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Research Dialogue in the Life SciencesAn Indo-German exchange on global challenges, recent trends, and perspectives for collaborative research
New Delhi, Monday, February 20, 2012India International Centre
Hyderabad , Wednesday, February 22, 2012 University of Hyderabad
Pune, Friday, February 24, 2012Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)
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Imprint
EditorGerman Research Foundation (DFG), Bonn, Germany
ResponsibleVera Pfister (DFG)
Concept and textDr. Sibylle Grandel, Vera Pfister (DFG)
TranslationSciTech Communications GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
Graphic design Küster Steinbach Schäfer, Visuelle Kommunikation, Wuppertal, Germany
PrintingRajika Press Services Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India
© DFG February 2012
Conference OrganisationGerman Research Foundation (DFG)
Managed byDr. Gernot Gad, Vera Pfister, Dr. Sybilla Tinapp (DFG Head Office Germany)Dr. Torsten Fischer, Krishnan Hariharan (DFG Office India)
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Research Dialogue in the Life SciencesAn Indo-German exchange on global challenges, recent trends, and perspectives for collaborative research
New Delhi, Monday, February 20, 2012India International Centre
Hyderabad , Wednesday, February 22, 2012 University of Hyderabad
Pune, Friday, February 24, 2012Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)
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Table of contents
Preface 4
Research in Germany – Land of Ideas 6
Research Dialogue Tour 2012: Dates and Venues 9
Programme at a glance: New Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune 10
List of Speakers: Welcome Address and Moderators 18
List of Scientific Speakers 20
Profile of Scientific Speakers 22
Coordinators and Representatives of DFG 56
Imprint cover page 2
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Preface
Dear friends, Research cooperation between India and Germany has increased significantly over the past years. I am pleased to note that the ever closer cooperation between the Department of Science & Tech- nology, Government of India, the University Grants Commission (UGC), other esteemed Indian institutions that are engaged in research funding and German funding bodies as the German Research Foundation (DFG) have contributed significantly to this success story. Between 2004 and 2009, no less than 12.9% of all Indian publications in international collaboration have been shared with authors from Germany. Indo-German overall scientific collaboration has grown at a remarkable annual average growth rate of 6.8% and also shows trends of continued high rate of growth. At the root of this success lies the outstanding potential for collaboration that Indian and German researchers possess. With the setting up of the first joint Indo-German Research Training Groups in 2009 and 2010 both our countries have extended the base of research cooperation to the field of promotion of young scientists. I am convinced that this is a major step into the future. India’s and Germany’s strengths and challenges in this field complement each other exceedingly well. With the setting up of bilateral research training groups we have created opportunities for young scientists to remain connected to their alma mater and their own research areas while experiencing the enrichment international cooperation and exposure promise. The Indo-German Science Tour that is being organised in collaboration with our Indian partner institutions and partners from Germany as the German Academic Research Foundation (DAAD), the Humboldt Foundation (AvH) and the Fraunhofer Society will create extended platforms to exchange experiences on how to strengthen our cooperation even further for the benefit of both our countries and the international research environment. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have made this joint endeavor become a reality and extend a very warm welcome to all participants.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Kleiner, President German Research Foundation (DFG)
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I am pleased to note that under the initiative of the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), an "Indo-German Science Tour" is being organized within the framework of the "Year of Germany in India" across India to highlight the outstanding scientific and technological cooperation between our two countries. This also marks the completion of 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Germany. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is taking part in this endeavor with an aim to complement the activities that are being planned and organised by other German science organisations. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has a long-standing cooperation with its German partners and has been implementing a number of bilateral programmes between the two countries on equal footing as bilateral partners. The DST values the contributions of the various German organisations in promoting Indo-German scientific and technological cooperation. Since the signing of the DST-DFG Memorandum of Understanding in 2004, both sides have been supporting joint research projects involving scientists and researchers from both sides. The Programme of Cooperation signed in 2011, DST and DFG have agreed to intensify this funding cooperation in selected fields in the upcoming years. The "Indo-German Research Dialogue" being organised by the DFG in Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune, highlighting the current research activities and trends in the field of Life Sciences in India and Germany will definitely help both sides in developing future research cooperation in this field and allied areas. I wish the organisers and participants from both sides intense and fruitful scientific interaction leading to new avenues of research collaboration and further strengthening of the Indo-German ties for the mutual benefit of the peoples of our two countries.
Dr. T. Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi
Preface
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Research in Germany – Land of Ideas
The Intention: Promoting Research Cooperation between Scientists
In the context of the “Year of Germany in India” and its theme “Germany and India 2011–2012: Infinite Opportunities”, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Fraunhofer Society are collectively organising events to present German innovation and research in India. The purpose of their joint effort during February and March 2012 is to strengthen and expand R&D collaboration between Germany and India and to foster mobility among scientists from both countries.
The DFG will conduct “Research Dialogue in the Life Sciences” in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune with a view to enhance and intensify Indo-German exchange on global challenges, recent trends and perspectives for collaborative research in the field of life sciences.
The events are part of the Initiative “Research in Germany – Land of Ideas”, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
For more information on “Research in Germany” activities, please visit: www.research-in-germany.de
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The Action: Research Dialogue in the Life Sciences
The “Research Dialogue” will present high-quality and cutting-edge research projects in the field of life sciences. Outstanding scientists from India and Germany will be offering unique, behind-the-scene perspectives on global challenges and recent trends. Leading Indian and German researchers will discuss the benefits of their collaborative research and highlight the important issues to be considered when initiating and establishing successful joint research projects. Young and ambitious scientists at all stages of their scientific career will get first-hand information on the opportunities offered within these bilateral projects in terms of career development.
The discussions will also focus on German research culture and life in Germany in general. Indian scientists will share their academic and research experience in Germany.
This research forum will provide excellent opportunities for young researchers to establish contacts and discuss their current research activities or career plans over a cup of coffee. Representatives of German funding organisations will present inside information on funding opportunities to foster scientific careers in Germany.
Information on research cooperation between India and Germany is provided by the DFG Office India: www.dfg.de/india.
