The primary research focus of my lab is to investigate and identify key molecular pathways involved in Neuroinflammation, a major contributor and in many cases, a driver of several brain disorders and diseases. Towards this goal, I am particularly interested in the fascinating cell biology of microglial cells, the central players in neuroinflammation and central nervous system homeostasis. The fundamental questions that I am striving to understand are: 1) how do microglial cells sense and respond to an external stimuli ? 2) what are the molecular mechanisms that regulate morphological and functional plasticity of microglial cells?
Research positions open: Currently I am looking for candidates who are interested to do their Ph.D. in my new lab. Sincere and hard-working research aspirants holding M.Sc degree in any branch of Life Sciences with CSIR/UGC-NET fellowship or NET-LS can apply with their CV to kaushiki.dbs@presiuniv.ac.in. Desirable: a good ability to communicate in English.
Bachelor of Science (Zoology Honours), University of Calcutta (2005)
Master of Science (Microbiology), Bangalore University (2007)
CSIR-UGC NET JRF and Lectureship (2008)
Ph.D. (Biological Sciences), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata (2014)
Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune (2014-15)
DBT-RA, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata (2015-16)
DST-SERB NPDF, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata (2016)
ASM-IUSSTF Professor of Microbiology, American Society of Microbiology and Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (2020)
As a student of Biology, I was always fascinated about two things: Viruses and the Brain. Surprisingly, I got an opportunity to marry these two in my doctoral studies at IISER Kolkata. My PhD thesis was in the field of Neurovirology in which I worked on a mouse model of virus-induced demyelination and axonal degeneration that mimics Multiple Sclerosis, a human central nervous system demyelinating disease. My studies led to the important finding that microtubule-mediated axonal transport and trans-synaptic spread of the virus is a key checkpoint for demyelination and axonal degeneration. It also led to the identification of key inflammatory molecules involved in causing demyelination and axonal degeneration. More importantly, it could first time establish the underlying mechanism of the cause-effect relationship between early stage viral infection and later stage demyelination and axonal loss in absence of detectable level of viral antigen. During this period I had an opportunity to work and be trained at the University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, which proved very beneficial to me during implementing those techniques in my new PhD lab and Institute.
A major part of my PhD life was involved in looking at the neuronal cytoskeleton very closely that intrigued me to join the neuronal cytoskeleton lab at IISER Pune as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow, which was an extremely enriching experience in a very short span of time. The area of my research was to understand the role of microtubules and actin-microtubule crosstalk in neuronal growth cone navigation. The focus of my study was directed towards developing novel regulatory strategies for actin cytoskeleton modulators of interest and also investigate the interaction between the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons in primary neurons in chick. During this period, I was trained extensivelly in cell biology techniques including quantitative assessment of actin and microtubule dynamics and molecular biology techniques involving cloning and expression of recombinant proteins in primary neuronal cells along with visualization of cytoskeletal dynamics using TIRF and confocal microscopy. I also got the opportunity to interact with some eminent neuroscientists of the world. Following this, I joined IICB Kolkata as DBT Research Associate and later as DST-SERB National Post Doctoral Fellow, to explore the role of Wnt signaling in antigen processing and presentation. Simultaneously, I was also investigating the the role of Wnt proteins in influencing microglial cell dynamics and homeostasis.
While working in these projects I got a permanent position as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology through the WBCSC and joined Raniganj Girls’ College under Kazi Nazrul University at Asansol, where I was completely devoted to teaching and administrative jobs. After serving there for almost two years, I joined Presidency University at the Dept. of Life Sciences. Here, I intend to start my independent research career with all the expertise that I have gained.
Research Experience: Please refer to previous sections.
Administrative experience: I had served as the Head of the Department, Microbiology, at Raniganj Girls' College under Kazi Nazrul University from 2017 to 2019. After joining Presidency University, I had been involved in the formulation of the first M.Sc. Microbial Biotechnology syllabus to be started at the School of Biotechnology, Presidency University. I have also been the member of Biohazard committee at the School of Biotechnology, Presidency University.
