India Alliance Newsletter I Issue 4 I July 2015

ISSUE 4

News amp Views Issue 4 July 2015

INDIA ALLIANCE

Somewhere something incredible is waiting to be known - Carl Sagan

As we enter the second half of this year with the fourth issue of our newsletter (and a brand new website) we are

very thankful to all those who have taken time out to generously contribute to this newsletter thus far

In this issue we give you a roundup of news on our Fellowship schemes updates on the IA funded-research public

engagement and science communication activities along with some interesting articles and interviews

On the Fellowships front full applications for Clinical and Public Health fellowships Research Training Fellowships

Margdarshi Fellowships and preliminary applications for Early Career Fellowships (basic research scheme)are currently

under review Deadline to submit preliminary applications for the Senior and Intermediate Fellowships (basic research

scheme May 2016 competition) is 13 August 2015

We will be holding two-day Science Communication workshop in September 2015 in Hyderabad (applications under

review) and the next one-day SciComm101 workshop will be held on 23 July 2015 at Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi We

conducted two SciComm101 workshops at the University of Kashmir in May 2015 first of its kind in the valley Dr Shaida

Andrabi our host at the University writes about the importance and impact of these workshops in this issue In the

Public Engagement corner Intermediate Fellow Dr Mukund Thattai and his colleagues write about their project

Bodystorming hits Bangalorelsquo- first Public Engagement project of a Fellow funded by the India Alliance Prominent

scientist and co-inventor of a DNA sequencing technology Prof Shankar Balasubramanian gave the fourth and final

lecture in our DNA70 Public Lecture series at NII New Delhi and IISc Bangalore For those of you who missed Prof

Balasubramanianlsquos lectures we feature his interview in this newsletter where he recounts his scientific journey shares

sound advice and much more

Also in this issue our Intermediate Fellow and wildlife ecologist Dr Farah Ishtiaq talks about her passion for science

and birds in the Fellow in Spotlight section Read about the recently published research of our Fellows Drs Mahak

Sharma Soumen Basak C V Srikanth and Thomas Pucadyil in the Research Highlights section In the article titled ―Fat

cells and insulin resistance unraveling the physiological underpinnings of the epidemicrdquo Early Career Fellow Dr Joe

Varghese describes the links between adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in the background of his work

Our Intermediate Fellow Dr Arun Sripatilsquos short piece ldquowhat is good science and when do you know you are doing itrdquo

offers interesting perspectives and implicitly encourages scientists to seek answers for these questions In the staff corner

section our Grants Adviser Dr Dipanwita Sengupta gives us a glimpse of her early life interests and tells us what has

made her India Alliance journey so special Our heartfelt appreciation for all the aforementioned people for their

valuable contributions for this issue Last but never the least for the cover image we extend our gratitude to Dr Farah

Ishtiaq for sharing a lovely picture of a Parus Major (Great Tit) from her field research outing

We will continue to bring to you interesting scientific discoveries and discussions

Happy Monsoon season

Sarah Iqbal

Public Engagement Officer

EDITORIAL

1

CONTENTS

2

3 CALL FOR INDIA ALLIANCE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS

Senior and Intermediate Fellowships (Basic research scheme)

4 INDIA ALLIANCE SCICOMM WORKSHOPS

5 INDIA ALLIANCE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CORNER

A dance-science interaction at the National Centre for Biological Sciences

by Dr Mukund Thattai and colleagues

7 INDIA ALLIANCE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Featuring recent research articles by Fellows Drs Mahak Sharma Soumen Basak

CV Srikanth Thomas Pucadyil

10 INDIA ALLIANCE FELLOW IN SPOTLIGHT

Dr Farah Ishtiaq Intermediate Fellow

12 FEATURE ARTICLE

Fat cells and insulin resistance unraveling the physiological underpinnings of the

epidemic by Dr Joe Varghese Early Career Fellow CMC Vellore

14 IN CONVERSATION WITH

Prof Shankar Balasubramanian Herchel Smith Professor of

Medicinal Chemistry at University of Cambridge UK

15 VIEWPOINT

What is good science and when do you know yoursquore doing it

by Dr Arun Sripati Intermediate Fellow IISc Bangalore

16 INDIA ALLIANCE STAFF CORNER

Dr Dipanwita Sengupta Grants Adviser India Alliance

17 EXTERNAL EVENTS

SENIOR AND INTERMEDIATE FELLOWSHIPS IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH Deadline 13 August 2015

Preliminary applications are invited for the two Fellowship

schemes in basic research category Intermediate

Fellowships and Senior Fellowships

Senior Fellowships For researchers with a proven track

record of leading an independent research group to

establish or expand their research programme in India For

applicants with 7-15 years of post-PhD research experience

Intermediate Fellowships For postdoctoral researchers who

want to establish an independent research career in India

For applicants with 4-7 years of post-PhD research

experience

Recommended Awardees for

Senior and Intermediate Fellowship (Basic) from May 2015

interview round

Intermediate Fellowship

Dr Sabyasachi Rakshit Indian

Institute Of Science Education And

Research Mohali

Dr Smarajit Polley Bose Institute

Kolkata

Dr Athi Narayanan Naganathan Indian Institute Of Technology Madras

Dr Kalyaneswar Mandal Indian

Institute of Chemical Biology Kolkata

Dr Sandeepa Eswarappa Indian

Institute of Science Bangalore

Dr Gulam Syed Institute Of Life

Sciences Bhubaneswar

Senior Fellowship

Dr Rupinder Kaur Centre for DNA

Fingerprinting and Diagnostics

Hyderabad

Dr Poonkuzhali Balasubramanian Christian Medical College Vellore

INDIA ALLIANCE FELLOWSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Application forms are available on

the India Alliance online application

System (IASys) at

httpsfellowshipswellcomedbtorg

Loginaspx

Eligibility

No age or nationality restrictions

A PhD in any discipline of science

The candidates need not be resident in India while

applying but should be willing to relocate and work

in India

A salaried position or commitment towards a

salaried position at the Host Institution is not required

Applications from Clinicians and Public health

researchers will not be processed through this

competition

Please visit our website for further information on the application process Please write to us with

