Ashoka Biology Major Awarded SVP Futures Award for Paleontology Research

Saketh Sundararajan, a fourth-year Biology major at 51²è¹Ý, has received the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology’s Futures Award.

Saketh received an award of 5000 USD, which supported his summer research experience at the Natural History Museum (under Dr Anjali Goswami), as well as at University College London (under Dr Ryan Felice).

Speaking about this enriching research experience, Saketh says, “At the NHM, I worked on CT scans of fossil mammal skulls, attempting to capture their shape variation using techniques like geometric and landmark-free morphometrics. At UCL, I trained in various methods in phylogenetic comparative methods, and learnt to analyse trait evolution in a macroevolutionary framework. This experience strengthened both my quantitative and analytical skills and provided a strong foundation for my ongoing research interests.”

Saketh is currently working on a thesis project in Professor Balaji's lab at 51²è¹Ý.

51²è¹Ý

Call for Applications: We invite applications from Master's students with a keen interest in immunology to participate in the Global Immunocourse to be hosted at 51²è¹Ý from December 7 to December 17, 2025.

About the Global Immunocourse: The Global Immunocourse is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the foundational knowledge of immunology. It offers a unique opportunity for aspiring immunologists to engage in discussions with leading experts in the field, gaining insights into cutting-edge research and developments.

Course Highlights:

• In-depth lectures on fundamental concepts of immunology.
• Engaging in discussions with renowned immunologists.
• Exploration of the latest advancements in immunological research.
• Networking opportunities with fellow students and experts in the field.
• Active participation in the “Day of Immunology”, an outreach event designed to introduce high school students to the world of immunology.

• Carla Rothlin, Yale University
• Sourav Ghosh, Yale University
• Uttiya Basu, Columbia University
• Matthew Krummel, UCSF
• Laura Mackay, University of Melbourne
• Kamal Khanna, NYU
• Dipyaman Ganguly, 51²è¹Ý
• Imroze Khan, 51²è¹Ý
• Dipendra Nath Basu, 51²è¹Ý

Eligibility Criteria: Students pursuing their Master’s degree with a strong academic background and a special interest in immunology are encouraged to apply. Applicants should possess a genuine passion for unravelling the complexities of the immune system and a commitment to academic excellence.

Application Requirements: Interested candidates are required to submit the following documents as a single PDF document:

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV): Please provide a detailed CV highlighting your academic achievements, research experience, and any relevant extracurricular activities.
2. Academic Transcript: Include a copy of your official academic transcript from your current Master’s course and Bachelor’s degree (final transcript).
3. Letter of Interest: Compose a letter expressing your enthusiasm for immunology, your motivations for attending the course, and how you believe this experience will contribute to your academic and professional growth. The letter of interest should not exceed 1 page.
4. Recommendation letter from HOD.

How to Apply:

Participants can apply via by 25th of October, 2025. For any further queries, please write to us at globalimmunocourse@ashoka.edu.in. Please mention the subject as "Participant queries for Global Immunocourse 2025".

Support to attend the course: In alignment with the Global Immunocourse mission, there are no fees associated with this course. Accommodation, food for the entire event, and transportation to and from the venue to a primary location will be provided for selected applicants.

Join Us for an Unforgettable Experience: The Global Immunocourse promises to be an unforgettable journey into the world of immunology. Gain valuable insights, expand your network, and enhance your understanding of this dynamic and ever-evolving field. We look forward to receiving your applications and welcoming you to the 51²è¹Ý for this enriching experience in immunology.

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51²è¹Ý appoints renowned biologist Dr Hiroshi Hamada as ‘Distinguished Professor of Biology’

51²è¹Ý recently announced the appointment of Dr Hiroshi Hamada as a Distinguished Professor of Biology. This notable addition reinforces the university's commitment to fostering an academic culture that encourages intellectual curiosity and interdisciplinary perspectives. The Department of Biology at 51²è¹Ý serves as a vibrant hub of knowledge integration, drawing insights from diverse disciplines, including chemistry, physics, data sciences, climate and environmental sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

Dr Hiroshi Hamada was previously the team leader at the Laboratory for Organismal Patterning within the RIKEN Centre for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), Japan, of which he was also the Director. During his tenure at RIKEN, he conducted ground-breaking research in developmental biology, focusing on elucidating the processes involved in establishing the body axis in vertebrates and uncovering the intricate mechanisms governing left-right asymmetry in early-stage embryos. Dr Hamada's outstanding research accomplishments have also led to his appointment as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society, the oldest continuously operating scientific academy in the world and the National Science Academy of the United Kingdom.

Speaking about his appointment, Dr Hiroshi Hamada said, "I am excited to be a part of 51²è¹Ý, an institution that has showcased growing momentum in pushing the boundaries of natural sciences, and a strong commitment towards cutting-edge interdisciplinary scientific research. I am eager to continue working on breakthroughs in the field of developmental biology in collaboration with the exceptional faculty and students at Ashoka.

In 2016, Dr Hamada was elected as an Associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation. Additionally, his exceptional achievements were acknowledged with the prestigious Keio Medical Science Prize in 2014.