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Research Dialogue Tour 2012: Dates and Venues
New Delhi Monday, February 20 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. India International Centre (IIC), Annexe, 40, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi – 110003
Hyderabad Wednesday, February 22 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. DST Auditorium, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad – 500046
Pune Friday, February 24 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sir C.V. Raman Hall, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Sai Trinity Building, Garware Circle, Sutarwadi, Pashan, Pune – 411021
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10:00 WelcomeProf. Dr. Elisabeth Knust DFG Vice President, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany Prof. Dr. Seyed E. Hasnain Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India
10:15 Global Challenges and Recent Trends in the Life Sciences Prof. Dr. Michael Famulok Life & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Germany Prof. Dr. Sandeep Verma Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India
Programme at a glance: New Delhi (subject to modifications)
Monday, February 20, 2012, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Location: Lecture Room II, Basement, India International Centre (IIC), Annexe, 40, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi – 110003
11:00 Best Practice and Perspectives of Research Cooperation (including first-hand information on development opportunities for young scientists) Panel discussionDr. Christian Aulbach Science & Technology Counsellor, German Embassy, New Delhi, IndiaProf. Dr. Axel Brakhage Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, GermanyProf. Dr. Seyed E. Hasnain Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India Prof. Dr. Andreas Hensel University of Münster, GermanyProf. Dr. Ulrike Holzgrabe University of Würzburg, Germany Prof. Dr. Rajendra Prasad School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India Prof. Dr. med. Ralf R. Schumann Charité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany
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India International Centre (IIC), Annexe, Lecture Room II, Basement,40, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi - 110003
How to reach the Research Dialogue New Delhi, Lodhi Estate
IIC ANNEXE
Lodhi Rd Lodhi Rd
Amrita Sherg
il Ln
Prithvir
aj Rd
Max M
uelle
r MargAmrita
Shergil M
arg
Muhammad ShahSayyidis Tomb Lodhi the
Garden
Lodhi Gardens
BaraGumbad
SikandarLodi Tomb
India International CentreGoa SadanRajhans
BldgVietnam
Diplomatic Mission
Tata Apartment
ForeignLanguages
School
IIC ANNEXE
Alliance Francaise
INTACH UNICEFWorld Bank
ChinamayaMission WWF
CSIR CSD UNDP
Lodhi Rd
Max M
uelle
r Marg
P A R K I N G
P A R K I N G
India International
Centre
Islamic Center
Lodhi Gardens
IIC ANNEXEIIC ANNEXE
12:30 Lunchbreak
14:00 Intercultural ChallengesDr. Sonia Chachra University of Münster, Germany, Dr. Gernot Gad German Research Foundation, Bonn, Germany
15:00 Internationalising Excellence Varupi Gupta German House for Research and Innovation (DWIH), New Delhi, India 15:10 Funding Opportunities for Indo-German Research CooperationDr. Torsten Fischer German Research Foundation, New Delhi, India 15:30-16:00 Networking & Meet the Speaker Over Coffee
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11:00 Best Practice and Perspectives of Research Cooperation (including first-hand information on development opportunities for young scientists)
Panel discussionProf. Dr. Niyaz Ahmed School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, IndiaProf. Dr. Michael FamulokLife & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Germany Prof. Dr. Andreas Hensel University of Münster, GermanyProf. Dr. Ulrike Holzgrabe University of Würzburg, GermanyProf. Dr. N. Siva Kumar University of Hyderabad, IndiaProf. Dr. Agepati S. Raghavendra University of Hyderabad, IndiaProf. Dr. med. Ralf R. Schumann Charité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany
9:30 WelcomeProf. Dr. Kalidas Sen School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, IndiaProf. Dr. Michael Famulok Life & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Germany 10:15 Global Challenges and Recent Trends in the Life Sciences Prof. Dr. Axel Brakhage Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany Prof. Dr. M. Ramanadham School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, IndiaProf. Dr. Geeta K. VemugantiSchool of Medical Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India
Programme at a glance: Hyderabad (subject to modifications)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.Location: DST Auditorium, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad – 500046
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How to reach the Research Dialogue Hyderabad, Gachibowli
DST Auditorium, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad – 500046HCU Sports
Complex
Buffalo Lake
Peacock Lake
IndianImmunologicals
Colony
Sai PruthviEnclave
Mumbai Road
HCU FootballGroundDST Auditorium
GachibowliStadium
DST Auditorium
School of Life Sciences
School of Management
Studies
Buffalo Lake
Social Science Complex
SarvepalliRadhakrishnan
Lecture HallComplex
HCU Library
12:30 Lunchbreak and Poster Session
14:00 Internationalising Excellence Varupi Gupta German House for Research and Innovation (DWIH), New Delhi, India
14:10 Funding Opportunities for Indo-German Research Cooperation Dr. Ingrid Krüßmann German Research Foundation, Bonn, Germany
14:30 Intercultural Challenges Dr. Sonia Chachra University of Münster, GermanyDr. Melanie Conrad Charité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany
15:30 Poster Award Ceremony 15:45-16:30 Networking & Meet the Speaker Over Coffee
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Doxorubicin loaded lactoferrin nanoparticles: treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in rats induced by diethylnitrosamineKishore Golla, C. Bhaskar, Anand K. Kondapi
Drought-induced ecophysiological and molecular responses in Morus indica to predict anisohydric functionality of trees for future climate change Anirban Guha, Debashree Sengupta, Attipalli Ramachandara Reddy
Host specific restriction of HIV-1 Rev distribution across nuclear mem-brane correlates with HIV titers: search for host specific Rev InhibitorsAtoshi Banerjee, Sharmistha Banerjee
CyanoCis: A database of cyanobacterial cis-regulatory elementsSai Arun P. Parvati, Jogadhenu S. S. Prakash
Genomic and proteomic analysis of host-pathogen interaction in late leaf spot disease of peanut using cDNA-AFLP and 2D electrophoresis Dilip Kumar, P. B. Kirti
G198N mutation converts Aurora A into Aurora B kinase: In silico structural analysis and free energy calculations of the Aurora A G198N- INCENP ComplexKarunakar Tanneeru, Lalitha Guruprasad
Characterization of PE-PPE domain from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv1430 protein reveals an esterase function: Bioinformatics and biochemical analysisRafiya Sultana, Sharmistha Banerjee, Lalitha Guruprasad
Identification of actin rinding rho activating protein as one of recruiting factor of tRNA import in mammalian cells. G. Madhavi, Naresh Babu V. Sepuri Transglycosylation by chitinase-D of Serratia proteamaculans 568 for production of higher chain length chitooligosaccharides: Improvement with targeted mutagenesisMadhuprakash Jogi, Purushotham Pallinti, Karunakar Tanneeru, Lalitha Guruprasad, B. M. Moerschbacher, Appa Rao Podile
Characterization of the functional domains of starfish cation independent mannose 6-phosphate / IGF-II (CI-MPR/IGF-II) receptor.Merino Visa, Elke Hammer, Uwe Voelker, Siva Kumar Nadimpalli
Characterization of a dominant negative mutant of PfRad51: implications for antigenic variation in human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum Nabamita Roy, Mrinal Kanti Bhattacharyya
Poster Award
Participants of the Poster Session (Presenters are highlighted)
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Functional characterization of a pathogen induced thaumatin-like protein gene from wild peanut (Arachis Diogoi)Naveen Kumar Singh, K. R. Rajesh Kumar, P. B. Kirti
Proof of concept study of the combination of a cysteine protease and cystatin of wild peanut, Arachis diogoi as an alternate strategy to barnase-barstar system for developing hybrid varieties in crop plantsShukla Pawan, K. R. Rajesh Kumar, P. B. Kirti
Functional elucidation of hypothetical proteins by comparative trans-criptomics in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: Characterization of a hypo-thetical protein, Sll1252.B. Radha Rani
Comparative phagosomal proteomics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins in TB mono-infected and TB/HIV co-infected MacrophagesRakesh Ganji, Sharmistha Banerjee
Mycobacterial Hsp65 can cross react with human auto-antibodies and induce cytokine responses relevant to type 1 and type 2 diabetesPittu Sandhya Rani, Niyaz Ahmed
Hypothetical proteins to unknown cellular mechanisms: with emphasis on Sll1130, a novel heat responsive transcription factor of heat shock genes Pilla Sankara Krishna, J. S. S. Prakash
Functional analysis of Drosophila Rif1E. Sreesankar, V. Bharathi, Rakesh K. Mishra, Krishnaveni Mishra
Identification and characterization of Plasmodium falciparum DNA repair protein PfMre11 as a putative target for antimalarials.Sugith Babu, Sunanda Bhattacharyya, Mrinal Kanti Bhattacharyya
Helicobacter pylori protein HP986 acts via TNFR1 to induce proinflammatory and proapoptotic signallingSuhail A. Ansari, Savita Devi, Niyaz Ahmed Why gene targeting is less efficient in Toxoplasma gondii?Sita Swati Achanta, Shalu M. Varunan, Sunanda Bhattacharyya, Mrinal Kanti Bhattacharyya
Novel crystal protein formulations for controlling Spodoptera lituraSwetha Kamireddy, Dayanada Siddavattam
GRIM19 dependent import and assembly of STAT3 into mitochondriaT. Prasad, A. Chandrasekhar, A. C. Larner, Naresh Babu V. Sepuri
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Prof. Dr. K.N. Ganesh Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India
Prof. Dr. Sourav Pal National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Pune, India
