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Metabolic sensing, "biochemical evolution" and cell fate
(click here for open positions) "Do. Or do not. There is no try." - Yoda "Around here we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious......and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney ****************************************************** Welcome to our lab at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), sharing a lovely campus with the National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS). Cells, as defined, are the quintessential membrane-bound units that contain the fundamental molecules of life. Yet these bags of molecules carry out remarkable chemistry to replicate their DNA, divide, grow, change form or function and more. In large groups, they communicate with each other, sharing information to control each others' fates. All of this is driven by biochemistry. We are broadly interested understanding the biochemical logic driving information transfer within and between cells. At the heart of all information transfer, and central to life, is metabolism, which are the chemical processes required for life. Our goal is to understand what makes some metabolites or metabolic processes special, and how they can determine what happens to a cell. How much of the organization of a cell can we understand by understanding the molecules that make it up? More specifically, our research extends to understanding: the different fates of amino acids and how that determines cell fate, what "metabolic costs" actually mean to a cell, and taking a metabolism centric perspective to answer how cellular heterogeniety emerges in genetically identical populations. You can learn more about our work on our research page, read our publications, join us, and explore our resources. Our research is supported by a Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance fellowship, grants and institutional support from inStem and DBT ( Centre of Excellence grant), and infrastructure support from inStem, NCBS and C-CAMP. Other: I write an occasional science column for The Wire (which does not reflect the views of my employer), on the scientific method, learning from the history of science, and the process of discovery. In addition, here are some of my other articles in the mainstream media: 1) On Scaling Indian science 2) On Effectively starting up a new lab (in the Wellcome Trust -DBT IA newsletter) 3) "Who moved my science", a science policy discussion on the Pragati podcast |
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Contact us
email (strongly preferred): sunil@instem.res.in office phone: +91-80-23666580 Snail mail/physical address: Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) National Center for Biological Sciences campus, GKVK, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065 India Institute (official/other) website: https://www.instem.res.in/sunil-laxman 
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