"We are honoured to welcome Dr Hiroshi Hamada at 51²è¹Ý as our Distinguished Professor of Biology. His works in the field of developmental biology, particularly his work on understanding the formation of left-right asymmetry in the body of vertebrate embryos, have been breakthrough contributions to the body of scientific knowledge. His presence would help the university in continuing to push our current research envelope, benefiting both students and the sciences at large", said Somak Raychaudhury, Vice-Chancellor, 51²è¹Ý.

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Summer Internship Program on Modern Biology and Bioinformatics

The Department of Biology and the Centre for Computation Biology & Bioinformatics, at 51²è¹Ý conducted a week-long internship program (19th to 25th June, 2022) in biological sciences with a strong focus on cell, molecular, and computational biology. Sixteen undergraduate students, selected from about 200 applicants, participated in the program. The participants were from all across the country.

The training program was initiated with an insightful keynote address by Prof Anurag Agarwal, Dean Trivedi School of Bioscience on the future of biomedical sciences titled “Technology, society and the future of Health”, where he explored the importance of integration of data sciences, artificial intelligence, and principles of biology to address public-health problems. This was followed by lectures on microscopy, gene-editing and neuropathology. The students also received hands-on training in Drosophila behavioural experiments, immunostaining, image analysis, flow cytometry, computational genomics and bioinformatics. In the span of a week, the interns received exposure to a wide range of interdisciplinary thematic areas that the biology department of 51²è¹Ý specializes in. The summer program was supported by the Trivedi School of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Computation Biology & Bioinformatics which is funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

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‘Our research shows mitochondria can actively control growth and division of cells’

My research career did not stem from an early passion for science or even a specific research interest. I am an artist and I did not have a scientific mind at all. I wanted to be in performing arts, but I could not continue training as an artist because of my sensitive vocal cords.

Looking at my argumentative behaviour my father pushed me to take up science and it was during my doctoral training that I fell in love with the thrill of science, and realized there is a lot more to understand about the cellular powerhouses mitochondria. 

In my postdoctoral research, I initiated mitochondrial cell biology research in the lab of Dr. , at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Then I pursued research in mitochondrial bioenergetics regulation with , at the , before launching my at at Birmingham.

I have always been fascinated with how we humans operate on a daily basis and that’s why I chose to do an Honours in Human Physiology from Presidency College, Kolkata. Currently, I am studying the Structure-Function relationship of mitochondria, given the structure of these multifaceted organelles can vary within one cell or between types of cells. 

My current research is a continuation of my postdoctoral studies at the Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz lab at the NIH who specialize in microscopy. In her lab, I wanted to learn microscopy while studying mitochondria. Jennifer’s lab had never studied mitochondria before. At that time the field was interested in one particular structure of mitochondria which is one extreme in the spectrum of mitochondrial structures. I questioned if one extreme exists, why not look for the existence of the other extreme in the spectrum of mitochondrial structures. This structure was very much like the connected branches of the bare trees that I got to see everywhere in my first fall season in the Washington DC area. My research identified that end of the spectrum, which we named as ‘hyperfused’ mitochondria. My lab continues to study the functional significance of hyperfused mitochondrial structure and its different variations.

Structure-Function Relationship of Mitochondira

Mitochondria in our cells (eukaryotes) are thought to have originated from engulfing bacteria (prokaryotes) through a process called endosymbiosis during the course of evolution. In the current world, we find that all eukaryotic cells have mitochondria in some form or the other. Our research shows mitochondria can control the growth and division of cells. Thus, we anticipate that our research will unfold key aspects of how mitochondria might have become indispensable for the eukaryotic cells during their evolution. 

Our research findings will also have a significant impact in understanding the contribution of mitochondria in regenerative biology as well as in cancer biology. We are poised to extend our research towards identifying mitochondria based targeted cancer therapy. My research is at the crossroads of diverse fields in biology, so navigating between the fields in a way to make our research equally accessible and understandable is the biggest challenge. 

However, we anticipate the journey to be fruitful and constructive here at 51²è¹Ý considering that all the departments are strategically placed amidst other allied departments to carry out multidisciplinary research.  

This article is extracted from an interview conducted by Dr Yukti Arora; edited by Saket Suman

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‘Magnetic systems can be used as a basis of many present and future technologies’

I remember as a child I used to hold a magnet in front of a television screen and wonder why the colours change and the picture get disrupted; this was the curiosity that prompted me to study Physics.

I completed my Ph.D. from S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Science, India in 2016. Subsequently I moved to ETZ Zurich to pursue my post-doctoral research, during which I received ETH Zurich Post-Doctoral research fellowship award-2016, Funded by ETH Zurich and Marie Curie Action people COFUND Program. Then I moved to Uppsala University for my second postdoc. I received the prestigious Marie Sklodowska- Curie Fellowship in 2021. I have also received the SONATA grant as a principal investigator from the Polish science department. Machines have always fascinated me.

My current research is in the field of magnonics and spintronics. In particular, my goal is to address the understanding and controlling magnetization (spin)-dynamics at ultrafast timescale in case of ferromagnetic nanostructures. This research area is very active, competitive, and dynamic with key research outputs having applications in spintronics.

