Graduate Student - Ph.D.

Biology

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata

Prasad N G, Tridib Ganguly

Antibacterial immunity of Drosophila melanogaster in relation to life-history related traits

Having a background in Chemistry and Biochemistry in my bachelors and masters respectively, I chose to work in the field of evolution as I believe it constitutes the fundamentals of biology (Inspired by Dobzhansky's quote). The primary focus of my PhD research (November, 2007 – 2011) was to assay antibacterial immune response in Drosophila melanogaster in relation to life-history related traits. We used model host-pathogen system which was more close to natural interaction in wild as a wide genetic variation exists in outbred host population and Serratia marcescens is a potent natural fly pathogen (commonly used as a model system in the studies of evolutionary ecology of immune response). The key challenges of my PhD work were to establish the relationships between various events of life-history with immunity. We considered the effect of mate identity (body size) on the fitness consequences (immunity, fecundity etc.) of females (Imroze and Prasad 2011a). If mating with certain male phenotype incurs a fitness cost in females, this can potentially affect life-history consequences. As life history accounts for the schedule of reproduction and mortality of an organism, aging of immune response is expected to affect the fate of final outcome of organism’s life-history. We evaluated immune system with the progression of aging as it influences survivorship heavily and addressed the role of parental aging on life-history of its progeny in terms of immunity as one of the major component of fitness. Further, sex of an organism defines the life-history of strategies in the most significant way. We, therefore, evaluated antibacterial immune defense with respect to sex-specificity in events such as fitness related traits (Imroze and Prasad 2011b), environment, mating decision and selection. In addition to my organismal work, I have also looked at the molecular response at transcriptomic level by Differential Display RT-PCR and reverse Northern blot. I have studied the change in host protein expression due to infection by 2D gel electrophoresis coupled with MS-MS and identified the candidates which may have a role in infection mediated decline in fecundity. I tried to understand the role of juvenile hormone and ecdysone in infection mediated drop in reproductive fitness of female D. melanogaster by using semi-quantitative RT-PCR to detect the change in the expression level of enzymes involved in hormone biosynthetic pathway.

(Very recently I have also been associated with ‘‘Cataloging bacterial biodiversity in Sunderban region, India at the backdrop of climate change.”)

2006 • Received the MIUR (Govt. of Italy) research fellowship as a visiting researcher to work in Ca’ Foscari University of Venezia and Protolife Srl in 2006.

2004 • Qualified in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) of Biological Science, conducted by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Human Resource Development (HRD), Govt. of India in 2004.

2004 • Qualified in National Eligibility Test (NET) for Biological Science conducted by CSIR-UGC, Center for Scientific and Industrial Research, United Grant Commission, Govt. of India in June 2004.

2004 • Received the MIUR (Govt. of Italy) research fellowship for one year to work in Ca’ Foscari University of Venezia and Protolife Srl in 2006.

2002 • Awarded Merit Certificate by St. Xavier's College, Kolkata in 2002 for securing first position in BSc (Bachelors of Science) Part II examination (Chemistry major)

1999 • Awarded National Merit Certificate for excellence (passed with distinction) in Higher Secondary examination by WBCHSE, India

1997 • Awarded National Merit Certificate for excellence (passed with distinction) in Secondary examination by WBBSE, India