Prof. Dr. Michael Famulok University of Bonn, Germany
Prof. Dr. Andreas Hensel University of Münster, Germany
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Holzgrabe University of Würzburg, Germany
Prof. Dr. Arvind Anant Natu Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India
Prof. Dr. med. Ralf R. Schumann Charité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany
Prof. Dr. Ajit Varma Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India
Prof. Dr. Sandeep Verma Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India
Dr. Sonia Chachra University of Münster, Germany
Dr. Melanie Conrad Charité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany
Dr. Ashok Prabhakar Giri National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Pune, India
Dr. Raghavendra Kikkeri Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India
Dr. S. NateshSenior Advisor & Head, International Collaboration,Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi
Join in the Research Dialogue at Pune
Friday, February 24, 2012, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Location: Sir C.V. Raman Hall, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), First Floor, Central Tower, Sai Trinity Building, Garware Circle, Sutarwadi, Pashan, Pune – 411021
Meet internationally renowned researchers from your field! (subject to modifications)
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How to reach the Research Dialogue Pune, Pashan
IISERSir C.V. Raman Hall, First Floor, Central Tower
Sutarwadi Rd
Dr. Homi Bhabha Rd
Pasha
n RdPashan Sus Rd
Pashan GaonARDE Sports
Ground
Pashan Lake
VishalEngineering
Sai Trinity Building (IISER)
Goel Super Market
Pashan Sus Rd
Armament Researchand Development
Establishment
Sutarwadi Rd
Pashan Sus Rd
Pashan Sus Rd
Tata ConsultingEngineers
Cosmo Bank
ARCHGROUP International Architects Pvt
Sai Trinity Building
IISER
Use the opportunity Talk about funding opportunities for Indo-German research cooperation with representatives from the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German House for Research and Innovation (DWIH) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
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Speakers: Welcome Address
Prof. Dr. M. Famulok Life & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Germany
Prof. Dr. K. N. Ganesh Director, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India
Prof. Dr. Seyed Hasnain Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India
Prof. Dr. E. Knust DFG Vice President, Director, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
Prof. Dr. Sourav Pal Director, National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Pune, India
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Prof. Dr. Kalidas Sen School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, India
Dr. S. Natesh Senior Advisor & Head, International Collaboration, Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi
Dr. Christian Aulbach Science & Technology Counsellor, German Embassy, New Delhi, India
Dr. Torsten Fischer Director, Office New Delhi, German Research Foundation (DFG)
Prof. Dr. Agepati Raghavendra School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India
Moderators
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List of Scientific Speakers
Prof. Dr. Niyaz AhmedSchool of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India
Prof. Dr. Axel BrakhageLeibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
Dr. Sonia ChachraUniversity of Münster, Germany
Dr. Melanie ConradCharité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany
Prof. Dr. Michael FamulokLife & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Germany
Dr. Ashok Prabhakar GiriNational Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Pune, India
Prof. Dr. Seyed E. HasnainKusuma School of Biotechnological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India
Prof. Dr. Andreas HenselUniversity of Münster, Germany
Prof. Dr. Ulrike HolzgrabeUniversity of Würzburg, Germany
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List of Scientific Speakers
Prof. Dr. Niyaz AhmedSchool of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India
Prof. Dr. Axel BrakhageLeibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
Dr. Sonia ChachraUniversity of Münster, Germany
Dr. Melanie ConradCharité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany
Prof. Dr. Michael FamulokLife & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Germany
Dr. Ashok Prabhakar GiriNational Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Pune, India
Prof. Dr. Seyed E. HasnainKusuma School of Biotechnological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India
Prof. Dr. Andreas HenselUniversity of Münster, Germany
Prof. Dr. Ulrike HolzgrabeUniversity of Würzburg, Germany
Dr. Raghavendra KikkeriIndian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India
Prof. Dr. N. Siva KumarUniversity of Hyderabad, India
Prof. Dr. Arvind Anant NatuIndian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India
Prof. Dr. Rajendra Prasad School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
Prof. Dr. Agepati S. RaghavendraUniversity of Hyderabad, India
Prof. Dr. M. RamanadhamSchool of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India
Prof. Dr. med. Ralf R. SchumannCharité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany
Prof. Dr. Ajit VarmaAmity University Uttar Pradesh, India
Prof. Dr. Geeta K. VemugantiSchool of Medical Sciences, University of Hyderabad, India
Prof. Dr. Sandeep VermaIndian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India
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Prof. Dr. Niyaz Ahmed Hyderabad, India
Dr. Niyaz Ahmed is a well-known Indian scientist specialising in molecular infectious diseases. He is based in the Department of Biotechnology at the University of Hyderabad, India. Research interests in his laboratory involve analysing pathogen genomes through deciphering genomic and proteomic diversity as a function of flexibility in gene con-tent, gene order, and gene regulation, possibly aimed at “evolution of the fittest” genotypes which correspond to changing host niches and the environment. His laboratory is currently focusing on five broad-based, long-term research projects: 1) How does bacterial virulence evolve as a function of genome plasticity under different compulsions offered by a colonised niche? 2) How is bacterial genome fluidity regulated? 3) Which environmental stimuli are responsible for this fluidity? 4) What is the in vivo relevance of bacterial genome fluidity? 5) How can bacterial genome fluidity be exploited for the generation and selection of optimally adapted microorganisms? On the professional front, Dr. Ahmed serves as an expert advisor to organisations including the European Commission (FP7), the Skolkovo Foundation (Russia) and the Public Library of Science (USA). He also serves on the editorial boards of several international journals.
“With the legacies of Robert Koch and Theodor Escherich on one side and those of Ramanujan and Raman on the other, Germany and India are natural partners in infectious disease genomics and bioinformatics research. In order to tap this opportunity at the right time, we have instituted a unique research graduate training programme involving research groups in Berlin and Hyderabad under the auspices of the DFG’s IRTG programme. The hallmark of qualification concepts under the IRTG is to understand not only science and scientific objectives in two different settings, but also different cultures and traditions.”
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Indo-German Partnership in Infectious Diseases Research and Training - a Perfect Storm
The outcome of an infection by a pathogen depends on the fine balance between the ability of the pathogen to establish an infection and the multitude of host factors that aim to counter the invading pathogen. Variations in geographical distribution, host preference, virulence and relative human infectivity differentiate the ability of a particular pathogen to establish infection and cause disease. Our DFG-funded Graduate Training Programme “Functional Molecular Infection Epidemiology (of Infectious Diseases)” includes pathogen genomics and functional epidemiology, analyses of polymorphisms using bioinformatics tools, and the study of the variation of host response to pathogens. The infectious disease profile differs between India and Germany not only in terms of the pathogen, but also in terms of the host. Many
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diseases which are prevalent in India today are, given the increased mobility of human population, potentially relevant for countries like Germany. The IRTG will, therefore, also combine the strengths and state-of-the-art instrumentation of the German investigators in infection biology with the expertise of the Indian investigators in bioinformatics and genomics to study various aspects of pathogen and host genetic repertoires. It will do so by examining the unique characteristics of patient cohorts in India and Germany, as well as the diversity of clinical outcome as juxtaposed to pathogen strain diversity, including their epidemiological signatures. The programme includes research into bacterial pathogens, including Escherichia coli (UPEC and ExPEC), mycobacteria (M. tuberculosis and M. leprae), Leptospira spp. and Helicobacter pylori; as well as into human parasites and malarial and filarial parasites. The IRTG has started to convene a group of internationally recognised research teams from different branches of biology, chemistry, and medicine in order to launch an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach for the training and education of MD and Ph.D. students. The ITRG is accepting candidates with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in different disciplines of life sciences from a competitive pool of international applicants. An important teaching feature is the live telecast of webinar-style lectures from Berlin to Hyderabad and vice versa. The programme has been approved for 5 years, beginning in October 2010, and we hope that it will be renewed for another term.