queries to infowellcomedbtorg

3

UPCOMING EVENTS

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION WORKSHOPS

SciComm101 workshop

23 July 2015 Jamia Millia Islamia

Two-day SciComm workshop

14-15 September 2015 Hyderabad

Applications under review

actively participate in the discussions In our programmes we

intentionally excluded the local faculty members from the

workshop so that the students feel free during the discussions

especially in the topics that deal with the bioethics and

authorship issues After attending the workshop our students

and scholars felt thrilled and highly satisfied This was a unique

experience for them as most of them surely would have been

unable to attend such a programme

By holding such kinds of high impact workshops I believe

that the India Alliance is doing a great service to the Indian

Science The vast population of the research scholars and

scientists that work in the various Universities and institutes

across India probably never get exposed to these kinds of

awareness and training programmes that are so essential for

their overall professional development

It would also be sensible to engage and enable all the

institutes universities to hold such programmes by themselves

in the long run The Wellcome TrustDBT India Alliance needs to

be congratulated and appreciated for conducting these

types of workshops On behalf of the University of Kashmir I

thank the India Alliance team particularly Dr Shahid Jameel

Dr Madhankumar and Dr Sarah Iqbal for taking all the pains to

conduct this workshop so well I hope that the India Alliance

team will conduct such types of workshops in Kashmir and

elsewhere in the coming years as well

April 2015 marked one year since the launch of our one-day Science Communication (SciComm101) workshop Since its inception more than 700 PhD students Postdocs Clinicians and young faculty have been trained in research ethics scientific writing and presentation

skills In May 2015 we conducted two SciComm101 workshops in University of Kashmir Dr Shaida Andrabi who invited us to conduct these workshops writes here his views on the workshop and how it helped in reaching out to students and researchers who would otherwise not be exposed to this kind of training

We are immensely grateful to the Wellcome TrustDBT India

Alliance for showing keen interest to hold the SciComm

Workshop at the University of Kashmir This was the first time

such a workshop was held in Kashmir Research scholars

young investigators (postdoctoral fellows) and medical doctors

(MBBS MD DM) from various institutes participated in the

workshop We had a very good response due to which the

workshop was conducted for two days (11th-12th May 2015) to

cover students in two groups We had participants from the

University of Kashmir SK University of Agricultural Science and

Technology (SKUAST) SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS)

and the Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar A

total of 130 participants attended this workshop These

workshops cover various critical aspects like the bioethics

manuscript and grant writing presentation communication

skills In addition they also prepare the young scientists for a

competitive scientific career right from the beginning of their

professional training

The schedule of these workshops is very well-designed

Though these programmes run for the whole day (8-9 hrs) the

contents topics are so compact and diverse that the

participants do not feel exhausted or bored The constant

changes in the topics keep their minds well-focused Another

great aspect of the programme is that the India Alliance

mentors make the students very comfortable so that they

For more details visit SciComm Workshop under Quick Links on our website

By Dr Shaida Andrabi Assistant Professor Department of Biochemistry University of Kashmir

4

SciComm101 at University of Kashmir

Science is caricatured as a dry and soulless enterprise The

reality is of course far from it Those of us who ―do science

everyday know how much our work depends on imagination

creativity and accidental collisions of thought Enter

―Bodystorming Bodystorming means brainstorming with the

physical world Creative work may be stifled if we do all our

thinking at a desk we think best when mind and body are

integrated In the past few years bodystorming has been

adapted to bridge the ―two culture divide between science

and art by the Black Label Movement a Minnesota-based

dance company under the direction of Carl Flink (University of

Minnesota) working together with biomedical engineer David

Odde (University of Minnesota) Flink and Odde first used

bodystorming to model violent intra-cellular dynamics riding

off of a mutual interest in catastrophe Each was surprised by

the creative insights that this collaboration led to in their own

research with Odde gaining intuitions about the effect of

―crowders on chemical reactions and Flink creating dance

pieces with the BLM that drew artistic inspiration from the cell

Odde Flink and eight BLM dancers (or ―movers as they

are called) spent eight event-filled days in Bangalore from


INDIA ALLIANCE

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CORNER

25 April to 2 May 2015 working with Indian biologists and

dancers to initiate new collaborations between science and

art The interaction was the brain-child of Darius Koumlster a

researcher at the National Centre for Biological Sciences

(NCBS) who first encountered bodystorming at the Marine

Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole Massachusetts in 2014 A

dancer himself Darius wondered about the possibility of

bringing the energy of bodystorming back to India The timing

was perfect in May 2014 the Wellcome Trust DBT India

Alliance had just announced its first Public Engagement

Competition Mukund Thattai an India Alliance Fellow who

had previously organised similar artscience engagements at

NCBS saw a convergence of goals bodystorming was a

unique exercise in creativity but also a unique way to engage

the public and to spread awareness about the excitement of

science The Bodystorming Public Engagement proposal was

successful and in April 2015 the BLM team arrived in

Bangalore

A key component of the Public Engagement proposal

was outreach to the community of traditional and modern

dancers across India To achieve this Aparna Banerjee of the

Intermediate Fellow Dr Mukund Thattai received the first India Alliance Public Engagement Award in 2015 Here along with his colleagues Aparna U Banerjee and Anjali Vaidya he writes about his Public Engagement project lsquoBodystorming hits Bangalorersquo from its conception to execution

5

NCBS Science and Society program partnered with the Antara

Artistslsquo Collective to spread the word among the dance

community The response was tremendous Bodystorming Hits

Bangalorelsquo began with a weekend where BLM movers taught

bodystorming techniques to 25 Indian dancers This initial

training was followed by a residency at NCBS where biologists

and dancers worked together to model systems ranging from

the dynamics of virus propagation in bacterial populations to

glycosylation honey bee behaviour and speciation in frogs

Scientists searched for insights about their systems through the

physicality of dance often participating in their own models

Dancers in turn spent afternoons improvising on scientific

structures to create art Both products of the workshop came

together on May 2nd at the National Gallery of Modern Art

(NGMA) Bangalore as dancers showcased the human

simulations and art pieces created over the past week This

publicly-attended event presented science in an unusual and

very human light The audience engaged enthusiastically with

the performers and went away with new insights into the

scientific process

Several plans are now in the works to take bodystorming

forward in India Aparna Banerjee is working with Carl Flink and

others to create a bodystorming node in India with a focus on

community engagement One possibility is to expand

bodystorming beyond biology (for instance to economics)

given that bodystorming could help individuals build intuition

for any problems involving dynamic systems Another plan is to

look at the potential for bodystorming as a pedagogical tool

This is a specific interest of both Aparna Banerjee also a

dancer and Shabari Rao Research Artist in Residence at the

Antara Artistslsquo Collective who managed the documentation

process for this residency Bodystorming may be one way to

give students in a classroom a more visceral understanding of

complex scientific concepts A ―bodystorming club may also

be started at NCBS where scientists dancers and scientists

with dance proclivities can continue the efforts of Aprils week-

long residency and expand to cover new questions

----

To find out more about this project and the various workshops that took place visit httpsbodystormingindiawordpresscom httpbodystormingindiacom Photo credits BLM group amp Bill Cameron Photography

