SUNIL LAXMAN LAB
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Organizational principles of metabolic regulation
molecules - mechanisms - systems

Metabolic networks | Sensing & signaling | Biochemical evolution | Synthetic and systems biology | Information transfer | Form & function | Cell factories
"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

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Welcome to our lab at the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore.

Mission statement: The underlying theme of research is to look for the rules and chemical logic in metabolism. We try to understand how metabolism functions as an ultimate form of biological information flow, to drive the chemical processes required for life. For this, we study how some metabolites are formed, and are sensed within and between cells. We also study systems level principles of metabolic network organization, and the evolution of metabolic pathways. Finally, we are excited by synthetic-systems bioengineering that combines metabolic engineering with toggling signaling systems, to create new molecules and strains for regenerative biology, food and environmental biotechnology.

Beyond our scientific discoveries, we are passionate about training the next generation of scientists. Past members have gone on to successful careers in research, teaching, industry, policy and entrepreneurship (see people). The lab has  exciting opportunities for cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research at the interface of biology and engineering, and we are always interested in hearing from prospective students and postdocs who want to join our team.

Values: We are committed to fully open science: we preprint our studies, all published papers are either open access or shared, and all strains, reagents and methods are available upon request (see here for more on how to request). We emphasize quality, reproducible research to advance science, and benefit society. Our lab is inclusive, welcoming, and collaborative, with researchers from diverse backgrounds and career destinations.

Our research:
Our research broadly spans the following areas (see
our research page for more):

(1) Logic and organizational principles of metabolic regulation and networks.
(2) "Special" metabolites that drive multiple cell states, fates, form and function, and act as information transfer currencies within and between cells (metabolic sensing and signaling).
(3) The evolution of metabolic pathways.
(4) How metabolism enables specialization, division of labor, cooperation and conflict in cell groups.


These address fundamental questions, and our research has implications for diseases (cancer, metabolic diseases), inter-microbial/ inter-cell interactions, and metabolic engineering in microbial systems.

You can learn more about our work on our research page, read our publications, join us, and explore our resources.


Collaborations with industry:
We are happy to consult or collaborate with industry with our expertise in systems and synthetic biology, metabolic microbial (yeast) engineering,  food microbiology, mass spectrometry based metabolomics, and cellular research. Collaborations/partnerships  include strategic consulting as well as research collaborations. Our approach is consultative and customizable. Please read more about all we have to offer here.


Funding and support:
We are grateful for grants and institutional support from inStem, the Dept. of Biotechnology (GoI), the Dept. of Science and Technology (SERB)(GoI).
Upcoming support (2022): DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance senior fellowship, DBT-DFG collaborative grant.
Past support-
DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance intermediate fellowship, Dept. of Biotechnology CoE grant.
We also receive support from the EMBO global/young investigator network.

Other:
I wrote a  science column (archive) (note: this does not reflect the views of my employer) on the scientific method, 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


Popular science lectures on youtube:
Science communication (on amazing fungi, what we've learned from them, a bit of history about biochemistry and more): Breaking bread, and other breakthroughs (on youtube)

Science cafe: Life in the extreme (on extreme metabolism and cell survival in conditions that should not support life).

Videos of lectures (undergrad level) on youtube
Metabolic basis of emergent multicellularity (SRM biology series)
Biological oscillators: The yeast metabolic cycle Part I (with Sandeep Krishna)
Biological oscillators: The yeast metabolic cycle Part II (with Sandeep Krishna)


Contact us
email: 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: 