Contact Pathogen Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad [email protected] http://www.isogem.org/niyaz.html
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Prof. Dr. Axel A. Brakhage Jena, Germany
Professor Dr. Axel A. Brakhage’s research focuses on all aspects of the pathobiology of Aspergillus fumigatus and on the molecular biology/biotechnology of fungal secondary metabolites and their function in microbial communication. During his early scientific career, Brakhage spent some time working at the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique in Paris, as well as in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Sheffield in the UK. It was here that he began his postdoctoral research into the molecular biology of filamentous fungi. He earned his habilitation in Microbiology at the Institute of Genetics and Microbiology at the University of Munich. After serving as an associate professor at the Darmstadt University of Technology and professor/chair of Microbiology at the University of Hanover, he became a full professor of Microbiology/Molecular Biology at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, in 2005. Several months later, he was appointed Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (HKI) – in Jena. He is an elected member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and coordinator of the DFG Excellence Initiative graduate school, the Jena School for Microbial Communication.
“Scientists from different countries need to learn from each other and share insights. Research in Germany combines tradition with open-mindedness and state-of-the-art technology. Scientists from abroad are made extremely welcome and enjoy ideal conditions for collaborative research.”
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Jena School for Microbial Communication - Ph.D. Programme
The Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC) at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena is funded by the German Excellence Initiative. It combines different research areas (microbial communities; interactions with plant, animal and human hosts; and environmental interactions) to form a comprehensive picture of microbial communication. We are particularly interested in the function of low molecular weight compounds in microbial communication because many of them are important drugs. The JSMC is an ambitious graduate school with about 250 doctoral researchers who are educated in a structured, interdisciplinary training programme based on top-level basic research. Five faculties of the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, six non-university research institutes, and twelve biotech and optics companies are participating in this cutting-edge research and training programme which includes innovative measures for career development and intensive sociocultural care. The JSMC is truly multidisciplinary, involving, for example, microbiologists, chemists, physicists, physicians, mathematicians and bioinformaticians. The JSMC is embedded in a number of cooperative research projects and also has a major impact on applications in diagnosis, in the development of novel drugs for infectious disease therapy, and in environmental sustainability, crop protection and biotechnology.
The doctoral training programme at the JSMC includes:• Supervision by a team of mentors • Cross-disciplinary Ph.D. research projects • Promotion of research stays abroad and of participation in international conferences • Comprehensive training in transferable skills, such as scientific writing, oral presentations, acquiring research funding, etc.
Contact Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll-Institute (HKI) [email protected] www.hki-jena.de, http://www.jsmc.uni-jena.de
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Dr. Sonia Chachra Münster, Germany
Sonia Chachra was born in India and completed her bachelor’s degree in Engineering at the Depart-ment of Food Technology at Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), then part of the Punjab Technical University in Sangrur, in June 2002. Over the next two years, she completed her Master of Technology at the Centre for Biotechnology at Anna University in Chennai. She spent a year working as a research associate at Ranbaxy Research Labs, Gurgaon, in the Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics before completing her Ph.D. in Germany at the North Rhine-Westphalia Graduate School of Chemistry at the University of Münster (2005-2008). Her Ph.D. studies focused on “C/EBPß induced p300 phosphorylation mediated by protein kinases MEKK1 and HIPK2”. Since 2009, she has worked at the University of Münster as a postdoctoral fellow, initially in Professor Dr. Karl-Heinz Klempnauer’s group and subsequently (since June 2009) in Professor Dr. Bruno Mörschbacher’s group. Her research focuses on the identification of Alternaria alternata chitinosanase, the synthesis of designer chitosan oligomers using a chemo-enzymatic approach, the establishment of expression c-DNA libraries, and function-based screening for novel chitin-/chitosan-modifying enzymes.
"Thanks to my German university, I have now contact with other researchers all over the world. I also enjoy many opportunities to attend international seminars. These are the perfect platform for learning about new research techniques, as well as for expanding my professional network. I would highly recommend that researchers choose Germany as their research destination. Welcome aboard!”
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Writing about my life in Germany as an Indian and a researcher takes me back more than six years through some very pleasant memories. Choosing to study in Germany was, however, not an easy decision. I had apprehensions about safety, culture, language, food, accommodation, and – of course – research funding. All my personal and academic concerns, including my visa, accommodation, insurance, funding and project plan, were resolved very efficiently by the graduate school staff. Within a week of my arrival in Münster, I was able to start working in the lab. My research focused on investigating protein-protein interaction.
Later, I joined Professor Mörschbacher’s group as a postdoctoral fellow and one of the pioneer members of the Indo-German International Research Training Group “Molecular and Cellular Glyco-Sciences” (MCGS). MCGS is the first Indo-German graduate school funded by the DFG. Broadly speaking, my current research field is carbohydrate chemistry. I have also gained expertise in enzyme biochemistry and molecular biotechnology.
The research atmosphere in Germany is very friendly, international and relaxed. My colleagues are helpful and approachable. Though my main focus was research, I have had ample opportunities to learn various aspects of German culture, language, history and soft skills, and have attended workshops and international conferences.
In conclusion, research in Germany can be characterised by an excellent infrastructure, a wide variety of disciplines, well-equipped research facilities, and competent staff. Coming to Germany turned out to be a life-changing decision, and it shaped who I am today, both personally and academically. I truly enjoy living and working in Germany.
Contact Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology – IBBP Westphalian Wilhelms-University of Münster [email protected] http://www.uni-muenster.de/Biologie.IBBP/en/index.shtml
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Dr. Melanie Conrad Berlin, Germany
Melanie Conrad received her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and went to the University of Victoria to complete her Ph.D. studies, also in the field of Biology. Having finished her university education in her home country, she travelled to Germany to gather international research experience. From 2006 to 2010, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Biomedical Research Centre at the Philipps University of Marburg, in Professor Harald Renz’s group. She now works as a research associate at the Charité Medical School in Berlin (Professor Dr. Ralf Schumann’s group), where she is involved in the Indo-German International Research Training Group “Functional Molecular Infection Epidemiology”. Conrad also holds a Rahel Hirsch Habilitation Fellowship, which runs from 2012 to 2013.
“International experience is highly regarded in the research community. Working as a postdoctoral researcher in another country or being involved in an international collaboration project are excellent ways to build networks. These experiences also contribute greatly to furthering your career.”
