02Mon
Coordinator: MAP Symposium Team
04Wed
Coordinator: Dean's Office
Ms. Rajasree Kundu
Rajasree Kundu is an Integrated PhD student in the Department of Chemical Sciences at TIFR, Mumbai. She has recently submitted her PhD thesis and is currently holding a research associate position at TIFR, Mumbai. During PhD, her research broadly focused on Chemical Biology and Molecular Imaging. She is also passionate about science outreach and communications.
Rapid Response Chemical Tools to Track Signaling Lipid Dynamics Live
The cell-membrane not only forms the interface that separates the extracellular and intracellular matrices, but also plays an active role in transmitting signals, regulating cellular entry, coordinating movement, and maintaining shape. Amongst its components, phosphoinositides are critical signalling lipids, despite being present in low concentrations. One such phosphoinositides, PIP3, is essential for controlling cell-growth, cell-division, and cell-movement. For proper signalling, it is important that PIP3 is produced in short bursts and in specific areas of the cell. However, mutations in the proteins that regulate PIP3 levels can cause abnormally high PIP3 on the cell membrane, leading to various cancers. To study PIP3 in physiological conditions and detect it in cancer cells, two fast-responding sensors have been developed. These sensors can easily enter living cells and quickly respond to changes in PIP3 levels. One sensor tracks real-time fluctuations in PIP3 levels upon stimulation by growth factors, while the other one detects PIP3 within nucleus of the cell. These sensors are valuable for understanding PIP3-related signalling and could also serve as diagnostic tools for cancer detection. My presentation will cover the design strategy and cellular applications of these novel sensors. I will also discuss ideas related to chemical education in which I hope to participate at HBCSE. First, I aim to understand the gap between theoretical knowledge and experimental practice at the undergraduate level in India. Then, I plan to design context-based experiments, develop simple and practical experiments whenever possible, test them with small student groups, and promote effective learning through these activities.