Public Engagement Competition for India Alliance Fellows

Besides its Fellowship Programme the Wellcome TrustDBT India

Alliance aims to enhance the public understanding of science

in India It has become increasingly important for scientists to

engage with the public to increase the awareness of science

technology and medicine (STM) research and themselves get

fresh perspectives on their research towards a larger picture

To enable our Fellows to effectively and creatively engage

with the society about biomedical science we announced

the first rolling Public Engagement competitionlsquo in May 2014

This competition is a valuable opportunity for our Fellows to

showcase and share their Science with the Public and

collaborate with other members of the society The

engagement can be through research social activities

teaching arts moviesdocumentary and other modes of

knowledge sharing with the central goal of educating and

improving public awareness of science and human health

issues To apply please download the application

form here and send the completed application form to

publicengagementwellcomedbtorg

INDIA ALLIANCE


6

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Regulating delivery to the recycling center of the cell Regulation of cargo trafficking to lysosomes

DR MAHAK SHARMA Intermediate Fellow IISER Mohali

Lysosomes are membrane-bound compartments within cells of

all eukaryotes that are dedicated to degradation of cellular

cargo and recycling their contents to maintain the normal

homeostasis of the cell Several of these cargo molecules

including signaling receptors or misfolded proteins if not

degraded can cause life-threatening diseases including

cancer or neurodegenerative disorders In our recently

published research we have described the regulation of a key

protein complex that resides on lysosomes and mediates

delivery of cargo molecules to this recycling center of the cell

This protein complex known as HOmotypic Fusion and Protein

Sorting (HOPS) complex is formed by six proteins that are

conserved from yeast to humans In this Journal of Cell Science

publication we have identified for the first time how the

human HOPS complex is targeted to lysosomes and how this

regulates function of this protein complex in trafficking

Our findings indicate that HOPS complex regulates destruction

of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in lysosomes

EGFR is a potent cancer-causing gene (oncogene) that drives

tumor progression Further it is known that HOPS complex is

required for the clearance of misfolded proteins associated

with Parkinsonlsquos disease We find that a previously-reported

variant of HOPS protein present in a small percentage of the

human population cannot bind to lysosomes It will be

important to study if this population has a higher risk of

diseases including Parkinsonlsquos and cancer that can be

caused due to interference with functions of lysosome

The small GTPase Arl8b regulates assembly of the mammalian HOPS

complex on lysosomes

Khatter D Raina VB Dwivedi D Sindhwani A Bahl S Sharma M

J Cell Sci 2015 May

Image HOPS protein subunits colocalise with small GTPase Arl8b on

lysosomes in the cell

The pleiotropic signaling pathways are

prevalent and are thought to impart the

capacity in mammalian cells to respond to a

variety of external stimuli Our recent work

has revealed an additional biological

function of these pleiotropic signaling systems

microbial agents Our results showed that the signal integration

via the NF-kB system reinforces pro-inflammatory cellular

responses to pathogenic cues within the intestinal niche and

ensures efficient clearance of the gut-pathogen Citrobacter

rodentium These findings further suggest that aberrant

signaling crosstalk via the NF-κB system may underlie the

pathophysiology of various inflammatory disorders and

autoimmune diseases

Integrating cellular cues

DR SOUMEN BASAK Intermediate Fellow NII New Delhi

present inside the cell in integrating signals derived from

diverse cell-activating cues In our recently published study in

eLife we have identified that the integration of inflammation-

provoking signals and cues from the tissue environment occurs

via the so-called ―NF-kB signaling system which plays a key

role in coordinating immune responses against invading

Stimulus-selective crosstalk via the NF-kB signaling system reinforces

innate immune response to alleviate gut infection Balaji Banoth

Budhaditya Chatterjee Bharath Vijayaragavan MVR Prasad Payel

Roy Soumen Basak eLife 2015

7

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Acute gastroenteritis caused by the bacterium Salmonella

Typhimurium (ST) is a clinical problem with significant public

health impact Symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal

cramps are a consequence of bacteria-mediated

inflammation causative mechanisms of which are poorly

understood In our recently published report we have studied

these bacteria in an attempt to identify novel components of

Salmonella-host crosstalk and endeavored to investigate an

unexplored mechanism of pathogen mediated host

manipulation This mechanism called as SUMOylation is a form

of protein-modification that could drastically change the

function and fate of its target We demonstrate in cell culture

and mouse model that Salmonella infection leads to a global

SUMO-conjugated proteome alteration Our data reveals that

key enzymes that participate in SUMOylation processes were

targeted by ST during infection to achieve this alteration

Opposing the ST-mediated SUMO alteration resulted in severely

compromised bacterial infection particularly affecting the

intracellular life of bacteria Furthermore our results reveal that

mechanistically Salmonella orchestrates this process by

engaging small RNAs of the host Together we demonstrate

SUMOylation as a novel key pathway utilised by ST for its

infection and survival

Salmonella engages host microRNAs to modulate SUMOylation a new

arsenal for intracellular survival

Smriti Verma Gayatree Mohapatra Salman Mustafa Ahmed Sarika

Rana Swati Jain Jasneet Kaur Khalsa and C V Srikanth Molecular and

Cellular Biology June 2015

Images Salmonella tussle with host SUMO

Cells with more SUMO show lesser bacteria and vice versa Labeling

Salmonella labelled with red (mCherry) host-SUMOylome Yellow (Yellow

fluorescent protein)

lsquoCLASPrsquoing the uptake of membrane proteins Deciphering the molecular determinants of clathrin assembly