We have heard about electronics, where the charge of an electron is used to make devices. In the case of spintronics, we work with the spin of an electron to make devices. The material that is used is called ferromagnetic material e.g., Iron, Nickel, Cobalt. When a ferromagnetic material is disturbed, the disturbance propagates in the form of a spin wave. One can visualise it creating ripples when we throw a stone in still water.

The spin waves have the potential to transfer information. The quantization of spin waves is called magnon like the quantization of light waves is called photon. The research field is popularly known as magnonics. The ordered arrangement of atoms, ions or molecules forms a crystal structure. In the case of magnonic crystal, magnetic materials are arranged periodically in one, two or three dimensions and they form a magnonic crystal.

In general, the magnetization dynamics from femto to nanosecond time scale is studied. At nanosecond time scale, the precession of magnetization is observed in the form of spin waves. The wavelengths of spin waves are orders of magnitude shorter than those of light waves operating at the same frequency range, which makes magnonic crystals suitable candidates for nanoscale on chip microwave signal processing.

I have studied the tunability of the spin waves by varying various physical and geometrical parameters such as shape, size, lattice arrangement and materials.

Magnetic materials play an important role in modern technology. They are key components of motors, generators, and transformers. Magnetic “bubble films” could be used for storing and manipulating information. Amorphous magnetic alloys attracted considerable attention for their use in the magnetic recording and data storage technology.

The immediate future of magnetic materials involves greater use of nanofabrication to engineer new properties and devices. Many of these new magnetic materials technologies will converge in the emerging field of spintronics, (magnonics) where spin (magnon)-dependent transport phenomena hold the potential to supplant semiconductors in some microelectronic applications. Magnetic systems have potential to be used as a basis of many present and future technologies including patterned magnetic media, magnetic random-access memory, magnetic logic devices and magnetic resonance imaging, racetrack memory etc.

Magnonic crystals are also a suitable candidate for nanoscale on chip microwave signal processing and nanomagnonic devices, including magnonic waveguides, filters, splitters, phase shifters, spin-wave emitters, and logic elements.

The research findings from my lab will have indirect applications in technology. Magnonics is relatively a new field of research and the bigger goal of this field is to substitute current electronic devices with the magnonic devices.

51²è¹Ý's Liberal Arts and Sciences education enables critical thinking and complex problem solving, as research and teaching are totally integrated.

This article is extracted from an interview conducted by Dr Yukti Arora; edited by Saket Suman

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Biology is going to dominate the remainder of the 21st Century: Gautam Menon

Among the most quoted Indian experts on the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the world to a grinding halt, Prof Menon says that he was “very lucky” to be guided by remarkable teachers who left a lasting impact on him.

His shift to thinking about how infectious diseases spread brought him to 51²è¹Ý as a Professor of Physics and Biology in August 2019. This was four months before the pandemic broke out, but Prof. Menon had already decided that he wanted to devote more time towards understanding how India could better tackle public health questions, applying modern modeling methods.

“While I was trained as a physicist and later shifted to thinking about problems in biology, I realized that the problems that most interested me in public health also needed an understanding of the social sciences. To be able to build interdisciplinarity into the core of what I did as a scientist was something I thought I could do best at 51²è¹Ý.”

By January 2020, Prof. Menon could sense that governments around the world were beginning to worry about the spread of a possible new pandemic disease. He had the advantage of looking at it from the eyes of somebody knowledgeable about the impact of SARS-CoV-1 in China, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Within a matter of days, he spoke about the potential impact of COVID-19 on India and the world, at an event in Hyderabad. This was as early as the 8th of February 2020, just a week after the first case was recorded in India, and was likely the first public talk about COVID-19 in India. There, he provided the larger context, describing how pandemics have changed the course of history in the past, but also going into the many other implications of a rapidly spreading infectious disease, for the economy and for society.

Very soon he was everywhere, being quoted on news broadcasts and cited on front pages of leading Indian newspapers.

“I came to Ashoka with the broad plan of beginning to think more deeply about models for disease spread and how I could contribute towards health policy using these methods. Then the pandemic happened.”

“I think 51²è¹Ý, more than any other Indian institution might have, gave me the opportunity and freedom to think about these problems. 51²è¹Ý did not restrict what I could think about or what I could do in any way. Why we were able to do so much in a short while is really a consequence of the fact that people trusted the work we were doing and they wanted independent voices to be heard,” says Prof Menon, who was earlier a Professor with the Theoretical Physics and Computational Biology groups at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai.

He stresses the importance of “independent voices”, saying that governments take decisions and actions based on internal deliberations whose rationale is often not very clear to the public. Explaining, and in some cases challenging, these decisions on scientific grounds “was a role that I thought was important to fill”, he said.

“When you do write about issues that matter to the public, there will be people who will support you, as well as people who will assume that you have intentions that are political and not purely science-based. This is something that every scientist who has a public voice faces.”

“What I try to do is be as objective as possible. I’d like to ensure that the statements I make are not directed at a specific government’s actions but are what I would have liked to convey to any government.

