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Cover Outside Final_452 by 297.pdf 1 16/01/19 10:51 PM National Centre for Biological Sciences Biological for National Centre National Centre for Biological Sciences Tata Institute of Fundamnetal Research Bellary Road, Bangalore 560 065. India. P +91 80 23666 6001/ 02/ 18/ 19 F +91 80 23666 6662 www.ncbs.res.in σ 2 ∂ NCBSLogo — fd 100 ∂t rt 100 fd 200 10-9m 10-5m 10-2m 1m ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18 REPORT ANNUAL National Centre for Biological Sciences ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18 Cover Inside Final_452 by 297.pdf 1 12/01/19 7:00 PM National Centre for Biological Sciences ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18 A cluster of gossamer-winged dragonflies from Dhara Mehrotra’s exhibition “Through Clusters and Networks”, as a part of the TIFR Artist-in-Residence programme PHOTO: DHARA MEHROTRA CONTENTS Director’s Map of Research 4 7 Note Interests Research Theory, Simulation, New Faculty 8 and Modelling of 88 Reports SABARINATHAN RADHAKRISHNAN 8 Biological Systems SHACHI GOSAVI · MUKUND THATTAI · SANDEEP KRISHNA · MADAN RAO · SHASHI THUTUPALLI Biochemistry, Biophysics, 20 and Bioinformatics JAYANT UDGAONKAR · M K MATHEW R SOWDHAMINI · ASWIN SESHASAYEE RANABIR DAS · ARATI RAMESH · ANJANA BADRINARAYANAN · VINOTHKUMAR K R Cellular Organisation 38 and Signalling SUDHIR KRISHNA · SATYAJIT MAYOR · RAGHU PADINJAT · VARADHARAJAN SUNDARAMURTHY 48 Neurobiology UPINDER S BHALLA · SANJAY P SANE · SUMANTRA CHATTARJI · VATSALA THIRUMALAI · HIYAA GHOSH 60 Genetics and Development K VIJAYRAGHAVAN · GAITI HASAN P V SHIVAPRASAD · RAJ LADHER · DIMPLE NOTANI 72 Ecology and Evolution MAHESH SANKARAN · UMA RAMAKRISHNAN KRUSHNAMEGH KUNTE · SHANNON OLSSON 72 DEEPA AGASHE · RADHIKA VENKATESAN AXEL BROCKMANN Academics and Administration Meetings and 90 104 Administration 92 and Finance Workshops Research Calendar 2018 94 Development Office 96 Research Facilities Bangalore Life 100 100 Sciences Cluster Highlights 106 Science and the City NCBS International 106 118 of the Year Collaborations 108 Public Outreach 111 Science Communication TIFR Artist-in-Residence 112 Exhibition NCBS National 120 Inauguration of National Collaborations 114 CryoEM Facility The Biology of Butterflies: 116 116 Creating a Flutter at NCBS SATYAJIT MAYOR Centre Director DIRECTOR’S NOTE Strategies for Future Proofing NCBS As a Centre of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, NCBS has navigated a year of uncertainty because of a variety of reasons. Dominant among these is a refrain questioning what autonomous institutes have achieved during their existence. This question reverb- erates throughout funding agencies that have supported fundamental research in the past. Rightfully, we who belong to these autonomous institutes of science must be answerable to those who repose their trust, faith, and money in us. For this we need to be relevant to the context that we work in, and also communicate our achievements.In the 25 plus years of NCBS’s existence we have been trying to do more of the former, and it would be good to take stock of where we stand. I list a few of our highlights. What emerges is a host of efforts that make NCBS what it is today: a site for excellent basic research with a footprint that is enabling new paths of discovery and translation based on issues emanating from our own neighbourhood. BEGINNING IN 2006, NCBS partnered diverse ecosystem into our labora- the Centre for Wildlife Studies tories. This has emboldened some (CWS) and the Wildlife Conserva- of our faculty to wholeheartedly tion Society to initiate a Masters engage in shaping a potentially programme in Wildlife Biology and transformative Mission programme Conservation. This is one of India’s on understanding India’s Biodiversi- most sought-after MSc programmes ty and its role in human wellbeing. today. Our MSc in Wildlife Biology Uma Ramakrishnan is now a mem- and Conservation has also brought ber of the Steering Committee for new opportunities for us: it has this Mission, along with Kamal literally brought our large and Bawa (one of our Scientific Advi- 6 DIRECTOR’S NOTE sors), and partner institution for biotech startups. This has en- to nurture IBS during its formative ATREE. In addition, NCBS faculty abled a few companies to reach a years, and today IBS is supported in partnership with the Wipro Foun- stage where they are in the process by grants from the DBT and the dation, the CSR entity of Wipro Ltd, of going public. And we hope that in Ministry of Human Resources. Led has helped launch The Bangalore the long term this will pay back by its Executive Director, Smita Jain, Sustainability Forum. The purpose to the campus. IBS not only serves to disseminate of this forum is to create a coalition best practices in research and of resource people, research institu- With the engagement of few of hiring of young life science faculty tions, and action-oriented agencies our faculty (Shona Chatterjee, Upi all over the country, it also provides to tackle one of the most pressing Bhalla, and Raghu Padinjat) with an awareness of