DR THOMAS PUCADYIL Intermediate Fellow IISER Pune

Salmonella SUMO tussle

DR CV SRIKANTH Intermediate Fellow RCB Faridabad

compartments Most membrane proteins are endocytosed

from the cell surface by a protein called clathrin which

polymerises into a basket-shaped structure to bud-out a

portion of the plasma membrane called the clathrin-coated

pit Clathrin requires a class of proteins called the clathrin-

associated sorting proteins (CLASPs) for its recruitment to the

plasma membrane Their ability to build a clathrin-coat around

the membrane is critical to the endocytic uptake of

membrane proteins CLASPs are an evolutionarily conserved

8

Critical aspects of cellular physiology such as cell-fate

determination self and non-self discrimination and effective

sensing of nutrients in the cellular microenvironment rely on

a finely controlled display of membrane proteins on the cell

surface The cell surface localisation of most membrane

proteins is not static but is in fact a balanced outcome of

complex trafficking pathways involving the endocytic

uptake from and recycling back of membrane proteins to

the cell surface or their diversion to internal endolysosomal

Thus sensitive assays that contribute to defining the molecular

determinants of these early sets of interactions are critical to

understanding the endocytic uptake of membrane proteins

Epsin is a prominent member of the CLASP family and is

essential for the success of clathrin-dependent endocytic

uptake of membrane proteins Our recent paper describes

analysis of the intrinsic molecular properties of epsin that would

help understand the cellular mechanisms by which epsin

functions in clathrin-dependent endocytic pathways Using

novel biochemical and fluorescence microscopic assays with

purified epsin and clathrin we demonstrate that epsin

effectively localises to membrane surfaces that are highly

curved and in turn directs clathrin assembly to such regions

Since every membrane budding event involves progressive

increase in membrane curvature these results highlight the

potential role of membrane curvature in orchestrating the

myriad molecular interactions necessary for the success of

clathrin-mediated membrane budding The set of biochemical

assays described in our paper which is the first to recreate

clathrin polymerisation on a membrane surface 40 years since

clathrin was discovered also sets the stage for a systematic

analysis of the clathrin polymerisation tendency of the other

members of the CLASP family

set of adaptors that function to expand the repertoire of

membrane proteins taken-up via the clathrin-mediated

endocytic pathway Each category of CLASPs mediates the

internalisation of significant classes of membrane proteins such

as the G-protein coupled receptors nutrient receptors cell

adhesion and antigen-presenting molecules CLASPs recognise

short stretches or folded domains on membrane proteins bind

specific lipids and clathrin These interactions define the early

rate-limiting steps during the formation of clathrin-coated pits

Since they require simultaneous lipid and protein interactions

for stability analysis of these early steps has remained elusive

JBC Podcasts

httpssoundcloudcomasbmbspatial-control-of-epsin-

induced-clathrin-assembly-by-membrane-curvature

http

Spatial control of epsin-induced clathrin assembly by membrane

curvature

Sachin S Holkar Sukrut C Kamerkar and Thomas J Pucadyil Journal of

Biological Chemistry April 2015

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Please email your research stories and publications to publicengagementwellcomedbtorg

Cover page article

9

Dr Farah Ishtiaq is a wildlife ecologist and Wellcome TrustDBT Intermediate Fellow at the

Centre for Ecological Sciences Indian Institute of Science Bangalore Her research examines the

effects of infectious diseases on the ecology and evolution of birds In this interview she talks about

her research and its impact what inspires and keeps her going everyday

INDIA ALLIANCE FELLOW IN SPOTLIGHT

DR FARAH ISHTIAQ Intermediate Fellow IISc Bangalore

Acrocephalus dumetorum migrant in southern India

What are you working on and what impact do you hope it will have

Avian malaria is a disease caused by a protozoan parasite

infecting birds in many parts of the world Unlike human

malaria to which it is closely related itlsquos not a tropical disease

and is also found in birds in temperate regions Most birds

survive without serious effects of the infection However like

many diseases malaria can be most dangerous in a host

species that has not been exposed to the disease before and

therefore wonlsquot have evolved resistance Islands in the

Hawaiian archipelago are a classic example of how biological

invasions can have a profound effect on endemic species

These islands have been isolated from the mainland for many

millions of years Geographical isolation and colonisation from

the mainland facilitated the evolution of countless unique life

forms mdash including the Hawaiian honeycreepers Avian malaria

and a mosquito species Culex quinquefasciatus that transmit it

was introduced accidentally to Hawaii about a century ago

and caused big population declines and extinctions in many

of the birds that were native to those islands since they also

had no resistance to malaria

The ultimate goal of my research is to determine the

influence of ecological variability such as changes in

temperature vector community bird migration patterns and

habitat on the epidemiology of avian malaria and spread of

disease in high altitude malaria-free zones My lab is focusing

on the distribution and movement of two widespread avian

blood parasites Plasmodium and Haemoproteus and by

determining the extent to which Himalayan migrant birds are

exposed to these parasites in their wintering grounds

Malaria parasites depend on the abundance and distribution

of arthropod vectors which seem to respond sensitively to

temperature changes and thereby global warming so

influencing the immunogenetics of hosts by exposing them to

new parasites on spatio-temporal scales

In the plains the resident birds may act as reservoirs for

blood parasites increasing the risk that migrants will become

infected with new parasites on their wintering grounds Insects

are among the groups of organisms most likely to be affected

by climate change because climate has a particularly strong

direct influence on their development reproduction and

survival Given that suitable vectors are present to transmit and

maintain the infection such migrants can form an effective

bridge for parasites between wintering and breeding grounds If

the high altitude avian fauna has evolved in the absence of

these blood parasites their risk of infection is potentially

increased

My research focuses on the distribution of both Plasmodium

and Haemoproteus blood parasites It also investigates the

extent to which these parasites are exchanged between

migrating and resident bird populations and how the vectors

that carry these parasites between hosts are expanding to new

areas in the Himalayas The study is challenging because

although we know the Western Himalayas are species-rich the

area is also relatively understudied and there has been no

research on the dynamics of the avian diseases and their

vectors to date The findings from this research will help to

understand avian malaria transmission zones and the risk of

range expansion of this disease in relation to naiumlve mountain

birds

10

biochemical and molecular biology approaches One of the

most important things that WTDBT India Alliance funding

allowed me to acquire was all the necessary equipment to set

up a molecular lab and to conduct field and lab experiments -

which can be restrictive with many other grants My association

with this prestigious fellowship has helped to attract talented

students and postdoctoral applicants to my laboratory which

has further helped my research

What keeps you going every day

I am passionate about birds and science My work takes me to

interesting and beautiful places teaming with birds and other

wildlife I like the fact that my research doesnlsquot just involve

being in a lab and processing samples Having a field research

component helps to bring important perspective to research

questions and ideas

INDIA ALLIANCE FELLOW SPOTLIGHT

FARAH ISHTIAQ

What inspired you to become a scientist

I have been fascinated by nature and science since my

childhood Why there is so much diversity in life and how they

co-exist compete and evolve into new species has always

fascinated me I have been an avid birdwatcher since as an

undergraduate My passion for birds (owls in particular)

science and conservation which started early when growing

up in Delhi watching wildlife documentaries learning about

long distance migration of Siberian cranes to the only

wintering site in India intrigued me a lot My father has been

the strongest driving force who gently pushed me to follow

my dreams to study birds and to take up wildlife ecology as

career which was at that time considered as chasing a goose

in the dark I am very glad to be able to combine both my

hobby and profession which gives me the best of both worlds

How has Wellcome TrustDBT India Alliance funding helped you and your research

The Wellcome TrustDBT India Alliance Intermediate

Fellowship has played a crucial role in setting up my research

program at Centre for Ecological Sciences IISc Bangalore I

had dreamed about this research programme since my

postdoctoral research I was very pleased to be selected for

Ramanujan Fellowship which of course I declined eventually

as the WTDBT India Alliance fellowship gave me more

support and flexibility My research deals with extensive field

experiments which involve mist netting of birds across

altitudinal gradient in Himalayas and mosquito sampling We

also conduct year-round experimental field work in

Bangalore The generous funds from this fellowship have

allowed me to set up field and lab components and to ask

several important and novel questions which have never

been explored in India My laboratory uses microscopy

mosquito salivary glands dissections and other routine

Image above (right) Mist net set up in the field

(Left) Haemoporteus parasite sampled Z33653 Acrocephalus dumetorum caught in Bangalore Farah Ishtiaq

sampling birds in western Himalaya

Photo credits Farah Ishtiaq

Find out more about Dr Farah Ishtiaqlsquos research work here

11

FEATURE ARTICLE

Inflamed fat cells and insulin resistance unraveling the physiological underpinnings of the epidemic

