Connect with the INDIAN INSTITUTE of SCIENCE Volume 7 Issue 4 December 2020
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Connect WITH THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE Volume 7 Issue 4 December 2020 Biochemistry Department Anurag Kumar Fighting COVID-19 100 and counting An interview IISc doctors speak ISSN 2454-6232 26 PR Krishnaswamy’s journey A biochemist traces his unconventional career 2 30 Biochemistry’s evolution In conversation with A century of change at the Anurag Kumar Department The former Director on his tenure 6 34 Gilbert Fowler at IISc Melting Himalayan glaciers Biochemistry’s first head The consequences of climate established many lines of research change 10 38 Remembering M Sreenivasaya On the frontlines A trailblazer in fermentation Health Centre doctors talk technology about battling COVID-19 13 42 Savithri’s story Training physician-scientists From student to A collaboration between IISc and Biochemistry Chair CMC Vellore 16 44 The kesari dal mystery Designing behaviour studies Why was it toxic? What it takes to work with humans 18 47 Fighting malaria Adventures at IISc G Padmanaban’s quest A former employee on her campus explorations 22 50 There and back again NSF’s New Director Former Biochemistry students, Alumnus Sethuraman now faculty Panchanathan on his role Editorial The Department of Biochemistry, which turns 100 next year, has stood witness to several watershed moments in India’s history. In this issue, we bring you glimpses of the department’s history and the evolution of its research. Read about the far-reaching work of Gilbert Fowler, its first head; the extraordinary versatility of M Sreenivasaya, whose work in fermentation technology spanned several fields; G Padmanaban’s lifelong commitment to the battle against malaria; and the department’s pioneering work on the now controversial legume – kesari dal. HS Savithri, the first woman Chair at Biochemistry, reminisces about her time at the department. And three alumni of the department, who are now faculty members at the Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, retrace the paths that brought them back to the Institute. Look out for the second part of our profile of PR Krishnaswamy, another alumnus of the Department of Biochemistry, in which he talks about his journey from academia to industry, and back. Also featured in this issue is a unique MD-PhD programme that aims to take biomedical research from the bench to the bedside. In other features, we take a look at why glaciers in the Himalayas are melting, and at the trials and tribulations of conducting neuroscience research to understand human behaviour. We also have interviews with Anurag Kumar, who recently retired as IISc’s Director; alumnus Sethuraman Panchanathan, who has been appointed as the head of the US National Science Foundation; and AV Leelavathi, who spent 38 adventure-filled years at the Institute. As we come to the end of 2020, a year overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we also hear from doctors at the Health Centre, who share their experiences of being at the frontlines. Happy reading! TEAM CONNECT Deepika S, Karthik Ramaswamy, Kavitha Harish, Narmada Khare, Ranjini Raghunath, Samira Agnihotri (Coordinator), Vaishalli Chandra CONTACT Email: [email protected] Phone: 91-80-2293 2066 Address: Office of Communications, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012 http://connect.iisc.ac.in Design: Magnetyz Cover illustration: Ravi Jambhekar Printer: Sri Sudhindra Offset Process connect.iisc.ac.in 1 HOW BIOCHEMISTRY RESEARCH EVOLVED OVER A CENTURY - Narmada Khare From studying indigenous dyes to developing cancer therapies, a look The Department of Biochemistry at IISc turns 100 next year. It holds at the changing priorities of IISc’s the distinction of being the first Department of Biochemistry department dedicated to the studies of biological chemistry in India. In the century since it was established, the department has seen and responded to a world war; a few epidemics; India's struggle for independence; wars with neighbouring nations; and numerous governments with constantly changing ideologies and priorities. Add the myriad interests of the professors heading it to the mix, and what emerges is a rich tapestry of the history of life sciences in the Institute. When tracing the evolution of the department, it becomes clear that the various changes that took place, particularly in the early years, were linked to the socio-economic transformations that the country underwent. The Biochemical Society, 1957 2 connect.iisc.ac.in Early years When the Department of Biochemistry was set up in well as to the scientific curiosity that originally brought 1921, there were only three departments at the Institute: them to IISc. For instance, while studying the natural Electrical Technology, General and Organic Chemistry, history of the lac insects, the same Annual Report and Applied Chemistry (which became Biochemistry). (1921-22) records that the researchers observed “an extraordinary development of honey at certain stages The Department of Biochemistry was not just new, it of lac development.” This ‘honey’ attracted ants