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Intercultural Challenges in a Research Setting: All’s Well That Ends Well
Intercultural differences are a common challenge in collaboration between countries. Nevertheless, overcoming small obstacles and bridging the cultural divide can be very rewarding for both parties. To alleviate communication stress, it is often helpful to research your partner country and culture, both historically and through personal contacts. It is also important to prepare yourself mentally for any research visit. Regardless of how culturally close two countries are, language and communication idiosyncrasies are always present. The greater the cultural divide, the more noticeable the dissimilarities will be. These differences notwithstanding, there are several tools that can be employed to help relationships develop: 1) Observation. When immersing oneself in another culture, it is often better to observe before acting. Is there a hierarchical structure in the research environment? How do colleagues personally interact with each other? How are research discussions conducted? 2) Relationship development. Listening skills are extremely important here, as is the ability to engage in non-research-related conversation. 3) Patience. When working in an unfamiliar environment, it is helpful to plan for the unexpected. Organisation and getting started will always take longer than at home, regardless of the country you are visiting. With time and sensitivity, excellent intercultural research relationships can be built. These will result in fruitful research collaboration and rewarding life experiences.
Contact Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene Charité – University Medical Centre Berlin, Germany [email protected] http://v.vetmed.fu-berlin.de/v/grk1673/
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Prof. Dr. Michael Famulok Bonn, Germany
Professor Famulok‘s research interests include aptamer and intramer technology, the chemical biology of guaninenucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), and DNA nanoarchitectures. He studied chemistry at the University of Marburg, where he obtained his doctoral degree in 1989. From 1989 to 1990, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Chemistry at the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, USA, and from 1990 to 1992 at the Department of Molecular Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard Department of Genetics). He began his independent career at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich in 1992. Since 1999, he has served as Professor for Biochemistry and Chemical Biology at the LIMES Institute at the University of Bonn. In 2002, he received the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award. This is the highest honour awarded in German research and it recognises exceptional scientists and academics for outstanding achievements in their research fields. Since 2010, Professor Famulok has been supported by a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant, which underscores his excellent track record and significant research achievements.
“The conditions for performing research in Germany are excellent. Germany is a driving force for science and innovation in Europe and worldwide.”
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Kissing-loop interactions for stabilisation of higher order DNA-architectures
The objective of this project is to explore whether nucleic acid loop-loop-interactions, or “kissing complexes”, can be used for creating and stabilising higher order DNA architectures. We recently found that these interactions mediate the selective binding of two small hairpin RNA motifs to a naturally occurring riboswitch RNA via the formation of a highly specific kissing complex. They also sense the activation status of the riboswitch. We are now exploring the possibility of applying these tight interactions in a novel design paradigm to hold together nucleic acid assemblies of high complexity and stability. In contrast to relying solely on hybridisation, kissing complexes depend strictly on the presence of divalent cations, such as Mg2+. These occur in natural RNA molecules, but can also be isolated by in vitro selection or obtained by rational design. Our hypothesis is that defined loop-loop interactions should be feasible for the assembly of nanometre-sized DNA geometries, which would expand the range of variation considerably.
Contact Life & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute Programme Unit Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, Laboratory of Chemical Biology Rhineland's Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn [email protected] http://www.chembiol.uni-bonn.de/Seiten/AG/ag.html
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Prof. Dr. Seyed E. Hasnain New Delhi, India
Born in 1954, Seyed E. Hasnain, Ph.D. (Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi), D.Sc. (h.c.), D.Med.Sc. (h.c.) is Professor of Biological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi and former Vice Chancellor of the prestigious University of Hyderabad. While working at the National Institute of Immunology in New Delhi, he became the first Director of the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) in Hyderabad. He made extraordinary contributions to the molecular infection biology and epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium which causes tuberculosis, and received the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Research Prize for his contributions to TB infection biology. Hasnain was the first Indian recipient of the very exclusive Robert Koch Fellowship awarded by the Robert Koch Institute of Berlin, and the first Indian member to be elected to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. A Fellow of all the major Science Academies of India and TWAS (Italy), he received the Padma Shri (Civilian Award) from His Excellency the President of India. A Member of the University Grants Commission, he is also a Member of the Prime Minister of India’s Scientific Advisory Council and of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Union Cabinet.
“Bacteria don't stop at frontiers; neither should scientists.”
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Global Partnership is Essential to Combat Infectious Diseases as Bacteria Do Not Stop at National Boundaries Hence
Since the beginning of recorded history, infectious diseases have taken more human lives worldwide than all the wars and global conflicts to date. Thanks to effective surveillance and diagnostic measures and to successful interventions (which have often involved political decisions), the pandemics of former times are becoming rare. Dual use technology and research into understanding the biology of infectious agent transmission have a potentially dangerous security trade-off in the context of bioweapons. We must reassure our society that the benefits of our research far outweigh the inherent risks and that we, as responsible global citizens, are fully committed to making this world a healthier place to live.
Contact Kusuma School of Biological Sciences Indian Institute of Technology Delhi [email protected] http://www.seyedehasnain.org/
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Prof. Dr. Andreas Hensel Münster, Germany
Andreas Hensel started his scientific education at the University of Regensburg, where he studied Pharmacy (1980-1984) and where he completed his Ph.D. studies in Pharmaceutical Biology (1985-1988). He gathered international research experience in Canada as a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University, Montreal, in the Department of Plant Biochemistry. He then continued his career with a position at ASTA Medica AG, part of the Degussa Pharma Group, where he dealt with analytical development (1990-1994). After this, he attended the University of Erlangen, where he obtained his habilitation in Pharmaceutical Biology in 1998. He began his independent scientific career as a professor at the University of Würzburg (1999-2000), followed by positions at the Zurich University of Applied Science (2001-2003) and the University of Düsseldorf (2004). Since 2004, he has served as a full professor for Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry at the University of Münster. Professor Hensel’s research group focuses on phytochemistry and the functional aspects of natural products, especially of polyphenols and plant-derived polysaccharides. The overall aim of their work is to identify innovative physiological and pharmacological effects of oligo- and polysaccharides.
“Why go abroad? International experience serves as a basis for further careers in science and academia, and also improves candidates’ prospects of attaining jobs in industry. Why choose Germany? Germany has a long history of science and culture, and provides an attractive scientific environment with well-funded work in a relaxing atmosphere. The country also boasts an exciting industrial environment. Moreover, the funding system furnishes long-term resources for fellowship recipients, rather than providing merely short-term funding.”
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International Research Training Group “Molecular and Cellular Glycosciences (MCGS)”
Carbohydrate-containing biomolecules are increasingly recognised as information-bearing molecules with highly important signalling and regulatory functions within and between cells and organisms. Many of these are due to direct interactions of the respective carbohydrates with cellular proteins, such as receptors or enzymes. Molecular and biochemical aspects of such carbohydrate/protein interactions in the cellular context are to be characterised in detail by MCGS, which was established in late 2009 for a 4.5-year funding period.
The focus will be on structure/function relationships, i.e. on elucidating the structural requirements responsible for the interaction of glycans with their target proteins. This will create a basic understanding of structure/function relationships at a molecular level.
The MCGS study programmwill offer a basic Lecture cum Seminar on glyco-sciences, and three-week Summer and Winter Schools followed by one-week Excursions, individual Technical Workshops and two Enabling Skills Modules. MCGS will organise bi-annual MCGS Network Symposia. At its current status MCGS will comprise around 40 doctoral and post-doctoral students mentored by 18 scientists. Half of the students and scientists will come from Germany, the other half from India.