DR JOE VARGHESE Early Career Fellow

Adipose tissue (body fat) used to be considered as an inert

energy store The very appearance of a fat cell adipocyte

with its large lipid globule occupying most of its volume

minimal amounts of cytoplasm and a nucleus isolated to the

periphery of the cell gives it the most innocuous look

However it is now known that adipose tissue is a metabolically

active organ with multiple endocrine functions that can

influence whole-body metabolism in many ways Recent

research has focused on the adipose tissue as the key agent

behind the development of insulin resistance and diabetes

mellitus (1)

The problem of obesity has grown to epidemic proportions

over the last several decades with changing lifestyles and food

habits More than 50 of the population in the western world is

either overweight or obese (2) Reliable data from India is

unavailable however even by conservative estimates it is

believed that obesity contributes significantly to morbidity and

mortality in the general population Obesity puts an individual

at high risk for many disease conditions diabetes mellitus

coronary artery disease hypertension stroke cancer and

osteoarthritis are some examples It is by far the most important

risk factor for diabetes mellitus A number of studies have

shown a strong association between the body mass index

(BMI) and insulin resistance the hallmark of type 2 diabetes

mellitus (3)

Insulin resistance refers to the impaired ability of the body

to respond to insulin by reducing blood glucose levels Tissues

such as adipose tissue and skeletal muscle are unable to take

up glucose from the blood under these conditions resulting in

increased blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia)

Hyperglycemia triggers several biochemical events that

ultimately result in chronic complications of diabetes such as

nephropathy retinopathy and neuropathy

Although it is known that a strong association exists between

obesity and insulin resistance the exact molecular

mechanisms involved are not precisely clear A significant

proportion of obese individuals do not develop diabetes

mellitus they remain insulin- sensitive and are metabolically

healthy despite increased body weight (4) Morbidly obese

individuals who have undergone bariatric surgery have

remarkably improved insulin sensitivity that precedes significant

weight reduction (5) It therefore appears that adipose tissue

per se does not directly induce insulin resistance

Research over the last decade or so has shown that

inflammatory events in adipose tissue especially in the visceral

adipose depots play an important role in the development of

insulin resistance As fat accumulates the adipose tissue

undergoes a remodeling process that promotes local

inflammation A significant proportion of cells (up to 40) in the

visceral adipose tissue of obese patients with diabetes mellitus

consist of infiltrating immune cells chiefly macrophages These

macrophages are activated and have a pro-inflammatory

(M1) phenotype They secrete cytokines such as tumor

necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and other inflammation mediators

that induce a state of chronic low-grade inflammation in the

adipose tissue (6) These mediators not only induce the

infiltration of more immune cells into the adipose tissue but

also re-program the adipocytes to stimulate fat breakdown a

process called lipolysis Consequently lipids stored as

triglycerides are broken down to release free fatty acids (FFA)

A number of studies have directly implicated increased blood

FFA in mediating resistance to the actions of insulin in tissues like

the skeletal muscle and the liver (78) Insulin is the chief

hormone that inhibits lipolysis in the adipose tissue Therefore

the development of insulin resistance under these

circumstances contributes to a vicious cycle where lipolysis

induces insulin resistance which in turn exacerbates lipolysis

The adipose tissue secretes a large number of hormones

(called adipokines) that can greatly influence metabolism and

nutrient homeostasis Among these adiponectin and leptin

have been extensively investigated Adiponectin has anti-

diabetic effects and increases insulin sensitivity in the liver and

muscle Leptin on the other hand modulates energy

homeostasis by regulating food intake and energy

expenditure More adipokines such as resistin and visfatin

have been discovered more recently

12

Their roles in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance are currently

being investigated (9) Adipose tissue inflammation can

modulate the synthesis and secretion of these adipokines

possibly mediating at least in part the effects of adipose tissue

inflammation on insulin sensitivity in the liver and muscle (10)

Insulin resistance and obesity are also associated with

changes in iron homeostasis in the body especially in the

adipose tissue A number of large epidemiological studies

have documented the observation that raised serum ferritin

levels are consistently associated with an increased risk of

developing diabetes mellitus (11) Serum ferritin levels are often

used as an indicator of body iron stores however high levels

are also associated with inflammatory conditions It is not

clearly known whether the raised ferritin levels seen in

association with insulin resistance is caused by increased body

iron stores or due to the inflammation associated with obesity

Nevertheless there is evidence to suggest that increased body

iron stores play a role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance

(1213) Increased iron levels in adipocytes have been shown

to induce insulin resistance by initiating local inflammation and

modulating the secretion of adipokines especially adiponectin

(14) The yet to be published findings from my research funded

by the India Alliance show that increased intracellular iron can

directly inhibit insulin signaling and induce insulin resistance in

hepatocytes The current research in my laboratory is aimed at

systematically documenting the changes in iron homeostasis

that accompanies development of insulin resistance The

ultimate aim of these studies is to understand the role played

by iron in initiating andor exacerbating insulin resistance

associated with obesity

The way forward for research in this area is to identify

mechanisms that trigger inflammation in the adipose tissue in

obese individuals Drugs that inhibit lipolysis may preserve

insulin sensitivity at the cost of increasing body weight

Mechanisms that can decrease free fatty acid (FFA) levels are

also likely to improve insulin sensitivity Aerobic exercise

reduces body weight and also increases the ability of the body

to use free fatty acids as a source of energy thus decreasing

its levels in the blood These events may underlie the well-

known phenomenon of improved insulin sensitivity with

exercise

In conclusion adipose tissue metabolism and its role in

regulating nutrient homeostasis may have a central role to

play in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and diabetes

mellitus Therapeutic modalities that are aimed at ameliorating

adipose tissue inflammation andor inhibiting lipolysis may be

promising new drug targets to help fight the obesity and

diabetes epidemics

References 1 Johnson AMF Olefsky JM The origins and drivers of insulin resistance

Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84

2 WHO | Obesity [Internet] [cited 2015 Jun 27] Available from

httpwwwwhointghoncdrisk_factorsobesity_texten

3 Twig G Afek A Derazne E Tzur D Cukierman-Yaffe T Gerstein HC et

al Diabetes risk among overweight and obese metabolically healthy

young adults Diabetes Care 2014 Nov37(11)2989ndash95

4 Primeau V Coderre L Karelis AD Brochu M Lavoie M-E Messier V et

al Characterizing the profile of obese patients who are metabolically

healthy Int J Obes (Lond) 2011 Jul35(7)971ndash81

5 Wickremesekera K Miller G Naotunne TD Knowles G Stubbs RS Loss of

insulin resistance after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery a time course

study Obes Surg 2005 Apr15(4)474ndash81

6 Xu H Barnes GT Yang Q Tan G Yang D Chou CJ et al Chronic

inflammation in fat plays a crucial role in the development of obesity-

related insulin resistance J Clin Invest 2003 Dec112(12)1821ndash30

7 Perry RJ Camporez J-PG Kursawe R Titchenell PM Zhang D Perry CJ

et al Hepatic acetyl CoA links adipose tissue inflammation to hepatic

insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes Cell 2015 Feb 12160(4)745ndash58

8 Rachek LI Free fatty acids and skeletal muscle insulin resistance Prog

Mol Biol Transl Sci 2014121267ndash92

9 Antuna-Puente B Feve B Fellahi S Bastard J-P Adipokines the missing

link between insulin resistance and obesity Diabetes Metab 2008

Feb34(1)2ndash11

10 Ohashi K Yuasa D Shibata R Murohara T Ouchi N Adiponectin as a

Target in Obesity-related Inflammatory State Endocr Metab Immune

Disord Drug Targets 201515(2)145ndash50

11 Simcox JA McClain DA Iron and Diabetes Risk Cell Metabolism 2013

Mar 517(3)329ndash41

12 Jiang R Manson JE Meigs JB Ma J Rifai N Hu FB Body iron stores in

relation to risk of type 2 diabetes in apparently healthy women JAMA

2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7

13 Fernaacutendez-Real JM Pentildearroja G Castro A Garciacutea-Bragado F

Hernaacutendez-Aguado I Ricart W Blood letting in high-ferritin type 2

diabetes effects on insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function Diabetes

2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4

14 Gabrielsen JS Gao Y Simcox JA Huang J Thorup D Jones D et al

Adipocyte iron regulates adiponectin and insulin sensitivity J Clin Invest

2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40

Dr Joe Varghese is Wellcome

TrustDBT India Alliance Early Career Fellow based at CMC Vellore He is involved in studies on dysregulation of iron metabolism associated with alcoholic liver disease and insulin resistance Apart from research he has special interest in teaching undergraduate and post-graduate students basics of ethical academic research writing Find out more about his research here

Image Credit David GregoryampDebbie Marshall Wellcome Images

Adipose tissue close-up showing adipocytes SEM Scanning electron

micrograph of adipose tissue showing adipocytes Computer-coloured

orange Scanning electron micrograph 2003

FEATURE ARTICLE


13

IN CONVERSATION WITH

Prof Shankar Balasubramanian

Professor Shankar Balasubramanian is the Herchel Smith Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at

University of Cambridge co-inventor of a genome sequencing technology and co-founder of

Solexa His research is focused on elucidating the chemistry structure and function of DNA and

RNA He was the fourth and last speaker of our DNA70 Public Lecture series

DNA Quadruplex Model Credit Prof Balasubramanian

Could you briefly take us through your scientific journey so far

I studied Natural Sciences as an Undergraduate in Cambridge

University (1985-88) Whilst I ultimately specialised in chemistry

this broad science curriculum helped stimulate my interests

throughout the sciences I pursued a PhD in Cambridge (1988-

1991) under the supervision of Chris Abell in which I studied

the chemical reaction mechanism of an enzyme in detail I

then pursued a postdoc in the lab of Stephen Benkovic at the

Pennsylvania State University (1991-1993) This was a

stimulating interdisciplinary laboratory where I learned to

combine chemistry molecular biology and physical methods

to study the structure and function of several medically

important enzymes I began my independent research career

in 1994 in the Department of Chemistry Cambridge University

initially working on solid phase organic synthesis before moving

onto the study of nucleic acids chemistry and biology It was

during the course of fundamental single molecule

fluorescence experiments on the synthesis of DNA by a DNA

polymerase that my collaborator David Klenerman and I

conceived the ideas that ultimately led to Solexa sequencing

that we commercialised via our start-up company Solexa

formed in 1998 For the last decade or so my lab has focused

on discovering and elucidating dynamic structural and

chemical features that naturally occur in DNA andor RNA

such as G-quadruplex structures and covalent base

modifications I believe there is much that remains to be

discovered and understood about the structure(s) chemistry

and function(s) of nucleic acids This is what I will be continuing

to pursue in my research over the next decade

If you were not a scientist you would be

I actually wanted to be a professional footballer until I was17

and turned to science (I didnt make the cut with football)

Potential of genome sequencing technologies in tackling human health issues is immense but what do you see as the real challenges in this field

There are challenges in the adoption of genomic approaches

to human health Some of these will require a change in

culture both in society and in the way we practice

medicine Whilst there are emerging examples of how

genomic sequencing has provided important and sometimes

actionable insights in clinical cases in rare genetic disorders or

certain cancer sub-types population scale sequencing in

clinical settings is required to fully unlock and understand the

potential of genomic medicine As population scale

sequencing has really only just begun we need to allow at

least another decade and resist passing judgment on what is

possible prematurely There is also a need to build the

information architecture to optimally link genomic information

with clinical information (immediate and longitudinal) in a form

that is of practical use to drug discovererdevelopers and

ultimately doctors and their patients

What is the best advice you have ever received

Pursue your own path

Your message for young students and researchers

Seek out and address questions that may provide interesting

and important insights Only work on something that you find

highly stimulating

Find out more about Prof Balasubramanianrsquos research here

14

VIEWPOINT

What is good science and when do you know yoursquore doing it DR ARUN SRIPATI Intermediate Fellow