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https://www.instem.res.in/sunil-laxman
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Lab news
  • Nov 2022: Ayushee Khanna joins the lab as its newest PhD student, after completing her rotation. Welcome Ayushee!
  • Sept 2022: Read our latest study out in print, discovering a critical role for methionine utilization in T cell survival, now out in Life Science Alliance.
  • Sept 2022: Farewell to Zeenat, who leaves to start her postdoctoral work at UCLA
  • Aug 2022: The lab has its first multi-day scientific retreat at Bandipur National park.
  • Nov 2021: Congratulations to Zeenat on her PhD defense, and who is now officially Dr. Zeenat Rashida.
  • Oct 2021: All the best and good luck to Rajalakshmi and Sriram as they set off on their independent academic careers, to start their own research groups.
  • Oct 2021: Zeenat has a new perspective, on systems-level roles of the pentose phosphate pathway, now out in Current Opinions in Systems Biology.
  • Oct 2021: Sriram has a new perspective article, on how some metabolites enable division of labor and heterogeneity in clonal microbial communities, now out in Genetics.
  • Oct 2021: Shabbir joins the lab as a postdoc. Welcome!
  • Apr 2021: Read our paper, Zeenat's study showing new roles for TORC1 (Kog1) and the AMP Kinase in metabolic homeostasis, now out in Science Advances.
  • Feb 2021: Read our new paper, Ritu's systems level theoretical framework on phosphates and metabolic state, now out in eLife.
  • Dec 2020: Read our latest paper, Rajalakshmi's study on genome wide roles of Gcn4 in a (methionine-dependent) growth program, now out in Plos Genetics.
  • Oct 2020: Read our latest paper, Adhish & Ganesh's study on PP2A methylation stabilizing Gcn4/ATF4 to drive a methionine dependent anabolic program, now out in JBC.
  • Sept 2020: Read our latest paper. Sriram's study on resource plasticity driving metabolic specialization and division of labor is now out in eLIFE.
  • Feb 2020: Ritu finishes her outstanding term as a postdoc in the lab, and moves to the US. Happy new adventures!
  • Nov 2019: Read recent mini-reviews from the lab, on tRNAs as nutrient sensors and metabolic regulators, and on methionine as a growth signal.
  • Oct 2019: Read our latest paper in JBC, on how an E3-ubiquitin ligase mediates glucose repression.
  • Sept 2019: Congratulations to Sriram Varahan, runner up for the Zeeshan Khan Memorial Award for excellence in light microscopy, and Ritu Gupta for an eLIFE travel award.
  • July 2019: Read our paper in eLIFE, on how an amino acid sensing tRNA modification regulates metabolic homeostasis.
  • June 2019: Read our paper in eLIFE, on how cells organize spatially into specialized, heterogeneous states.
  • April 2019: Adhish finishes his outstanding term as a postdoc in the lab, and starts in a new position in Europe. We expect great things from him!
  • Feb 2019: Adhidh Walvekar wins an AWSAR award from DST-SERB (2018, Postdoc category).
  • Feb 2019: Shreyas joins the lab after his rotation. Welcome!
  • December 2018: Read our latest, editorially highlighted paper in MBoC, on methionine as an anabolic signal.
  • October 2018: Read our new methods paper in Wellcome Open Research, on targeted metabolomics and metabolic flux analysis.
  • July 2018: Read our new, editorially highlighted paper in MBoC, on oscillating between quiescence and mitotic division.
  • July/Aug 2018: Ruchika and Swagata start in the lab. Welcome!
  • June 2018: Malavika and Shree Padma finish in the lab, and now head out to the USA for grad school! Bon voyage, and all the best!
  • June 2018: Adhish Walvekar is one of the winners of the SERB-NPDF research competition, and will present in Delhi later this year. Congratulations!
  • May 2018: Sreesa, Nidhi, Harini and Swagata finish their masters thesis projects in the lab. Well done!
  • Aug 2017: Vinca, Shree Padma join the lab as JRFs/Project assistants. Welcome!
  • June 2017: Sriram is awarded a Wellcome Trust-DBT IA Early Career Fellowship. Congratulations!
  • April 2017: New, short, useful paper out from the lab, on how cells deal with cysteine toxicity. Read here.
  • March 2017: Read our new review, on "Conceptualizing eukaryotic metabolic sensing and signaling", in a special theme issue of The J. Indian Inst. Sci. Download the pdf.
  • March 2017: Congratulations to Rajalakshmi and Sriram for being awarded DST SERB-National Postdoctoral Fellowships.
  • Jan 2017: Ramya heads off to Boston on a B4 postdoctoral fellowship.
  • Oct 2016: Amit heads off to the Weizmann institute for his PhD. Good luck!
  • September 2016: Ganesh KB starts his joint postdoctoral fellowship here and with the Frezza lab at Cambridge. Welcome!
  • July 2016: Ritu Gupta is awarded the DST-National Postdoctoral Fellowship. Congratulations!
  • June 2016: Sneha starts in the lab. Welcome!
  • May 2016: Ritu Gupta is awarded the DBT-RA postdoctoral fellowship. Congratulations!
  • May 2016: Welcome to all the interns and masters students in the lab!
  • March 10, 2016: Adhish is awarded a DST-National Postdoctoral Fellowship. Congratulations!
  • March 9, 2016: Congratulations to Hemanth for winning a poster award at Annual Talks!
  • Jan 1, 2016: Vineeth starts his masters project in the lab. Welcome!
  • Dec 16, 2015: Read our recent perspective article in J Cell Sci, on yeast and stem cell quiescence.
  • Dec 14, 2015: Sriram joins the lab as a postdoc. Welcome!
  • Dec 14, 2015: Zeenat joins the lab for her PhD. Welcome!
  • Oct 19, 2015: Zeenat and Pratyay start rotations in the lab. Welcome!
  • Sept 3, 2015: Dr. Ritu Gupta joins the lab (postdoc). Welcome!
  • Aug 17, 2015: Hemanth joins the lab (RA). Welcome!
  • Aug 3, 2015: Meghana joins the lab (RA). Welcome!
  • July 24, 2015: Rudra starts his joint IIT-M/inStem MS thesis here.
  • May 1, 2015: Amit Agrawal joins the lab (RA). Welcome!
  • March, 2015: Sunil Laxman starts on a Wellcome trust-DBT India alliance Intermediate fellowship.
  • Feb 2, 2015: Dr. Adhish Walvekar (postdoc) starts in the lab. Welcome!
  • Jan 2, 2015: Krithika joins the lab as a JRF. Welcome!
  • Dec 26, 2014: Terence Christie starts his graduate rotation in the lab. Welcome!
  • Dec 16, 2014: Read our paper on the regulation of glutamine metabolism by the TOR complex in Science Signaling. 
  • Oct 31, 2014: Sunil Laxman selected for the prestigious Ramalingaswamy re-entry fellowship from the Department of Biotechnology.
  • Oct 31, 2014: The Laxman lab officially begins at inStem, located within the SLC building of NCBS.
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