alternative ca- issues at our doorstep, the sustain- colleagues at the Centre for Brain reer opportunities for researchers ability of the urban sprawl that is Development and Repair at inStem outside the straight and narrow of Bangalore. and clinicians at NIMHANS, NCBS academic research. We look forward has helped create two valuable to IBS providing a platform for Life Partnering the Department of programmes on the study of mental Sciences researchers in the country, Biotechnology, NCBS helped nucle- disorders, the Centre for Neuro- linking them up with the best oppor- ate the Institute for Stem Cell and Synaptopathies (CNS), and Accel- tunities for mobilising their most Regenerative Medicine (inStem) erator programme for Discovery in creative talents. and set up the technology platform Brain Disorders (ADBS). Here we and incubator, Centre for Cell and look at a wide ranging set of ques- NCBS has also directly participat- Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), tions ranging from understanding a ed in nurturing leadership in the almost 10 years ago. The intention monogenic disorder (CNS: Autism Life Sciences by exporting its best: was that as a combined space, Spectrum Disorders) to the complex we congratulate K. Vijayraghavan we would be able to engage in spectrum of neuropsychiatric disor- for becoming the Principal Scien- more programmatic research with ders such as Bipolar Disorders and tific Advisor to the Prime Minister, activities that could have transla- Schizophrenia (ADBS). The latter is Jayant Udgaonkar for becoming tional potential. Instead of standing firmly predicated on the long-term Director IISER, Pune, and Apurva by and being asked to do things study of a cohort of patients at Sarin, Director inStem, and wish that we may not have the capacity NIMHANS who carry this disease them all the very best for their to accomplish, several activities at in familial fashion, to understand future endeavors. NCBS–inStem–C-CAMP (which we the basis of these complex mental now call The Bangalore Life Sci- disorders. But none of this would have hap- ences Cluster or BLiSC) have been pened without ensuring that the set up where important questions Public health initiatives are one best possible science (Biology arising from our our own neighbor- more example of such translational across Scales) is done by our fac- hood have been taken on. efforts, and here, Sudhir Krishna’s ulty on our campus with the nec- efforts at engaging in vaccine essary resources to support these BLiSC is now funded by the DBT development against Dengue in a efforts. We have kept our focus on as a Cluster ecosystem, and is project generously supported by the science that we need to do to emerging as a role model for how Mr. Narayana Murthy, is one exem- support such a multi-dimensional a life sciences ecosystem may plar. To realise this goal will require effort, and where the need or desire function. As a consequence of the many deep partnerships with sever- arises, individuals can realise larger engagement of NCBS-TIFR, inStem al agencies to increase the band- goals in partnership with the most is also well on its way to standing on width of this initiative; NCBS could appropriate organisations. It has its own feet, as an equal partner in serve as one of the sites of research taken NCBS 25 years and counting, BLiSC. The establishment of the Na- for this effort. Engaging in these lo- nurturing unique efforts such as tional Facilities for Mouse Genome cal and national efforts with varied Theory@NCBS in its course. Now Research and the inauguration of partners including other government joined by inStem, I strongly believe the National Cryo Electron Micros- institutes, NGOs, foundations, and that we have a very fertile ecosys- copy Facility by C N R Rao and Rich- citizen groups exemplifies organic tem where there are clear linkages ard Henderson earlier this year, is a growth, collaboration, and impact, between laboratory-based research, testimony of the cluster’s multi-in- and appears to be the NCBS way. translational efforts, and questions stitutional character in enabling that derive from our neighbour- national facilities. The development Another NCBS based organisation, hood, underlining our relevance of BLiSC, built around foundation- built up over the past decade for to our context. al multidimensional research and bringing together a community of excellent core facilities, has also Life Science Researchers, is India- Much of our efforts remain hidden created a supportive ecosystem BioScience (IBS). NCBS has helped without a commitment to effective NCBS ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18 7 communication of our science and campus, and someone who we We also express our deepest grati- achievements outside our campus. have relied on for her dedication in tude to Sudha and Kris Gopalakrish- To address this, here on behalf of several administrative departments nan and Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, BLiSC, I warmly welcome Mahinn at NCBS, from the academic office for their constant support and Ali Khan, who has joined us to lead to human resources.