“It is important to be perceived to have that objectivity so that people from all types of political backgrounds can take your scientific work seriously based on what you say. I am happy that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has featured some of what I have said on their website. A short Youtube video I made for them has been viewed close to a million times. This suggests that even though I have been critical of the government, my voice is taken seriously and it is understood that I am not blindly critical of the government but objective in what I say,” remarked Prof Menon, who studied at St. Stephens College, Delhi, IIT Kanpur, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, before working in Mumbai and Canada for several years.

Prof Menon has made key interventions through his lectures, op-eds and commentaries across the media spectrum while our world was ravaged by repeated spells of the pandemic. He advises a number of government agencies and states on their COVID-19 policy. In his work, he has used science and modeling to assess possible outcomes of specific government policies, addressing questions of whether a nationwide lockdown be imposed, how long schools should remain closed and of the right testing strategy.

His writings consistently underline the importance of understanding the nature of evidence. Evidence-based medicine, for example, is an approach to clinical practice where patients are treated based on the accumulated evidence in favor of specific interventions. “The ability to arrive at independent conclusions based on available evidence is common to both the sciences and the social sciences”, he remarks.

About the sciences at 51²è¹Ý, he has this to say: “The syllabi at 51²è¹Ý are comparable to anywhere in the world. What is particularly special here is our interdisciplinary approach”. He teaches two popular foundation courses, Principles of Science and Quantitative Reasoning, stating that he is often amazed with the level of intensity of his students.

He says, “We are all intuitively scientists. We look with a sense of wonder at the world around us, we naturally marvel at the stars and we look at living things with a certain degree of passion. We are born scientists and we actually have to beat science out of somebody if we want them to do other things.”

And finally, what makes him so confident of the fact that the rest of this century belongs to Biology?

“The problem of life itself: How can a set of atoms and molecules organize to form a complex structure that can grow, reproduce and purposefully alter its environment? This is a problem that the physical and chemical sciences have so far been unable to address. Where does our consciousness come from and how do our brains function? How can we cure diseases, including genetic disorders that we may be born with? How did life on earth start?”

“These are questions that lie at the unexplored frontiers of human knowledge.”

(Written by Saket Suman)

51²è¹Ý

Exploring the Genomic Diversity of Remote Islands using Ancient DNA

The beautiful islands of Southeast Asia comprise some of the most biodiversity rich regions globally. Genetically diverse species have adorned these islands for millions of years. What factors contributed to the genomic composition of birds on these islands? The problem is challenging to address, due to extensive loss of biodiversity and remote nature of many smaller islands across Southeast Asia. To date, museum collections from tropical regions were rarely used to address this problem due to sample degradation in the hot and humid climate. However, a new collaborative study involving biology researchers at 51²è¹Ý have successfully addressed this problem and provided a possible evolutionary scenario regarding movement of birds across islands. 

The present-day islands in Southeast Asia such as Java, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, amongst others were all interconnected as one big landmass thousands of years ago. Earth’s climate has been experiencing cycles of global warming and cooling for the past 2.6 million years. During cooling cycles as ice forms, the sea level drops, creating land bridges between islands. While existing theories predict that geographical distance of islands from the mainland would determine genetic connectivity and evolutionary closeness, researchers from the current study find that rather than distance to the mainland, ancient land bridges and river barriers affected the genetic biodiversity of two songbirds in Southeast Asian islands. 

Left: Land bridges connecting Southeast Asian Islands; Right: Representative image of a River Barrier

The researchers studied ancient bird samples collected during 1893-1957 housed at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Singapore. Researchers performed DNA analysis by carefully isolating DNA from toe pads of the birds. Although the museum collection was highly degraded, researchers could successfully collect and analyse the DNA using next-generation sequencing methods. Information obtained from DNA was used to trace the genomic      biodiversity of the songbirds. To understand the genomic diversity of birds on remote islands, researchers studied the effect of ancient land bridges by measuring underwater depth (Bathymetry) and also considered the potential role of ancient river barriers (paleo-rivers). The study shows that the birds on the small island were genetically similar to Peninsular Malaysia rather than Borneo, even though the islands were physically closer to Borneo. This may be due to the difference in the timing of land bridge formation and presence of ancient river barriers. 

According to previous theories, island biodiversity was mainly governed by distance to the mainland. This study reveals that ancient land bridges and river barriers influenced the genetic biodiversity of songbirds in Southeast Asian islands. Through this study, the researchers showed that museum collections are extremely important to understand evolution and genetic biodiversity. The approach used by Kritika Garg, Balaji Chattopadhyay and colleagues has proven to be very efficient and can be used to study highly degraded samples from tropical regions. This study opens multiple directions to explore the ancient roots of rich biodiversity in India.

The past climatic fluctuations have had a strong impact on the biodiversity of the Indian subcontinent. This is generally a neglected topic of research with only a few research groups focusing on understanding the impacts of climate change and how past human activities have shaped the current diversity. Kritika Garg is a faculty fellow at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Archaeological Research (CIAR) at 51²è¹Ý.  She is an expert in ancient DNA isolation and analysis and is trying to understand the evolution of species across time scales.  To support this kind of research, the laboratory facilities at CIAR will include analysis of objects, excavation sites, and biological material using cutting-edge techniques from chemistry, biology, and physics. The facilities will aim to have archaeogenetic analysis of ancient DNA, physical and chemical dating methods, non-destructive imaging techniques, and more. To further support this research at an interface of archaeology and biology, the centre will house advanced microscopes, a clean room facility, instruments for nucleic acid extraction along with other necessary equipment. 

