |
1. INYAS Member (2018-2022)
2. Best scientist Award, NCL (2019)
3. Featured in book 75 scientists under 50 (DST, Govt. India) 2022.
4. Featured in book 75 Women in STEAM (PSA, Govt. India and British Council) 2022.
5. Doctoral Fellowship from the Daimler-Benz Stiftung, Germany, 2001-2003
6. Institute Medal for Outstanding Performance in Biotechnology, IIT Bombay, Mumbai,
India, 2001
7. Sanwa Bank Scholarship for Academic Excellence, Japan/India, 1999
8. Academic Excellence Award, Delhi University, India, 1997, 1998
|
| Significant Contribution |
The main contribution of Dr. Sengupta's research has been to understand molecular mechanisms underlying membrane protein function, in particular GPCRs that govern cell signaling and traffic and determine how a cell responds to external cues such as hormones and neurotransmitters. In the first part, they have identified molecular signatures of lipids and have shown how cholesterol and other lipids can directly or indirectly modulate receptor dynamics and association. These lipids change in our cells with age, organ, tissue and even diet and her work has highlighted how lipid effects cannot be neglected for the next-gen drugs! The second aspect about these receptors is the population level polymorphisms that affects drug response, for instance the different inhaler-based drugs in asthma and help provide a mechanistic picture of these genomic signatures. And finally they have analysed how large signaling proteins bind to these receptors and switch them "on". The unique aspect of their work is that they combine chemistry, physics, biology and computing and provide new ways of looking at biomolecules at the nanoscale. Based on their research, they have co-authored about 80 publications, granted patents and have been invited to write topical reviews in membrane biology.
|
| Bio |
Dr. Durba Sengupta is currently a Principle Scientist and Associate Professor (AcSIR) at the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India. She has been awarded a PhD from University of Heidelberg, Germany and subsequently joined the University of Groningen, Netherlands as a postdoctoral researcher. The main interest of her research group is computational biology, in particular multi-scale simulations and they analyze biophysical properties of proteins and lipids, in close collaboration with experimentalists. Using a "computational" lens her research group looks at the physico-chemical principles that govern complex membrane processes. They have been able to provide a "high-res" picture at the molecular level, beyond the reach of experimental methodologies today. Although each piece of this jigsaw puzzle is important from a fundamental perspective as well as in drug design, they hope that by putting all these pieces together they will be finally be able to identify general biological and mechanistic principles. She has been invited to several national and international conferences and has co-organized several national and international meetings. She is an editor of the J. Membrane Biology (Springer) and a member of the editorial board of PINSA (Proc. of Indian Nat. Acad. Sci.). She is a member of INYAS (Indian National Young Academy of Science) and has been involved in science outreach activities and women in science mentorship programs in myriad ways.
|
| Primary Role |
Research
|
| Leadership |
1. ICC Member (Womens cell) and developed and lead women in science programs for the institute, including orientation programs.
2. Management Council, NCL Pune (2020-2022)
3. Divisional committee (2020-2023)
4. Faculty search committee (2022-)
|
| Twitter |
nan
|
| Contact |
d.sengupta@ncl.res.in
|
