Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Gurgaon Organized Guest Lecture on Leishmaniadonovani by Prof. Chinmay Mukhopadhyay, JNU on 27th May, 2016.Prof. Rajendra Prasad, Director, AIB, AUG welcomed Prof. Mukhopadhyay and Prof. Mondal to the Amity University Gurgaon.
During his talk, Prof. Mukhopadhyay mentioned about his discoveries on “Leishmaniadonovani- the master manipulator of host iron homeostasis” Defective regulation of iron homeostasis genes lead to either, iron excess and related tissue injuries due to iron-stimulated oxidative damage or iron deficiency disorders. He discussed the role of iron in determining host-pathogen interaction. Because of its exquisite role in energy metabolism and electron transfer reaction, iron is essential for survival for both the host and invading pathogen. During infection, iron becomes central of the battle field between host and invading pathogens as strategic acquisition of iron by pathogen or sequestration by host can block other’s growth. For successful invasion the pathogen has to block iron sequestering mechanism of the host to avail iron for its own growth and survival. He showed the strategies adopted by Leishmaniadonovani, the parasite responsible for causing Kala-azar, to manipulate iron homeostasis in host macrophages.
Prof. Alok Mondal, JNU, also discussed about his current project on termite’s ecology & collaborative projects on fungal infections with Prof. Prasad at School of Life Sciences, JNU.
Prof. Mukhopadhyay did his doctoral studies in Biochemistry at the Department of Biochemistry from Calcutta University and received the postdoctoral training under the mentorship of Dr. Paul Fox in the Department of Cell Biology, and Clinic Foundation, USA. He has joined the ‘Special Centre for Molecular Medicine’ in 2001. Dr. Mukhopadhyay received Young scientist award from Indian National Science Academy in 1995, Elsa Albrecht Award, USA in 1998. He has also received the International Senior Research Fellowship from The Wellcome Trust, UK in 2004.