Contact Westphalian Wilhelms-University of Münster Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry [email protected] http://www.uni-muenster.de/Chemie.pb/forschen/hensel/index.html http://www.uni-muenster.de/MCGS/introduction/index.html
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Prof. Dr. Ulrike Holzgrabe Würzburg, Germany
Born in 1956, Professor Dr. Ulrike Holzgrabe studied Chemistry at the University of Marburg from 1974 to 1979 and Pharmacy at the Universities of Marburg and Kiel from 1978 to 1981. She obtained her license to practice pharmacy (approbation) in 1982, and her Ph.D. “with honours” from the University of Kiel. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bath’s School of Pharmacy on “stereochemistry and pharmacology on piperidone-type drugs” and earned her habilitation in Pharmaceutical Chemistry with research on “new synthesis pathways to isoquinoline-like drugs” in Kiel in 1989. From 1990 to 1999, she served an associate professor (C3) at the University of Bonn. Since 1999, she has held the position of chairperson of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Institute for Pharmacy and Food Chemistry at the University of Würzburg. Her research topics include the development of anti-infectives (from scratch and from nature), the development of selective ligands of muscarinic receptors, bioanalytics, and the analysis of drugs using capillary electrophoresis and NMR spectroscopy. Since 2010, she has served as a member of several boards, including the scientific board of the Helmholtz Centre for Pharmaceutical Research in Saarbrücken and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig.
“As basic funding is often available from universities, Germany gives you, as a professor, the freedom to perform research in your field of interest. You are also supported in establishing international collaboration by, for example, DFG and/or international funding.”
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Tropical Infectious Diseases and Antibiotic Resistance – the Search for New Antibiotics
Due to increasing antibiotic resistance, treating tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, malaria and many other tropical infectious diseases is becoming more and more difficult. The search for new anti-infective lead compounds, especially from nature, has, therefore, become even more important. An extract of the roots Valeriana walichii has shown antileishmanial activity. The extraction of the compound responsible for the observed anti-infective activity will form the basis for the development of a new drug. This is urgently needed due to emerging resistance to often toxic medications. The Collaborative Research Centre “Recognition, Preparation and Functional Analysis of Agents against Infectious Diseases” at the University of Würzburg is focusing on this topic, making it an excellent environment for collaboration. One active compound has been isolated and biologically characterised by the Collaborative Research Centre in Würzburg in collaboration with the Jadavpur University (Professor Dr. B. Hazra) in Kolkata. Complementary Indo-German research strengths in this field could lead to excellent results in the future.
ContactChair in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Institute for Pharmacy and Food ChemistryBavarian Julius Maximilian University, Würzburgu.holzgrabe@pharmazie.uni-wuerzburg.dewww.pharmazie.uni-wuerzburg.dewww.sfb630.de
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Prof. Dr. N. Siva Kumar Hyderabad, India Siva Kumar completed his Master’s degree in Biochemistry at Andhra University in 1980, and obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from CFTRI, Mysore, in 1986, before beginning his postdoctoral career at the Biochemistry Department of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He subsequently joined the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hyderabad as a lecturer, where he is now a professor in the Biochemistry Department. Since 2009, he has served as coordinator of the “Molecular and Cellular Glyco-Sciences” International Research Training Group, which is a joint project of the University of Hyderabad and the University of Münster. Professor Kumar has visited the USA for conferences and collaborated extensively with German scientists of high international repute. He was granted multiple fellowships by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 1988, 1994 and 1998. In 2007, he received the Prof. M. Shadaksharaswamy Endowment Lecture Award from the Society for Biological Chemists (India) for his outstanding contributions to teaching and research in the field of biological chemistry and allied sciences. His main focus is research in the field of protein biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, with major emphasis on the glycobiology of plant and animal lectins. He has developed new affinity gels for the large-scale purification and characterisation of a number of lectins.
“Spending time abroad as part of a top quality research group carrying out a research project gives young researchers truly important international exposure on both sides not only with scientific work but also with cultural aspects.”
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Research in German Universities: Pathways to Success in Higher Education
The University of Hyderabad has welcomed the idea of German scientists from the University of Münster establishing the first joint International Research Training Group on “Molecular and Cellular Glyco-Sciences”. Of the Indian scientists participating in this group, Professor N. Siva Kumar was selected as programme coordinator due to his successful scientific cooperation with German scientists, which has spanned several different universities and more than two decades. The research aims to elucidate the structural requirements responsible for the interaction of glycans with their target proteins. Highly enthusiastic and well-recognised colleagues were selected to form a strong, cohesive Indo-German consortium, and the programme is unique in several ways. Within the International Research Training Group, Ph.D. students from both sides will have the opportunity to participate in joint Indo-German summer and winter schools. The programme thus facilitates bilateral exchange between Ph.D. students on both sides, enabling them to learn new research methodologies and techniques that can be adopted at their home institutions. Furthermore, the students participating in the International Research Training Group will have the opportunity to carry out part of their P.h.D. work in selected research labs in Germany and India. This international experience will truly strengthen young researchers’ academic and research capabilities, enabling them to pursue research careers and achieve their goals in their chosen fields of study.
Contact Department of Biochemistry University of Hyderabad [email protected], [email protected] www.uohyd.ernet.in www.uni-muenster.de/MCGS
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Prof. Dr. Rajendra Prasad New Delhi, India
Rajendra Prasad earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Lucknow University and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Agra University’s Central Drug Research Institute. Aside from intermittent research stays abroad, he then worked at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, where he has been a full professor at the School of Life Sciences since 1985. His international research experience led him to the University of Southern California’s School of Medicine in Los Angeles, where he worked as a research associate from 1973 to 1976, and to the New York Medical College, where he worked from 1979 to 1980. He spent time at the University of Bonn as a Humboldt Fellow and Mercator Professor and has served as a visiting professor in several other countries, including Spain, Belgium, France and the United States. Rajendra Prasad’s research focuses on the molecular aspects of antifungal resistance in pathogenic fungi. In this research area, his group has been collaborating for more than two decades with scientists from the Universities of Bonn, Würzburg and Düsseldorf, and from the Technical University in Darmstadt. This collaboration has led to several student visits, joint publications and grants supported by the DAAD, the DFG, the Humboldt Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation and the European Commission.
“My presentation will describe successful opportunities for biomedical research collaboration with Germany. Young researchers can take advantage of these to improve their research prospects and attain their goals.”
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Combating Antifungal Resistance: An Indo-German Collaborative Effort
Fungal infections constitute an ever-growing significant medical problem which places an enormous economic burden on healthcare. In the western world alone, the annual costs exceed billions. In developing countries, the high costs associated with nosocomial infectious diseases also prohibit efficient therapies against fungal pathogens. The major fungi infecting humans include Candida spp., which represents the fourth leading cause of nosocomial microbial diseases and accounts for some 75% of all fungal infections. Filamentous Aspergillus spp. or the yeast-like Cryptococcus neoformans, and less prevalent but emerging fungal pathogens, such as Zygomycete, and yeast-like opportunistic fungi account for up to 25% of fungal infectious diseases. Clinical diseases range from simple toenail infections and superficial colonisation (as is often observed in recurrent vaginitis) to deep-seated infections and life-threatening systemic fungemias in patients with severely impaired immune systems. The high mortalities of disseminated fungemias are, to a significant extent, due to a lack of accurate diagnostic tests. They are, however, also due to the fact that current antifungal therapies use a limited spectrum of high-cost drugs, at least some of which are not always sufficiently effective. Disseminated fungal diseases are, therefore, serious medical conditions which demand permanent attention in a clinical setting, as well as in translational antifungal drug discovery and in basic research addressing the molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity, disease progression and antifungal resistance.