that was the first of its kind. There was no blueprint to follow. consumed it together with any potential parasites, thus Older universities like Cambridge too had only recently protecting the lac insect. The department suggested accepted biochemistry as an independent area of that since honeybees were attracted to the ‘lac honey’, science. A new syllabus had to be created for students honey production from beehives could also be a wishing to join the Department, since no Indian by-product of a lac plantation. universities taught bacteriology and biochemistry. Another section in the same Annual Report provides It started firing on all cylinders almost immediately. IISc’s Annual Report for 1921-22 states: “The new further proof of their commitment: a study on coconut activated sludge plant for dealing with a portion of the retting, a practice in coastal areas, was conducted at sewage from the western side of the estate has been the request of the Madras Government. Retting is a completed during the year and should shortly be in process in which coconuts are steeped in water, and operation. It will enable numerous researches on the the fibres are separated from the coconut by the action biochemistry of the nitrogen cycle to be carried out.” of microbes in water. It was observed that the binding With the aim of increasing the production of lac (a material in the coconut fibres was being fermented very resinous secretion by lac insects with several uses fast during the process. A number of water samples including as dye and varnish), the Government of from the west coast were tested, but the analysis Mysore gave land with 200 Shorea talura trees, which showed nothing unusual in the water. The scientists are favoured by lac insects. The Government of Madras then carefully collected samples of coconut from all supplied tamarind from Bezwada district, so that the these areas and steeped their husks in a controlled department could investigate if it was a commercially retting process. Experimentation in aseptic conditions viable source of tartaric acid. Several such requests revealed the presence of at least two different hair-like came pouring in from across the country. bacteria in the husk, which seemed to affect the process adversely. Bacteriology of coconut retting The approach of the scientists in the department became an important line of study after that. illustrates their dedication to commissioned work as hoto courtesy:hoto G Padmanaban P connect.iisc.ac.in 3 This was not science from the ivory tower, but at the were deposited in it. In the coming years, this grassroots. The problems to be solved were tangible ‘National Collection of Type Cultures’ was an and the material to be studied was in the extremely useful resource to screen for organisms neighbourhood. that produced antibiotics and enzymes for specific chemical reactions. Changing priorities Plant biochemistry During the first few years, the structure of the department was simple. It had one professor, and the rest were students or assistants. Specialised sections like Fermentation Technology and Cytology were born later out of widening interests. In the years to come, these sections further branched out, merged, and emerged as independent departments such as Microbiology and Cell Biology (MCB) and Molecular hoto courtesy:hoto IISc Archives Reproduction, Development and Genetics (MRDG) at P the Institute. Research in the first 50 years was largely influenced by national needs and by the scientists themselves. While the first Chair, Gilbert J Fowler (1921-24), introduced techniques for treating sewage, composting and waste management, the second Chair, Roland V Norris (1924-29), brought in the knowledge of microbiology. V Subrahmanyan (1930-49), the third Chair, introduced studies on nutrition. Subrahmanyan’s tenure must have been tumultuous. It spanned the years of World War II, The pharmacology laboratory in 1941 Indian Independence and the devastating Bengal famine of 1943. He had to gear up the department to meet the food and nutritional demands created by Though the focus of many in the department had war and famine. Work on vitamins and antibiotics now turned towards human health, work on plant received a boost. physiology and biochemistry continued. KV Giri, the fourth Chair (1950-58), a plant biochemist as well as a nutritionist, developed effective methods for separation and quantification of specific compounds Research in the first 50 years was largely from plants. The effect of compounds from common influenced by national needs and by the plants like garlic on the tuberculosis bacterium was scientists themselves demonstrated for the first time in 1946. In a pivotal contribution in 1969, the agent causing By this time, several universities in the country had lathyrism, a crippling and sometimes lethal disease also initiated biochemical research. To provide the observed particularly in poor farmers and labourers, opportunity for researchers across India to interact was identified. An easy method was devised to and exchange ideas, the department started a group neutralise this neurotoxin from ‘kesari dal’, a cheap called ‘The Society of Biological Chemists’ in 1930.