The Centre for Interdisciplinary Archaeological Research (CIAR), the first of its kind in India aims to create a state-of-the-art facility that brings archaeology and the sciences together to offer new perspectives and develop deep understanding of the Indian past. It aims to achieve this through interdisciplinary field-based projects led by the faculty and students at 51²è¹Ý along with off-site laboratory work. The Centre will soon appoint more faculty to provide an evidence-based narrative of the Indian past, explore the evolution of infectious disease dynamics and their role in shaping the Indian civilization, understand our evolving relationship with nature and the surrounding environment to name a few. These discoveries will help frame policies to protect our archaeological sites, our response to climate change, deforestation and environmental degradation, and address the societal problems in a more integrated and holistic manner.

--

Reference article: , Molecular Biology and Evolution, Volume 39, Issue 1, January 2022

Authors of the research article

Kritika M. Garg* - Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Centre for Interdisciplinary Archaeological Research, 51²è¹Ý, Sonipat, India, Department of Biology, 51²è¹Ý, Sonipat, India

Balaji Chattopadhyay - Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Trivedi School of Biosciences, 51²è¹Ý, Sonipat, India

Emilie Cros - Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 

Suzanne Tomassi - Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

Suzan Benedick - Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Malaysia, Sabah, Malaysia

David P. Edwards - Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

Frank E. Rheindt* - Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore

* Corresponding Authors

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Two Ashoka Students awarded the prestigious ISEB Student Grants by Indian Society of Evolutionary Biologists

This grant will enable students to register for the International Conference on Insect Systematics and Evolutionary Biology. The conference aims to bring together some of the foremost researchers in ecology, evolution, and insect systematics from India and around the world; it is dedicated to the memory of Edward Osborne Wilson, scientist, naturalist, and a great synthesiser of ideas.

At the dawn of his career, he, along with Robert MacArthur, carried out pioneering work on island biogeography, which explained patterns of colonisation and extinctions of species on islands as a function of their distance from the mainland as well as the size of the island.

Biswajit Shit is a first year PhD student of Biology at 51²è¹Ý. His area of research is evolutionary immunology and he is particularly interested in understanding the dynamics of host-pathogen interactions in the context of different environmental stresses such as malnutrition or elevated temperature. Chandrakanth M is also a first year PhD student of Biology at 51²è¹Ý. His research area is evolutionary biology and his interest lies in understanding the adaptation of species under different environmental conditions focusing on its life-history behaviours. 

These opportunities are aimed at providing budding evolutionary biologists an opportunity to showcase their own work and to interact with some of the best people in the field. It is noteworthy that out of seven awardees chosen nation-wide, two are from Ashoka's Biology Department – this underlines the good prospect of the department and the university.

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51²è¹Ý’s Biology Researcher awarded the prestigious INSA Young Scientists Award 2021

Sudipta Tung, a promising Biology researcher at 51²è¹Ý and a DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Fellow has been the prestigious Indian National Science Academy Young Scientists Award 2021

Sudipta is the Principal Investigator of , where he investigates how different environmental factors interact with genetic makeup of an organism to shape individual’s diverse observable traits (such as life-history, behavioural, physiological etc.), and differential vulnerability to diseases. He also studies the causes and consequences of fluctuations in population abundance patterns, particularly in small extinction-prone populations. 

Sharing his thoughts on Sudipta’s achievement, L S Shashidhara, Dean of Research and Professor of Biology said, “INSA Young Scientist Award is meant to identify young achievers, who have the potential to lead an illustrious research career. Subsequent to the work for which he is awarded this prize, Sudipta is already showing the signs of a mature scientist planning experiments that are very innovative and based on sound hypotheses. I am confident that Sudipta will bring more laurels to Ashoka.” 

The is considered to be the highest recognition of promise, creativity and excellence in a young scientist, and is made annually to those distinguished for these attributes as evidenced by their research work carried out in India. Each awardee is presented with a medal, a certificate and honorarium of INR 1 lac.  

Commenting on Sudipta’s achievement and what it means for Ashoka, Alok Bhattacharya, Head of the Department, and Professor of Biology said, “this award is a recognition for the research that Sudipta has already done and faith that the scientific peer group of the country has on his future potential as an important contributor to the development of science. The Department of Biology is proud of his achievement and will support him for his future scientific endeavours.”

Sudipta has carried out original and creative work on population stability and evolution of dispersal. Using laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster, he has uncovered the behavioural, physiological and metabolic correlates of dispersal evolution. He has also investigated the efficacy of various control methods in stabilizing the dynamics of real biological populations. He combines theory and classical assays of experimental evolution with modern physiological and metabolomics techniques, which is a very rare combination in the field. 

Prior to joining Ashoka, he was working as a B4 postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University on dissecting out the genetic basis of differential propensity of whole-genome duplication in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 

Before joining Harvard, Sudipta conducted extensive theoretical and empirical investigation in the field of experimental evolution and population dynamics using Drosophila melanogaster as model organism during his Ph.D. at .