Contact School of Life Sciences Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi [email protected], [email protected] http://membranebiolab.webs.com/
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Prof. Dr. Agepati S. Raghavendra Hyderabad, India
Agepati Srinivasa Raghavendra, born on 17 November 1950, is a Professor & J.C. Bose National Fellow at the Department of Plant Sciences, part of the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hyderabad in India. His contact with German scientists has been long and extensive, starting with his first visit to Germany in 1978. Having received a Humboldt Research Fellowship, Ragha (as he is known to his friends) worked with leading plant physiologists and biochemists in Germany, including Professors Ulrich Heber (Würzburg), Hans Heldt (Göttingen), Peter Westhoff (Düsseldorf) and Renate Scheibe (Osnabrück). He served as a DFG Mercator Professor Visiting Professor at the University of Osnabrück. Ragha has taken part in two Indo-German collaborative research projects with Professors Renate Scheibe and Erwin Grill (Munich), for which he received support from the DST India, the DAAD and the DFG. His current research interests include the biochemistry of C4 photosynthesis, chloroplast-mitochondria interactions, and signal transduction in stomatal guard cells. He is on the Editorial Board of the Photosynthesis Research journal and has also served on the Advisory Editorial Board of Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, both of which are published by Springer, Germany.
“I am happy and proud to have enjoyed the privilege of lifelong sponsorship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and grateful to have received support from the DAAD and the DFG. I would also advise young postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students to pursue research/education in Germany and would be happy to assist them in doing so.”
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The Pleasures and Prospects of Indo-German Scientific Collaboration: My Perspective
As a graduate student, I had the dream of obtaining the prestigious Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers to pursue research in Germany. My wish was fulfilled in 1990, when I was awarded this Fellowship to work with Prof. Dr. Ulrich Heber at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg. However, my first visit to Germany was in 1978, when I visited the University of Darmstadt to meet Professors Ulrich Lüttge and Manfred Kluge. My first tenure of the Humboldt Research Fellowship was followed by subsequent stays to work with Professors Hans Heldt (Göttingen) and Peter Westhoff (Düsseldorf). The continued support of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation was instrumental in enabling me to develop an extensive network of scientific friends and collaborators from Germany, and to pursue high quality research. My interaction with German colleagues and long spell of scientific collaboration (since 1990) has been possible due to generous support from different agencies. There have been several innovative approaches to strengthening scientific collaboration between India and Germany. These have included placing strong emphasis on support, not only for senior scientists/professors, but also for young postdoctoral researchers/Ph.D. students to enable them to carry out research work or study in Germany; support from multiple organisations, such as the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the DAAD, the DFG, the BMBF and the Max Planck Institute; using English as the medium of instruction and preparation for MSc/Ph.D. theses; and providing German language courses to facilitate researchers’ integration with German society.
Contact Department of Plant Sciences School of Life Sciences University of Hyderabad [email protected], [email protected]
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Prof. Dr. med. Ralf R. Schumann Berlin, Germany
Professor Schumann studied medicine at the University of Hamburg (1978-1984) and obtained his M.D. degree in 1985. Until 1987, he was a research fellow at the Institute for Experimental Biology and Medicine in Borstel, Germany. He then spent his postdoctoral training at the Department of Immunology at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, USA, where he remained until 1991. He received the Young Investigator’s Award from the International Endotoxin Society in 1992, when he also became a staff scientist at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin (MDC). Since 1997, he has worked at the Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene at the Charité – University Medical Centre Berlin, where he became a full professor in 2001. He is board-specialised in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Epidemiology. Professor Schumann has participated in several international programmes, including a humanitarian relief campaign for Kazakhstan from 1992-1996. He has received multiple awards, including honours from the Society for Hygiene and Microbiology in 1997 and from the Federal Ministry of Economics in 2000. His main research interests are host-pathogen interaction, innate immunity and sepsis with a focus on toll-like receptors (TLRs), and the genetic determinants of disease susceptibility. He is vice coordinator of a collaborative German-Indian Research group.
“We are looking for enthusiastic researchers who want to join a motivated group. Berlin is a wonderful city where life is still affordable. For a successful researcher it is important to think independently and creatively. Computer skills and good teamwork are essential.”
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Modern Tools used in the Cooperative Study of “New and Old” Infectious Diseases in Berlin and Hyderabad
Groups from Berlin and Hyderabad have joined forces to study the molecular mechanisms and epidemiology of infectious diseases more prevalent in India than in Europe. Molecular techniques and bioinformatics are applied to characterise both the pathogens present in these different regions of the world, and the genetic makeup of their hosts (patients). In the present era of genomics research, many pathogens have been sequenced, and the human genome was elucidated several years ago. As the recent outbreak of pathogenic E. coli bacteria in Germany revealed, the molecular identification of pathogens is a powerful tool for tracking the epidemiology of infections. Recent research has revealed that human genetic variations may also contribute to both our susceptibility to and the course of infectious diseases. This project will, therefore, assess the genetics of both pathogens and hosts in order to establish the molecular epidemiology of certain diseases. In addition, functional tests will be performed to investigate the consequences of the genetic variations. The Berlin-based research groups involved in this project include the Free University of Berlin, the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Humboldt University of Berlin, and several groups from the Charité, which is the joint medical faculty of both the Humboldt University and the Free University. These groups have partnered with numerous renowned institutions from Hyderabad to focus on tuberculosis, pneumococcal diseases, E. coli infections, malaria and parasitic infections, among others.
Contact Institute for Microbiology and Hygiene Charité – University Medical Centre Berlin [email protected] http://www.charite.de/imh/team/schumann01d.htm http://v.vetmed.fu-berlin.de/v/grk1673/
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Prof. Dr. Ajit Varma Pune, India
Professor Dr. Ajit Varma is presently serving as Director General of the Amity Institute of Microbial Technology (Amity University Uttar Pradesh) and Vice Chairman of the Amity Science, Technology & Innovation Foundation Noida, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Born in Allahabad, India, on 24 September 1939, Dr. Varma completed his M.Sc. (1959) & Ph.D. (1964) degrees at Allahabad University in Allahabad, India. During his professional career, he also served as a microbiologist (assistant professor) at the IARI in New Delhi from 1963 to 1971, and as a senior microbiologist (associate professor) there from 1971 to 1974. He held an associate professor position at JNU in New Delhi from 1975 to 1984, and a professorship there from 1985 to 2004.
He has enjoyed lively exchanges with German universities (Tübingen, Jena, Marburg, Mainz and Munich) and non-university organisations such as the Helmholtz Centres and Max Planck Institutes as both a visiting professor and a visiting researcher. He has also received many international awards and fellowships from German
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organisations, including the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the DAAD, the BMBF, and the DFG-INSA Programme (Indo-Germany). Dr. Varma is an internationally renowned scientist in the area of Microbial Technology, a fact underscored by his tremendous publication record and his nomination to editor-in-chief by Springer Verlag and IK Internationals.
Underground Root Engineering for Environmental Sustainability
Mycorrhizal fungi are soil microbes which form mutualistic relationships with the roots of 90% of plants and enhance plant resistance to various toxins and pathogens. Intimate symbiotic relationships have developed between mycorrhizal fungi and plants, since the colonisation of land by the latter has led to interdependence between these organisms for many basic processes. These mycorrhizal fungi require plants to accomplish their life cycle and, in return, they promote the absorption of nutrients and water, control plant diseases, and improve soil structure. Plants colonised by mycorrhizae grow better than those without them, and they are beneficial in natural and agricultural systems. As arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis can conceivably affect any of the afore mentioned physiological steps, arbuscular mycorrhizal fertilizers are considered an alternative to costly soil disinfection. Substantial evidence has been gathered recently to indicate that use of the microsymbiont could contribute to the decreasing use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, forestry, floriculture and horticulture, especially if combined with other beneficial soil microorganisms. Although the importance of mycorrhizae for agriculture and horticulture has long been recognised, its application has been limited due to a lack of knowledge concerning the molecular basis of the interaction between the two symbiotic partners and the mycorrhizae’s uncultivable nature. The inability to grow arbuscular mycorrhizae in pure culture in the absence of living host roots is a matter of global concern.