It has no doubt been extremely challenging to start a new

lab but I find myself surprised to admit that the external

challenges pale before a rather perplexing inner question

what is good science and when do you know yoursquore doing it

The question is rather perplexing because there are a

bewildering number of proxy answers which have gained

great traction with peers and funding agencies alike Consider

a few youlsquore doing good science if (1) you are publishing in

Nature and Science (2) your work has a high impact factor

(3) you are successful in getting grants (4) you have lots of

students and post-docs While successful scientists often qualify

on all these counts the reverse is not true qualifying on these

counts does not guarantee that you are doing good science

We all know spectacular examples from this category but at

the same time it is hard to resist measuring ourselves using

these criteria

But leave aside these proxy answers This question is

perplexing at a more fundamental level As an independent

investigator you become aware of several open scientific

problems from which you choose a few to work on given your

resources and expertise For a few problems you immediately

know their worth But most of them are hard to assess ndash will your

results be important or incremental Will your experiments

reveal something novel or will they always be hypothesis-

driven Are your experiments addressing important questions in

the field It is very easy to be deluded into thinking that your

experiments are the most important ones Separating truth

from self-delusion can be extremely hard - and this is the sort of

crucial feedback and mentoring missing in the system for

younger investigators

I have had the good fortune of working with or knowing

several excellent scientists They have wholeheartedly gone

after whatever questions they found interesting without regard

to importance Very frequently they do not fulfill the proxy

criteria but they are highly regarded by their peers They are

excellent teachers They remain focused on their science

despite all the distractions that are part and parcel of the job

They are devoted to the pursuit of the truth But above all their

defining characteristic is that they approach science with a

child-like enthusiasm and wonder I was once at a lunch table

with the eminent neuroscientist Vernon Mountcastle who was

then in his nineties He grasped a paper cup with his hands

and marveled at how our hand senses the weight of the cup

and lifts it with just the right amount of force It was

immediately clear why he was such a great scientist

Perhaps these internal qualities do not guarantee that you

are doing good science just like the external criteria do not

but there is one important difference Achieving single-minded

concentration child-like wonder and the pursuit of truth

without regard to its consequences are almost spiritual qualities

that seem as close to a guarantee as anything that you will do

good science Plus for free they give you an inner peace in a

way that no impact factor can

Dr Arun Sripati is Wellcome TrustDBT

India Alliance Intermediate Fellow based at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore Visit his lab website to find out about his research

15

Dr Dipanwita Sengupta is one of the senior members in the grants team who joined this organisation in June 2012 as a Grants Adviser Since then Dipanwita has been juggling various grants-related responsibilities and outreach activities at the organisation In this interview she takes us through her childhood days her interest in music finding inspiration in prominent Bengali figures and more

INDIA ALLIANCE STAFF CORNER

DR DIPANWITA SENGUPTA Grants Adviser

Image credit wwwrabindrasangeetorg

16

What is your background

My ancestors were affected by the partition of Bengal With

the inspiring stories of their struggle to re-establish themselves

starting from nothing my childhood possession included a

photograph of my grandparents with other family members in

front of the ancestral house which I could never visit I grew up

in a small town in West Bengal My father worked in the steel

plant in Durgapur and we lived in the industrial township

Looking back I remember that caring for puppies of stray dogs

was the most favourite game between my younger sister and

me When it was time to look for courses in colleges I found

very limited opportunity there but influenced by a few friends

travelled across the country to study in Maharashtra I stayed in

Aurangabad for 5 years to complete by BSc and MSc in

Microbiology Soon after completing my masters I started

applying for PhD positions and got a call from Professor S K Sen

of IIT Kharagpur I visited his laboratory and subsequently joined

his group The project was based on a fermentation

technology and I was happy to be surrounded with plates of a

lot of colourful and some not so colourful bacterial colonies

and biochemical assays I went to Virginia Commonwealth

University for my postdoctoral studies The host pathogen

relationship of a dental pathogen and a diverse environment

and culture are some cherishing lessons of my life I also

worked at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology

Hyderabad for some time before joining the India Alliance as a

Grants Adviser

How has your India Alliance journey been so far

I feel that the best part about working at the India Alliance is

being able to be in touch with a small but brilliant team every

day and having the opportunity to meet some renowned

scientists who are associated with the organisation either as a

Committee member or a Fellow As a team we share work we

share jokes and we also share interesting news in science The

transition from a research laboratory to the position of a Grants

Adviser was not very smooth for me This organisation and its

people have been with me through this important phase of my

life

When not busy on the job what do you enjoy doing

If this question was asked a year before I would have said

music and reading Bengali literature These days when not

busy being a Grants Adviser I am busy playing with my little

daughter Dripta She has somehow overshadowed all my

other likings and keeps me occupied completely At the end

of the day I feel happy content and of course very tired

During my childhood every evening music classes were held

at our home In addition to being a great home-maker my

mother spent many years receiving training in and teaching

Rabindra Sangeet and Hindustani classical music Though I was

forced to get formal training I did not involve myself seriously

at that time I thought that it would be wise to choose

academics and not waste my time practising music But it was

only when I went to college that I realised that you can make

quite a lot of admiring friends and connect with many people

through music My hobbies include listening to soothing

melodies accompanying my husband in his culinary

adventures and spending time with our friends

Who inspires you (living or dead)

Itlsquos a long list In addition to my parents and my little one I am

inspired by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Rabindranath

Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS

India Session at 6th EMBO meeting 2015 Birmingham UK 5-8 September 2015 The India Alliance is organising a joint session in association with IndiaBioscience at the 6th EMBO meeting 2015 Birmingham UK on 7th September 2015 If you are planning to attend this meeting please join us at the India Session Life Sciences opportunities in India to find out about setting up your laboratory in India or moving to India for a post-doc

We are offering travel awards to attend the EMBO meeting

These awards are available to PhD students Postdocs and Young Investigators to cover travel expenses To qualify for the travel award an applicant must be an Indian national based in India or Europe and heshe must be the first author on the abstract To apply click here Deadline for submitting applications is 15 July 2015

17th International Congress on Infectious Diseases Hyderabad India 2-5 March 2016

The 17th ICID will encompass all of the fields of infectious diseases with particular attention being paid to the major challenges of the region including AIDS malaria tuberculosis pneumonia and enteric infections including typhoid fever and diarrhea In addition major areas of neglected tropical diseases will be discussed and there

will be a particular focus on disease prevention and vaccination One of the things that distinguishes ISID meetings is the unique blend of state-of-the-art scientific presentations that encompass both basic science and clinical practice delivered by a truly international faculty who uniquely have the hands on experience and knowledge of the conditions that they discuss The ISID meetings are also notable for their representation from an extraordinarily wide range of countries and the opportunity for close exchange and communication between the most senior and more junior colleagues httpwwwisidorgicidindexshtml

17

Please send your feedback suggestions and contributions to


Follow us on

As a part of Workshop Series 2015-2016lsquo IIPH-D is inviting applications for the following workshops Title Leadership in Health and Development Sectors Date July 21 ndash 24 2015 Last date of registration July 15 2015 Title Workshop on Data Management using CSPro Date July 28 - 31 2015 Last date of registration July 14 2015 Title Effective Behaviour Change Communication Strategies in Public Health Date August 3 - 7 2015 Last date of registration July 20 2015

Title Nutritional Management of Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) Date August 17 - 21 2015 Last date of registration August 3 2015 Title Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes Date August 25 - 28 2015 Last date of registration August 11 2015

To view complete brochure click here-Workshop Series 2015-2016 (IIPH- Delhi)

