Three Professors from Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence Secure CSIR-ASPIRE Grant for Groundbreaking Research

In 2023, the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research, Government of India, put out A Special Call for Research Grants for Women Scientists (CSIR-ASPIRE). The call was open to women scientists across the country for research and development projects in the major disciplines of science and engineering. Of the nearly 3000 applicants for the grant, 300 projects were selected for funding. Three of these selected projects are by researchers from the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (SNIoE). In the field of physical sciences, Dr. Priya Johari of the Physics Department at SNIoE was awarded a grant of ₹22 lakhs for her project titled, ‘A comprehensive computational study of all-inorganic perovskites and double perovskites for the application in optoelectronic devices.’ Perovskites are a class of crystalline materials that are commonly used in solar cells due to their high efficiency, mechanical integrity, tunability, and cost effectiveness. However, most present perovskite solar cells use organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites, which have poor stability against heat and moisture, or contain the toxic heavy metal lead—which is environmentally unfriendly. ‘All-inorganic perovskites, on the other hand, have better thermal and environmental stability, making them suitable for practical applications, such as solar cells, LEDs, and other optoelectronic devices. Double perovskites offer further opportunities to enhance electronic properties by introducing diverse combinations of cations (also known as cation transmutation), potentially leading to new materials with super optoelectronic characteristics,’ explains Dr. Johari. Funded for the years 2024–27, the project will utilise computational methods such as density functional theory (DFT), density functional perturbation theory (DFPT), and many-body perturbation theory (MBPT). ‘The advent of computational methods has allowed us to explore these materials in a way that experiments alone couldn’t—unveiling atomic-level interactions, predicting new materials, and modelling behaviour under various conditions,” says Dr. Johari. “Both DFPT and MBPT are powerful tools for investigating the electronic, vibrational, and optical properties of materials from a first-principles perspective.” Besides the potential use of these new materials in solar cells, the discovered all-inorganic perovskites and double perovskites from the study may also have promising applications in LEDs, lasers, memory and data storage devices, and quantum computing circuits. The other two projects that have received funding are by two exceptional professors from the Department of Life Sciences at SNIoE—Dr. Koyeli Mapa, who was awarded ₹26 lakhs for her project, and Dr. Anindita Chakraborty, who received ₹25 lakhs. Dr. Mapa’s project is titled, ‘Deciphering the role of Hsp110 molecular chaperone in cell division arrest and septin ring dynamics during Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.’ Molecular chaperones, such as Hsp110, are a group of proteins that help other proteins fold into their correct three-dimensional conformation. “In our recently concluded study, we used an antibiotic, tunicamycin, which caused an overload of misfolded proteins inside the endoplasmic reticulum, giving rise to endoplasmic reticulum stress, or ER stress,” explains Dr. Mapa. “What we figured out is that when Hsp110 is absent, then the cells are very fit and fine against this particular ER stress. Moreover, normally during ER stress, the yeast cells stop dividing so that the damaged ER is not passed on to the next generation. But in the absence of Hsp110, then the cells continue to divide and survive. So, the question is, how are they surviving? That’s the major area we are focusing on now.” Although yeast cells are single-celled organisms, more than 50% of their molecular pathways are conserved in higher organisms like humans. “Many genetic disorders, and even cancers, are caused by mutations in molecular chaperones. Figuring out how molecular chaperones maintain the cell division process in a lower organism like yeast paves the way towards understanding the role of these chaperones in higher organisms,” says Dr. Mapa. This research is poised to serve as a first step towards the discovery of novel therapeutic targets down the line. The project has been funded from 2024 to 2026. Spanning the same time frame, Dr. Anindita Chakrabarty’s project is titled, ‘Exploring the role of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling in escape from therapy-induced senescence: A novel therapeutic target to prevent adaptive resistance in breast cancers.’ A cancerous tumour contains genetic variations in between cells. Certain cells in the tumour become dormant when faced with stress like a chemotherapy drug, a process called therapy-induced senescence. When the chemotherapy treatment ends (after the remaining tumour is eradicated), these cells reawaken and begin dividing again, leading to a very aggressive tumour recurrence. “We are trying to pinpoint when the ‘sleeping’ cancer cells wake up,” emphasises Dr. Chakrabarty. “The molecule we believe is involved is called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). We have developed a model to find the dynamics of the process, with the hope of being able to interfere with senescence by inhibiting the key molecular participants at the right time during the course of cancer treatment.” The current approach to cancer treatment deploys chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, or a combination thereof, until the cancer is no longer detectable in scans. The patient then undergoes follow-up scans at fixed timepoints for several years to see if the cancer recurs. “Once we put the emphasis on understanding the dynamic nature of cancer, we will change this convention, and instead expect the disease and intervene at a specific time point. That will make it easier for us to manage the disease,” explains Dr. Chakrabarty. The findings from this research could be further extended for the treatment of other forms of cancer in the future. The CSIR-ASPIRE grant aligns with the Government of India’s broader mission to empower women and amplify ‘Nari Shakti,’ reflecting the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of placing women at the forefront of India’s development journey. However, while grants and initiatives by the government go a long way in helping address gender disparities in financial resources, there is still more to be done. The glass ceiling in STEM still exists, with a noticeable paucity of women at higher ranks or leadership roles. “The numbers are disproportionate because the major pressure is in supporting the family and raising kids. That usually falls to the women,” describes Dr. Chakrabarty. Dr. Mapa echoes this sentiment: “The life of a female scientist is such that the age that you become a PI and start a lab is usually the same age that you might be starting your own family. Familial and societal support is a must for female scientists.” However, she remains hopeful about the future, adding, “The government is actively planning to improve the number of women faculty, and there are special drives for this as well. I think the situation will change in the next 10 years or so.” Dr. Johari concludes, “Institutional measures such as transparent criteria for promotion and hiring, structured mentorship and sponsorship programmes for junior women researchers, considerations for career interruptions, marriage, and/or childbirth, flexible work policies parental leave for both men and women, etc. will go a long way towards eliminating unconscious bias and promoting a more inclusive work environment.” Congratulations to all three scientists on their grant-winning proposals! We look forward to witnessing and supporting what they do next!

This article was originally written by Impact Science