Academic Qualifications
Academic positions
Membership of Scientific Societies:
Molecular Virology
Broad Research Interest: Molecular virology: Viral replication, Virus-Cell interactions, Pathogenesis of Viral infection, Regulation of Viral Infection
Research projects
Chikungunya Infection:
Chikungunya virus (CHIK V) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes a disease syndrome characterized by fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, myalgia and arthralgia. According to the posture developed as a result of the arthritic symptoms of the disease the name is derived from the Makonde word meaning “that which bends up”.
The disease was first described in 1952 in Tanzania, Africa and is geographically distributed from Africa through Southeast Asia and South America. After a gap of 32 years, re-emergence of Chikungunya virus caused recent outbreaks in India during 2005-2006 affecting 1.3 million people in 13 states. Due to recent extension around the Indian Ocean, including Comoros, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Madagascar and now in Italy, Chikungunya is regarded as a potential worldwide public health problem with no preventive or therapeutic means available. This establishes the need to improve disease surveillance, study the pathogenesis and biology of the virus.
The alpha viruses are enveloped particles and their genome consists of a linear, single- stranded, positive sense RNA molecule of approximately 11.8 kb. CHIK V genome encodes four non-structural proteins (NSP1-4) and three main structural proteins (C, E1, and E2). The non-structural proteins which are generally required for viral replication are encoded in the 5’ two-third of the genome. These proteins might have some role in modulating the host protein synthesis for the advantage of the viral infection as well as for pathogenesis or virulence.
Due to lack of research on the Chikungunya viral biology the precise role of the non-structural proteins and the host factors are not yet understood. The knowledge about viral replication and host cell factors will be useful to understand the process of disease progression and find out ways to develop an effective antiviral therapy.
Thus, my laboratory is working on the following topics :
Publications:
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
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1999
Review articles:
Granted:
Filed:
Title of the Project | Funding Agency | Duration |
Translational Research Consortia (TRC) for Chikungunya virus. | BIRAC | 4 Years (2019-2023) |
Evaluation of Telmisartan and its combination with Chloroquine/ Ribavirin for management of Chikungunya virus infection. | DBT | 2 Years (2019-2021) |
Identification of interacting host and vector partners for CHIKV nsP2 protein. | DBT | 3 Years (2018-2021) |
Development of 1-[(2-methylbenzimidazol-1-yl) methyl]-2-oxo-indolin-3-ylidene] amino] thiourea (MBZM-N-IBT) as specific inhibitor of Chikungunya virus (MBZMNIBT) as specific inhibitor of Chikungunya virus. | DBT | 3 Years (2017-2020) |
Study on persistence of Japanese Encephalitis in reservoir host, pig in endemic area of odisha, Manipur and Assam. | IBSD | 2 Years (2017-2019) |
Development of Specific Inhibitor of Chikungunya Virus. | DST | 3 Years (2016-2019) |
Identification and characterization of differentially expressed host proteins for both S-27 and DRDE-06 strains of Chikungunya virus in mouse model : Implications in understanding its epidemic potential. | DST | 3 Years (2016-2019) |
Purification and biochemical characterization of the non-structural protein 3 (nsP3) of CHIKV. | DST | 3 years (2014-2017) |
Analysis of cellular immune response of macrophages during experimental Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection. | CSIR | 3 years (2011-2014) |
Differential Proteomics and genetics approach to reveal the cause of recent Chikungunya virus outbreak in India. | DBT | 3 years (2011-2014) |
Studies on Chikungunya Virus infection: Role of non-structural protein-2 and cellular proteins. | DBT | 3 years (2010-2013) |
soma [at] ils dot] res [in] in, sochat [dot] ils[at] gmail[dot] com
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