June 2023-August 2023 – Assistant Project Scientist – University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
January 2023-June 2023 - Microbial Glycobiology Specialist – University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
January 2017-December 2022 – Postdoctoral researcher – University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
August 2009-July 2010 – Project Assistant – Bose Institute, Kolkata, India.
August 2008-July 2009 – Lecturer – Siliguri College, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, India.
Research Interests
The research interest of the lab is in microbial glycobiology (study of glycans or carbohydrates), primarily of the human gut microbes. Like any other epithelial lining of the human body, the gastrointestinal tract is covered by a protective layer called mucus. Mucus is important in maintaining gut homeostasis as well as in the modulation gut microbiome. It is primarily composed of the gel-forming family of proteins called mucins, which are heavily glycosylated with the glycan chains terminated with nine-carbon monosaccharides called sialic acid. The unique location, cellular occurrence, and biochemical properties of sialic acids greatly impact microbial interactions in human niches, including in the gastrointestinal tract. Utilizing molecular biology, cell biology and microbiological tools, we are interested in expanding our knowledge of how different gut commensals and pathogens interact with and metabolise mucus carbohydrates to establish themselves in this niche.
Awards & Fellowships
2021 – Poster Award - Annual Meeting of the Society for Glycobiology