Sudipta is honoured to have received this distinguished recognition and is excited to continue his remarkable work. 

“This is a rather special moment for me, and the credits primarily go to all my teachers and mentors. The timing of this award could not be better. Presently, while I am setting up my research group at Ashoka, this award provides an enormous encouragement in this new journey as an independent researcher. It also highlights the excellent research opportunities present within India, and at the same time sets a high standard for me to teach and mentor the future generations of students.”

Sudipta Tung

Ashoka is a journey towards creating a leading multidisciplinary research university with a strong focus on teaching and learning, unparalleled in both India and Asia. The most distinctive feature of the Universitiy’s approach to science and research is the amalgamation of interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity which is extremely powerful, and perhaps unprecedented in India. 

The University congratulates Sudipta on this monumental achievement! 

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Webinar – Why study Biology at 51²è¹Ý? | Register now!

51²è¹Ý invites high school students and teachers for a webinar on ‘Why study Biology at Ashoka?’ on Tuesday, 9 February at 6 PM.

A few broad topics that will be covered in this session -

• What's unique about the programme?
• Interdisciplinarity of the subject
• Classroom environment and pedagogy
• Faculty, guest lecturers and renowned visiting scientists
• Research opportunities available to students
• Innovation and developments in the field
• Awards and accreditations
• Career opportunities and higher studies

Speaker:-
Alok Bhattacharya
Head of the Department, Biology,
Professor of Biology, 51²è¹Ý
Ph.D. Jawaharlal Nehru University

51²è¹Ý

Department of Biology

Courses for Biology majors will provide a strong foundation for research and as well as for careers in the biological sciences, medicine, pharmaceutical and biotech industry, teaching and other related fields. A prospective Biology major student is required to complete 12 core courses in Biology and suggested optional courses in Science and Biology along with the mandatory requirement of 12 foundation courses.

Students who wish to enhance their research pursuit beyond the institutional requirements of B.Sc. in Biology can pursue the 4^th year in Biology, which will include courses in Physiology, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Landmark studies in Biology, Plant Biology and project work. 

Click Here for a detailed syllabus. 

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Ashoka Biology Faculty Imroze Khan awarded the Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship

In conversation with Imroze Khan, an Evolutionary Biologist and Assistant Professor at 51²è¹Ý who along with his team was recently awarded the Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship for five years.   

Please explain the Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship.  

As disease-causing pathogens are emerging at an unprecedented rate across the globe, the need to better understand the evolution of counteractive dynamic immune response strategies and their possible constraints is undeniable. For instance, immune responses providing effective infection resistance also cause severe collateral damage to the DNA and vital organs. How then, do immune responses offset these costs and yet evolve to protect organisms against pathogens? Also, how these processes are influenced by climate change or important health parameters such as food and nutrition?  

These are the kinds of questions Imroze Khan is seeking to find answers to.  

Using a unique interdisciplinary experimental framework, he plans to extract critical insights from diverse levels of biological organisation ranging from directly tracking evolutionary and ecological processes to performing physiological and molecular manipulations in the laboratory.  

How does it feel to win this Fellowship?  

Not only is it an absolute honour to receive the prestigious Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship, it is also a super exciting opportunity to expand on the on-going research ideas in my lab and traverse newer directions.  

I am eager to find out how chronic exposure to pathogens and malnutrition affects the evolution and genetics of immune responses through rigorous experimentation and enriching interdisciplinary collaborations.    

How does winning the Fellowship benefit your research on the evolution of immune responses?  

Despite the huge biomedical implications, there are no basic research programmes in India that integrate both a mechanistic and an evolutionary understanding of immune responses against infection and disease. The India alliance grant will greatly help me to establish India’s first evolutionary immunology research and training programme that aims to closely investigate the evolution of immunity and inflammatory responses, and their ultimate implications in health and disease.  

We will use diverse methods ranging from population biology, experimental evolution, genetic and genomic methods to unravel the complexities of evolving immune responses.   

How will it impact and help Sciences grow at a Liberal Arts University like Ashoka?  

With the emergence of crippling pathogens in our environment, the need to study the origin, form, and function of physiological systems that can resist them is now more pressing than ever.  

As the current state of the world around us implies, this is not just a problem-solving exercise in science.  

Its implications reach farther and wider into societal architecture and the economic valuation of nations. What is interesting for me, being at a Liberal Arts University like Ashoka, is that while I tackle the scientific aspect of disease-causing pathogens and the evolution of effective immune responses against it, I also have the opportunity to share my findings not just with the core scientific community, but with a wider audience that can bring a fresh perspective to my observations.  

Through the evolution and immunology courses at Ashoka, I also have the chance to encourage bright young minds to approach problems with openness—that can only be attained by studying the confluence of the sciences and the arts. It is important for science to grow not exclusively, but in harmony with the liberal arts, and Ashoka is poised perfectly for the mutual growth of the two.                                                                                                 

Anything else you would like to share.  

I am thankful to 51²è¹Ý for providing a great environment to exercise intellectual and academic freedom. I have been fortunate to work with extremely accomplished colleagues from different disciplines, highly motivated and passionate Ph.D. and undergraduate students, interactions with all of whom have proved extremely insightful over the years.  