An axenically culturable mycorrhiza-like endophyte has recently been described by Varma (JNU, New Delhi) and his collaborators. It was originally found along with arbuscular mycorrhizal spores in rhizosphere soil samples of spineless cacti and Cenchrus sp (desert grass) growing in north-west Rajasthan. The fungus was named Piriformospora indica due to its characteristic pear-shaped chlamydospores. According to the analysis of 18S rDNA and the ultrastructure
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of the septal pore, its phylogenetic relationship is assumed to be within the Hymenomycetes (Basidiomycota). A symbiotic fungus (Piriformospora indica) may potentially serve as a biofertilizer, bioprotector, bioregulator, bioherbicide and weedkiller. It also combats environmental stresses (chemical and physical) and serves as an excellent source for hardening tissue-culture-raised crops and plants. P. indica tremendously improves the growth and overall biomass production of a large number of plants with economic importance. Pronounced growth-promoting effects have also been seen in terrestrial orchids. The fungus is a potential orchid mycorrhizal fungus.
The properties of the Piriformospora indica fungus have been patented (Varma A and Franken P, 1997, European Patent Office, Munich, Germany, Patent No. 97121440.8-2105, Nov. 1998) and the 18s rDNA fragment has been deposited in GenBank (Bethesda, USA). The culture has been deposited at Braunschweig, Germany (DMS No.11827) and in the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM) in Mau, Uttar Pradesh.
Contact Director General, Amity Institute of Microbial Technology Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector 125 [email protected] http://www.amity.edu/aims/Faculty.asp
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Prof. Dr. Geeta K. Vemuganti Hyderabad, India
Dr. Geeta Vemuganti joined to lead and develop the fledgling School of Medical Sciences at the University of Hyderabad in December 2010 after a long stint as Head of the Ophthalmic Pathology Laboratory and the Sudhaker and Sreekant Ravi Stem Cell Biology Laboratory at the renowned L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. Her recent work has been in the area of ocular tumors and stem cell biology, where she has contributed to cutting edge translational research that has led to bench-to-bedside applications. This has won her many national and international awards including media coverage in Fortune, CNN, BBC radio, Outlook and India Today magazines. She holds several honorary positions, including an adjunct professorship of Ophthalmology in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, USA. She is currently Chair of the Programme Committee of the AP section of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), and President Elect, International Society of Ophthalmic Pathology, among other professional and academic affiliations. Dr. Vemuganti earned her basic medical degree at the JLN Medical College, Ajmer before completing her MD in Pathology at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences. She has had advanced training in ocular pathology at
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the Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, USA and has been a visiting pathologist at the Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Department of Pathology, University of Illinois, Chicago. She has collaborations with many reputed national and international Institutes and has raised grants worth 3 million USD. She has published widely, authoring more than 150 papers in journals of international repute with a Citation Index of 1186 and H Index of 19 (Citation Gadget). She has guided several doctoral students in both basic and applied research projects.
Research Interests of fledging School of Medical Sciences
The School of Medical Sciences was established in 2008 with a mission to promote, nurture and achieve excellence in frontier areas of Medical and Health Sciences by offering novel teaching and research programmes. Taking advantage of wide spread network with various hospitals and clinical institutes, the school now proposes to concentrate on translational research and clinical problems oriented research. The current research activities of our school include evaluation of biomarkers in pre-eclampsia, molecular mechanism of insulin resistance in diabetes, cancer immunology, simulation in nursing education, neonatal infections, cancer stem cells in retinoblastoma, stem cells and translational research. The school looks forward to expand the faculty, expand international collaborations, plan new course for health professionals and pave way for creating state of art research facility in all these areas.
Contact Dean, School of Medical Sciences University of Hyderabad [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] http://www.uohyd.info/index.php/academics/schools-of-study
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Prof. Dr. Sandeep Verma Kanpur, India
Born in Kanpur, Sandeep Verma grew up and completed his schooling in the holy city of Varanasi. He studied Organic Chemistry at the Banaras Hindu University, where he was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal for first place and the P.N. Bhargava Silver Medal for excelling in Organic Chemistry. He moved to the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago, USA, for his Ph.D. in anti-HIV drug design (1994). After two successive postdoctoral stays at the Johns Hopkins University in the USA and the Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine in Germany, he joined the IIT Kanpur in 1997, where he is currently a professor in the Department of Chemistry. Concurrently he is associated with the DST Unit of Excellence on Soft Nanofabrication at IIT Kanpur. He is also an adjunct professor at the IISER Bhopal. His research interests lie in the areas of metal-nucleobase frameworks, peptide and protein aggregation, and soft nanofabrication methodologies. He was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Chemical Sciences (2010) and is an elected Fellow of both the Indian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.
“The motto of the Germany-India year of friendship—Infinite Opportunities—reflects the endless possibilities for collaboration in many areas of human endeavour. This motto holds great significance for scientists, given the multiple avenues for establishing bilateral cooperation and the possibilities for augmenting resources and making collaborative discoveries in frontier areas of research.”
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Stimuli-Responsive Soft Structures
The construction of supramolecular architectures involving the self-association or self-assembly of bioessential components such as peptides offers numerous advantages in terms of material and biochemical applications. Among the various possible morphologies achieved with peptide building blocks, the formation of spherical morphology evinces keen interest due to their potential scope for guest encapsulation and their subsequent application as delivery vehicles. In addition, the modulated response of soft molecular ensembles to external stimulus further increases their scope as drug delivery systems, (bio)chemical sensors, and as cell adhesion mediators. As a result of our ongoing investigations, we have described peptide-based supramolecular ensembles which respond to pH, physiologically relevant cations, covalently attached structure modifiers, ultrasound and sunlight.1 Some of the design approaches will be presented, along with possible applications.
1 (a) Chem. Commun. 2010, 46: 6992–6994; (e) J. Pep. Sci. 2011, 17:148-153.
Contact Department of Chemistry DST Unit of Excellence on Soft Nanofabrication Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur [email protected] http://home.iitk.ac.in/~sverma/
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Coordinators and Representatives of DFG
Dr. Torsten Fischer Director, Office New Delhi German Research Foundation (DFG)[email protected]
Krishna Hariharan Senior Programme Officer, Office New Delhi German Research Foundation (DFG)[email protected]
Dr. Gernot Gad Programme Director Research Careers German Research Foundation (DFG)[email protected]
Varupi Gupta Senior Programme Officer, Office New Delhi German Research Foundation (DFG)[email protected]
Dr. Ingrid Krüßmann Director International Affairs German Research Foundation (DFG)[email protected]
Vera Pfister Programme Officer Life Sciences German Research Foundation (DFG)[email protected]
Dr. Sybilla Tinapp Programme Officer International Affairs German Research Foundation (DFG)[email protected]
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Photo credits
p. 2, 8, 25, 51: © DAAD/Volker Lannertp. 6/7: JSMC - Jena School for Microbial Communicationp. 23: Dr. Niyaz Ahmedp. 29: Dr. Sonia Chachrap. 31: Dr. Melanie Conradp. 38/39: Dr. Ulrike Holzgrabe / Dr. Banasri Hazrap. 46: International Research Training Group (GRK 1673)
We thank all speakers for providing a passport photograph.
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Contact
www.research-in-germany.de
German Research Foundation (DFG)DFG Office [email protected]/india
German Research Foundation (DFG)DFG Head Office [email protected]/en