EXTERNAL EVENTS

18

Cover image in this issue Great Tit (Parus

major) widely distributed in India

Image credit Dr Farah Ishtiaq

Erratum Cover and issue image in May 2015 issue showed

immunohistochemical staining in prostate cancer tissue for SPINK1

and not ERG as was mentioned in its description

Somewhere something incredible is waiting to be known - Carl Sagan

As we enter the second half of this year with the fourth issue of our newsletter (and a brand new website) we are

very thankful to all those who have taken time out to generously contribute to this newsletter thus far

In this issue we give you a roundup of news on our Fellowship schemes updates on the IA funded-research public

engagement and science communication activities along with some interesting articles and interviews

On the Fellowships front full applications for Clinical and Public Health fellowships Research Training Fellowships

Margdarshi Fellowships and preliminary applications for Early Career Fellowships (basic research scheme)are currently

under review Deadline to submit preliminary applications for the Senior and Intermediate Fellowships (basic research

scheme May 2016 competition) is 13 August 2015

We will be holding two-day Science Communication workshop in September 2015 in Hyderabad (applications under

review) and the next one-day SciComm101 workshop will be held on 23 July 2015 at Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi We

conducted two SciComm101 workshops at the University of Kashmir in May 2015 first of its kind in the valley Dr Shaida

Andrabi our host at the University writes about the importance and impact of these workshops in this issue In the

Public Engagement corner Intermediate Fellow Dr Mukund Thattai and his colleagues write about their project

Bodystorming hits Bangalorelsquo- first Public Engagement project of a Fellow funded by the India Alliance Prominent

scientist and co-inventor of a DNA sequencing technology Prof Shankar Balasubramanian gave the fourth and final

lecture in our DNA70 Public Lecture series at NII New Delhi and IISc Bangalore For those of you who missed Prof

Balasubramanianlsquos lectures we feature his interview in this newsletter where he recounts his scientific journey shares

sound advice and much more

Also in this issue our Intermediate Fellow and wildlife ecologist Dr Farah Ishtiaq talks about her passion for science

and birds in the Fellow in Spotlight section Read about the recently published research of our Fellows Drs Mahak

Sharma Soumen Basak C V Srikanth and Thomas Pucadyil in the Research Highlights section In the article titled ―Fat

cells and insulin resistance unraveling the physiological underpinnings of the epidemicrdquo Early Career Fellow Dr Joe

Varghese describes the links between adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in the background of his work

Our Intermediate Fellow Dr Arun Sripatilsquos short piece ldquowhat is good science and when do you know you are doing itrdquo

offers interesting perspectives and implicitly encourages scientists to seek answers for these questions In the staff corner

section our Grants Adviser Dr Dipanwita Sengupta gives us a glimpse of her early life interests and tells us what has

made her India Alliance journey so special Our heartfelt appreciation for all the aforementioned people for their

valuable contributions for this issue Last but never the least for the cover image we extend our gratitude to Dr Farah

Ishtiaq for sharing a lovely picture of a Parus Major (Great Tit) from her field research outing

We will continue to bring to you interesting scientific discoveries and discussions

Happy Monsoon season

Sarah Iqbal

Public Engagement Officer

EDITORIAL

1

CONTENTS

2












12 FEATURE ARTICLE






15 VIEWPOINT





17 EXTERNAL EVENTS












experience



interview round




Research Mohali


Kolkata








Senior Fellowship



Hyderabad






System (IASys) at


Loginaspx

Eligibility





in India





competition



3

UPCOMING EVENTS


SciComm101 workshop



























































4
























INDIA ALLIANCE



















Bangalore





5




















scientific process


















----






















INDIA ALLIANCE


6

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

































J Cell Sci 2015 May
















autoimmune diseases













7

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS














































8












































JBC Podcasts



http


curvature



INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Cover page article

9





















































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18







CONTENTS

2












12 FEATURE ARTICLE






15 VIEWPOINT





17 EXTERNAL EVENTS












experience



interview round




Research Mohali


Kolkata








Senior Fellowship



Hyderabad






System (IASys) at


Loginaspx

Eligibility





in India





competition



3

UPCOMING EVENTS


SciComm101 workshop



























































4
























INDIA ALLIANCE



















Bangalore





5




















scientific process


















----






















INDIA ALLIANCE


6

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

































J Cell Sci 2015 May
















autoimmune diseases













7

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS














































8












































JBC Podcasts



http


curvature



INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Cover page article

9





















































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18


















experience



interview round




Research Mohali


Kolkata








Senior Fellowship



Hyderabad






System (IASys) at


Loginaspx

Eligibility





in India





competition



3

UPCOMING EVENTS


SciComm101 workshop



























































4
























INDIA ALLIANCE



















Bangalore





5




















scientific process


















----






















INDIA ALLIANCE


6

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

































J Cell Sci 2015 May
















autoimmune diseases













7

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS














































8












































JBC Podcasts



http


curvature



INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Cover page article

9





















































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18







UPCOMING EVENTS


SciComm101 workshop



























































4
























INDIA ALLIANCE



















Bangalore





5




















scientific process


















----






















INDIA ALLIANCE


6

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

































J Cell Sci 2015 May
















autoimmune diseases













7

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS














































8












































JBC Podcasts



http


curvature



INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Cover page article

9





















































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18





























INDIA ALLIANCE



















Bangalore





5




















scientific process


















----






















INDIA ALLIANCE


6

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

































J Cell Sci 2015 May
















autoimmune diseases













7

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS














































8












































JBC Podcasts



http


curvature



INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Cover page article

9





















































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18


























scientific process


















----






















INDIA ALLIANCE


6

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

































J Cell Sci 2015 May
















autoimmune diseases













7

INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS














































8












































JBC Podcasts



http


curvature



INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Cover page article

9





















































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


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15





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18







INDIA ALLIANCE

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J Cell Sci 2015 May
















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7

INDIA ALLIANCE

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Cover page article

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11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18







INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS














































8












































JBC Podcasts



http


curvature



INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Cover page article

9





















































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18









































JBC Podcasts



http


curvature



INDIA ALLIANCE

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS


Cover page article

9





















































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18



























































increased













birds

10















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18





















questions and ideas


FARAH ISHTIAQ






































11

FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18







FEATURE ARTICLE













mellitus (1)














mellitus (3)




















































12









































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18















































exercise







diabetes epidemics


Cell 2013 Feb 14152(4)673ndash84






















Feb34(1)2ndash11








2004 Feb 11291(6)711ndash7




2002 Apr51(4)1000ndash4



2012 Oct 1122(10)3529ndash40







FEATURE ARTICLE


13






























































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18




































































highly stimulating


14

VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18







VIEWPOINT

















these criteria








































15





16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18











16



























Grants Adviser











life























Tagore

EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18







EXTERNAL EVENTS







17



Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18









Follow us on




EXTERNAL EVENTS

18







Documents

India Alliance Newsletter I Issue 4 I July 2015