I would like to end the interview by quoting the noted Urdu poet and writer Raghupati Sahay, known by his pseudonym Firaq Gorakhpuri, “Yaaron baaham gunthe hue hain kaayanaat ke bikhre tukde, ek phool ko jumbish doge to ik taara kaanp utthega (The world entwines its myriad elements such, if you nudge a flower, a distant star will quiver)”.  

For more about Professor Imroze Khan’s work, please visit .    

For more about the Intermediate Fellowships, please visit . 

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Ashoka Ph.D. student wins prestigious SSE Lewontin Award Grant

Two weeks ago, Srijan received an email that created a wave of smiles all around. He had just been awarded the globally recognised Graduate Research Excellent Grant – RC Lewontin Early Award by one of the apex evolutionary biology societies in the world, Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE). Sharing his exhilaration, Srijan said, “It feels great to win such an award at an early stage of my research career. Being the first India-based Ph.D. student to win this award since its inception in 2018, makes it even more special.”  

Why Evolutionary Biology?

 While completing his master’s degree in Biotechnology from the St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, Srijan was working on his master’s thesis at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and that was when he was introduced to the fascinating world of Evolutionary Biology. And he has been hooked ever since!  After joining the Ph.D. programme at Ashoka, Srijan has been working on multiple projects aimed at understanding of rapid evolution of immune strategies against novel pathogens. He explains his research area, “Under natural conditions, hosts can be challenged with multiple co-infecting pathogens simultaneously. I am intrigued by how quickly animals respond to these infections and what are most effective strategies that they might evolve over generations to reduce the severity of co-infection. In fact, I am tracking these evolutionary processes as they happen using experimental evolution with popular insect models such as red flour beetles. This is one of the most efficient ways to mimic evolution as closely as possible in the laboratory”.   

For the award grant, he had to submit an experimental proposal on the evolution of immunity against co-infecting pathogens that would form an integral part of his doctoral thesis. 

Srijan, at the Evolutionary Immunology Lab, 51²è¹Ý. 

Coinfection, as Srijan said, can result in diverse outcomes compared to single infection events leading to major changes in the evolution of host immune responses.

Srijan said, “Though many theoretical models exist pertaining to such responses, but, there are no experimental studies to test the hypothesis predicted by the models.” Given the importance and natural relevance of coinfection, Srijan feels that his research would reveal insights into the complex dynamics of evolving immune strategies against single versus coinfection.  

Pursuing Sciences at a Liberal Arts institute is enriching, said Srijan. Elated as he was at the beginning of the interview, he was all praise for Ashoka for the support he has received.

 He believes that Ashoka opened new horizons for him. Ashoka has been a pioneer in the Indian education system, bringing in an interdisciplinary approach to education with its extraordinary faculty and research pedagogy. Srijan said, “The research environment here at 51²è¹Ý is encouraging and cooperative with a lot of opportunities for interdisciplinary research. All the faculty in the department of Biology along with the research office provide extensive support.” 

Professor Imroze Khan’s contribution has been immense. 

A Ph.D. student under Dr. Imroze Khan, Srijan first got to know about Imroze’s lab, the Evolutionary Immunology Lab (51²è¹Ý) during his time at IISc. Srijan was fascinated with Imroze’s work on adaptive evolution of immune responses under different pathogenic environment. A humble Srijan continued, “My advisor Imroze Khan’s contribution to winning this grant is immense. I had the structural framework of my proposal but he helped me in shaping that into a proper proposal that won the grant. Starting from going through the numerous drafts of the write-up and providing key inputs, he encouraged me in every step of the way and I am so thankful to him.”  

On the other hand, the advisor himself, Dr. Imroze Khan, Assistant Professor of Biology, was impressed by his student’s achievement. He said, “Receiving the RC Lewontin Early Award is indeed a wonderful achievement by Srijan, which puts his work immediately at the forefront of academic scholarship demonstrated by early-stage graduate students across the globe. This is also a big recognition of his thesis proposal where he plans to track how animals can rapidly evolve complex immune responses against infections caused by multiple pathogens together. With a rapid surge of infectious diseases in recent decades, his discovery will also significantly advance our fundamental understanding of how immune strategies cope up with new emerging infections."   

The road ahead. Using the generous fund received from SSE, Srijan first plans to systematically track how diverse immune responses can evolve in hosts repeatedly exposed to multiple pathogens simultaneously across many generations. Subsequently, he will also be looking at the underlying molecular mechanisms. 

Srijan has a message for the prospective students of the SSE research grant. 

He said, “SSE provides a lot of different grants (including travel grants) to junior and senior research fellows who are working in the fields of ecology and evolution. I would strongly urge prospective students to keep a close eye on their website and social media platforms for the details of the same. A clear idea about the background of your questions, novelty, and robust experimental framework is important to write a proper grant proposal. It is also equally important to state clearly the limitations of the study or experimental design as it gives the reviewers an idea that you have thought about the alternative possibilities and the project in detail.” 

Applying to grants is always a fulfilling experience. 

