Profile
The goal of our research is to identify the rules, chemical logic and organizational principles of metabolic networks in cells. How does metabolism function as the ultimate form of biological information flow, to drive the chemical processes required for life? To understand this, we study how some metabolites are formed, and are sensed within and between cells. We also study systems level principles of metabolic network organization, build frameworks to understand metabolic exchange between cells, and how the evolution of metabolic pathways might have determined these resource allocation strategies. Natural extensions of these studies are to understand extreme biology in model and non-model organisms. We are also using metabolic engineering of cells for regenerative biology, food, synthetic biology and environmental biotechnology.
Current Focus Areas
Systems biology, metabolic engineering of cell factories, synthetic biology, chemical biology of nutrient sensing, and extreme biolog
Selected Publications
Singh G, Vengayil V, Khanna A, Adhikary S, Laxman S*. Active control of mitochondrial network morphology by metabolism-driven redox state. P.N.A.S. April 17, 2025 122 (16) e2421953122
Gupta , Adhikary S, Dalpatraj N, Laxman S*. An economic demand-based framework for prioritization strategies in response to transient amino acid limitations. Nature Communications Volume 15, article number 7254, (2024).
Vengayil V, Niphadkar S, Adhikary S, Varahan S, Laxman S*. The deubiquitinase Ubp3/Usp10 constrains glucose-mediated mitochondrial repression via phosphate budgeting. Elife 12:RP90293.
Prasad A, Sreedharan S, Bakthavachalu B*, Laxman S*. Eggs of the mosquoto Aedes aegypti survive desiccation by rewiring their polyamine and lipid metabolism. Plos Biology 2023 21(10): e3002342.
Rashida Z, Srinivasan R, Cyanam M and Laxman S* (2021). Kog1/Raptor mediates metabolic rewiring during nutrient limitation by controlling SNF1/AMPK activity. Science Advances Apr 14;7(16):eabe5544. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abe5544.