Udupi A. Ramagopal

Dr. Udupi A. Ramagopal

Associate Professor & Dean Academics

Biological Science Division

Email: udupi.ramagopal[at]poornaprajna[dot]org

Biological Science

 

 

Structural Biology of enzymes and immune receptors

A biological cell is a highly complex and organized soup of proteins, DNA, RNA, lipids and many other complex molecules that work in synergy. Although, the information necessary for the energy metabolism, defense,sensing the external world, and all other essential processes for the survival are hidden inside the genome of the cell, the real workhorse molecules are the proteins. These proteins can synthesize highly complex molecules essential for everyday life, act as framework for the cell shape and integrity, sense external molecules and also the possible threat from the outside world and so on. Over the course of evolution, nature has learnt all the tricks to create these nano-machines (proteins and their complexes), which are polymers made of just twenty different amino acids. We are interested in understanding these magical-machines, one at a time or when they are talking to each other, using biophysical and biochemical techniques. Since, the visible light has its own limitation to see such objects at atomic details, we use X-rays (X-ray diffraction from ordered 3D-array of these molecules, called crystals) to visualize such molecules. For example, we are interested in structure based functional characterization of key bacterial enzymes responsible for synthesis of essential small molecules for their survival. We are also interested in the molecules on the surface of the immune cells, so called “immune receptors” that recognize the external enemy like bacteria or our own cancer cells and play a critical role in the clearance of such threats.