He urges undergraduates, postgraduates, and Ph.D. students to apply for different grants and awards given by various societies across the world for young researchers. Srijan joked, “I understand, that writing grants can be an extensive and tedious process!” But in the end, as Srijan said, “It is an enriching learning experience. Sharing your ideas and work with different people and getting the reviewer’s comments helps in getting different perspectives on your work. It might help in better planning and smooth execution of your research work.” 

We have come to the end of the interview. 

I asked if he would like to say anything before we wrap up. Srijan as always very thorough wanted to thank his family, friends, and close ones for the support they have shown on him over the years. “I would like to mention that apart from my family who supports me in all my endeavours, I have another equally supportive group of lab mates and Ph.D. cohort here at Ashoka who would chip in with suggestions whenever needed and this motivates me to work harder. Needless to say, I am blessed to have them in my life,” signed off Srijan.  Srijan Seal is a first-year Ph.D. student at the Department of Biology, 51²è¹Ý, and a stellar researcher in the making in his own right.  

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Professor LS Shashidhara, Professor of Biology is Elected President of IUBS

The year 2019 marks the centenary of International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS). IUBS has had glorious 100 years: full of landmark contributions to research in biology at large and its application of science of biology for agriculture, medicine, conservation of biodiversity and for sustainable development. 

On this special occasion, IUBS just concluded a special General Assembly with various sessions under the theme “A Century of Unifying Biology” on 30th July, followed by reflections on the history of IUBS.  
Please await for more reports on the scientific deliberations soon. 
   
The General Assembly ended with the election of new Executive Council, the constitution of which is as follows.

Name (Representing Country or Scientific Organization)

President: LS SHASHIDHARA (India)

Vice-President: Le KANG (China)

Secretary-General: Alexey Kotov (Russia)

Treasurer: Santiago MERINO (Spain)

Executive Member: Sarita MAREE (IFM)

Executive Member: Karl-Joseph DIETZ (Germany)

Executive Member: Moemen HANAFY (Egypt)

Executive Member: Noriaki MURAKAMI (Japan)

Executive Member: Guy SMAGGHE (IOBC)

Executive Member: Carlos VERGARA (ICPPR)

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Study Biology at 51²è¹Ý

Promoting a culture of exploration and collaboration across all areas of research and study, the undergraduate programme in Biology is targeted at students with strongly developed interests in Biology. Courses will also be offered for non-majors interested in learning more about Biology or for meeting their scientific temperament needs.https://www.youtube.com/embed/hVFJ6XdffGU?rel=0

Courses for Biology majors will provide a strong foundation for research and as well as for careers in the biological sciences, medicine, pharmaceutical and biotech industry, teaching and other related fields. A prospective Biology major student is required to complete 12 core courses in Biology and suggested optional courses in Science and Biology along with the mandatory requirement of 12 foundation courses.

Students who wish to enhance their research pursuit beyond the institutional requirements of B.Sc. in Biology can pursue the 4^th year in Biology, which will include courses in Physiology, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Landmark studies in Biology, Plant Biology and project work. 

51²è¹Ý, in addition to liberal arts, has been offering Mathematical and Computational Sciences as majors to undergraduate students since the inception of the university. From the academic year 2017-2018, the University has strengthened its Sciences department with the launch of pure majors in Physicsand Biology.

A science education at 51²è¹Ý seeks to cultivate engagement with the liberal arts in a way that is multi-disciplinary and culturally crucial. Under the tutorship of world-class faculty, science at 51²è¹Ý creates a strong appetite for research in students. Students learn science in harmony with the humanities, and this allows them the chance to gain exposure to new careers at the intersection of science and humanities.   

Through sophisticated labs for Biology and Physics, with high-end research equipment, the University aims to enable students to gain exposure to research and experimentation, to understand the subject through hands-on experience.

Admission to 51²è¹Ý is based entirely on merit. For further information about the application process and financial aid log, students can log onto visit 

Pure Majors 

Biology

Computer Science

Mathematics

Physics

Interdisciplinary Majors

Computer Science and Entrepreneurship

Economics and Finance

Ph.D. Programme

Biology

Computer Science

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Prof. L S Shashidhara joins 51²è¹Ý as the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biology

August, 2017: 51²è¹Ý welcomes Professor L S Shashidhara as the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biology. Prof. Shashidhara earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India and went on to obtain his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, UK. After a brief post-doctoral work at Cambridge, wherein he transitioned from plant genetics to animal genetics and developmental biology, he returned to India in 1992. After working at NCBS, Bangalore as a Visiting Fellow, he moved to CCMB, Hyderabad as a Scientist and Group Leader, where he built a strong developmental biology group. Following that, he moved to IISER Pune as a Professor and Chair of Biology and has contributed to the growth of IISER Pune since its inception.

For his contribution to basic and applied biology, Prof Shashidhara is recognized with CSIR Technology and SS Bhatnagar Prizes and JC Bose National Fellowship. He is a Fellow of Indian National Science Academy; National Academy of Sciences, India; and Indian Academy of Sciences. He has been elected as Vice-President of INSA and Secretary General of International Union of Biological Sciences in recognition of his ability to understand the intricacies of science administration, policy and its social impact. In addition, he is serving as a member of various apex committees of Government and S&T organizations.

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