I had done teaching assistantships both during my PhD and Portdoctoral tenure that included taking practical classes, demonstrations, exams and viva of 5 year integrated BS-MS students of biological sciences at IISER Kolkata and IISER Pune.
I have been involved in teaching 3-years Microbiology degree Hons. course as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology under Kazi Nazrul University from 2017 to 2019 before joining the Presidency University.
After joining Presidency University, Kolkata, in 2019, I had taught Biochemistry, Cell biology and Virology to PG Biotechnology students at the School of Biotechnology, Rajarhat campus of Presidency University as well as Microbial Biochemistry to PG Life Science students at Department of Life Sciences. Currently I am involved in teaching Cell biology, Microscopy, Immunology and Neurobiology to UG and PG Life Science students.
M.Sc. Dissertation students supervised and their current affilation:
1. Shreejita Chatterjee (2021); Ph.D.Max Planck Germany
2. Priyanka Roy (2021); MTech, IIT Kharagpur
3. Manisha Debsarma (2022); Ph.D. Presidency University
4. Soumyojyoti Koyal (2023)
5. Sandip Biswas (2023)
6. Yugarshi Roy (2024); Lt. Indian Army
Ph.D. students enrolled:
1. Namrata Sarkar (UGC-JRF)
2. Manisha Debsarma (UGC-JRF)
Biswas K. Microglia mediated neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases: A review on the cell signaling pathways involved in microglial activation. J Neuroimmunol. 2023 Oct 15;383:578180. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2023.578180.
Biswas K, Chatterjee D, Addya S, Khan RS, Kenyon LC, Choe A, Cohrs RJ, Shindler KS, Das Sarma J. (2016). Demyelinating strain of mouse hepatitis virus infection bridging innate and adaptive immune response in the induction of demyelination. Clinical Immunology,170:9-19. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2016.07.004.
Kenyon LC, Biswas K, Shindler KS, Nabar M, Stout M, Hingley ST, Grinspan JB, Das Sarma J. (2015). Gliopathy of Demyelinating and Non-Demyelinating Strains of Mouse Hepatitis Virus. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 9:488. PMID: 26733813.
Kishore A, Biswas K, Rao N V, Shunmugam R, Das Sarma J. (2014). Functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes facilitate efficient differentiation of neuroblastoma cells in vitro. RSC Advances, 4, 53777–53787.
Biswas K, Das Sarma J. (2014). Effect of microtubule disruption on neuronal spread and replication of demyelinating and nondemyelinating strains of mouse hepatitis virus in vitro. Journal of Virology, 88 (5):3043-7. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02545-13.
Chatterjee D, Biswas K, Nag S, Ramachandra S. G. and Das Sarma J. (2013) Microglia Play a Major Role in Direct Viral-Induced Demyelination. Clinical and Developmental Immunology, 2013:510396. doi: 10.1155/2013/510396.
Shindler KS*, Chatterjee D*, Biswas K, Goyal A, Dutt M, Nassrallah M, Khan RS, Das Sarma J. (2011). Macrophage-mediated optic neuritis induced by retrograde axonal transport of spike gene recombinant mouse hepatitis virus. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, 70(6):470-80. doi: 10.1097/NEN.0b013e31821da499. (* equal contribution)
Conference proceedings
Biswas K, Addya S, Choe A, Fortina P, Kenyon LC, Shindler KS, Cohrs RJ, Das Sarma J. Innate immune signalling initiates B cell response in viral induced demyelination, Conference Paper, Journal of Neurovirology, 12th International symposium on Neurovirology, 2013.
Biswas K, Kenyon LC, Das Sarma J. Axonal Transport Limits Virus Induced Demyelination, Conference Paper, Journal of Neurovirology, 10th International symposium on Neurovirology, 2010.
Presidency University Students Corner