Publications All
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AagingBase: a comprehensive database of anti-aging peptides
Kunjulakshmi, R., Kumar, A., Kumar, K.V., Sengupta, A., Kundal, K., Sharma, S., Pawar, A., Krishna, P.S., Alfatah, M., Ray, S., Tiwari, B., Kumar, R.
The Happy Hopping of Transposons: The Origins of V(D)J Recombination in Adaptive Immunity
Shridharan, R.V., Kalakuntla, N., Chirmule, N., Tiwari, B.
Academic Background
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PhD, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
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M.Sc. (Biotechnology) MS University Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
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B.Sc. (Zoology Hons.) Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Professional Experience
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Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance Intermediate Fellow (1st September 2023 onwards) Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Berhampur, Odisha
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Visiting Scientist (3rd January 2022-31st Aug 2023) Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Berhampur, Odisha
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Translation Scientist (6th May 2021-31st May 2022) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bangalore, Karnataka
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Scientist (R&D) (28th Spetember-16th April 2021) Immuneel Therapeutics Private Limited, Bengaluru, Karnataka
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Postdoctoral Researcher (1st October 2015-16th September 2020), Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Texas, USA
Awards and Memberships
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AICBC Fellowship award to present a poster at 45th All India Cell Biology held at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 20-22nd January 2023.
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American Society for Cell Biology/EMBO travel award to attend ASCB/EMBO meeting 7-11 December 2019 at Washington DC
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Department of Cell Biology chair’s award for the recognition of an exceptional Postdoctoral fellow 2018.
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Short talk award at 12th Post-Doctoral Association, Annual Symposium 2018 at Dallas, USA.
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The cover image of Current Biology 27, 3010-3016 e3013 was selected for Center for Regenerative and Science Medicine photo contest for Poster size display at the UTSW 2018.
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2018 Drosophila Image Award (DIA) by Genetics Society of America and the image is forever placed on the DIA website.
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Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Travel Award to participate in the keystone symposium on ‘Host Response in Tuberculosis’ 22-27 Jan 2015, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
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Qualified National Level Combined Entrance Exam for Biotechnology (2006) conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
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Life membership of Society of Biological Chemists
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Life membership Indian Society of Cell Biology
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Life membership of Genetics Society of America
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Life membership of American Society of Cell Biology
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Life membership of The Genetics Society of UK
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India Alliance Award (September 2023-August 2028) Rs. 3.6 Crores
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SERB-CRG (November 2024-October 2027)
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CSIR-Aspire (January 2025-December 2027)
Research Interests
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Mobile Genetic Elements, Cancer Genomics, Genome Engineering
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Tuberculosis, Host-Pathogen interactions
Research Group
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Dr. Pramod Kumar Yadav, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
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Pratyashaa Paul, PhD Scholar
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Arun Kumar, PhD Scholar
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Astik Kumar De, PhD Scholar
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Diya Chattopadhyay, PhD Scholar
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Ankita Subhadarsani Parida, JRF
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Sugam Kumar Patel, JRF
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Gauri V Bhadke, Project Assistant
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Kiran, MS Dissertation
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Mala Adarsh, MS Dissertation
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Riya Murmu, MS Dissertation
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Soumyajit, MS Dissertation
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Ritwik, Intern
About me
I am passionate in exploring the intricate roles of jumping elements, particularly retrotransposons, in human health and disease. My research centers on deciphering how these mobile genetic elements influence the onset and progression of human cancers. By delving into the molecular mechanisms that regulate retrotransposon activity and their effects on genomic stability, I seek to unveil new perspectives in cancer biology and identify potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, I am intrigued by the interplay between host and pathogen, specifically through the study of transposons, to further understand their impact on disease dynamics.
Biography
Research Projects
- L1 Transposon Intermediates as Drivers of Cancer: Long Interspersed Nuclear Element-1 (LINE-1/L1) retrotransposons are a classical jumping element that can autonomously replicate and occupy 20% of the human genome. Recent research has revealed the involvement of L1 retrotransposons in various aspects of cancer. My research group is currently investigating the role of L1 retrotransposons in cancer initiation and progression employing diverse genetic models, including flies and mouse models. By understanding the implications and significance of L1 in cancer biology, we aim to develop novel L1- based prognostic markers and explore their potential as therapeutic targets.
- Examining the Significance of Membrane Contact Sites in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Persistence: The eukaryotic cell organelles exhibit communication through various inter-organellar modes, which include both vesicular trafficking and non-vesicular communication mediated by membrane-contact sites (MCS). MCS-mediated non-vesicular communication plays a critical role in numerous cellular processes, including innate immune signaling and autophagy. Disruption of inter-organelle communication, particularly in the context of intracellular infections, can have severe consequences for cell survival. Therefore, investigating the modulation of MCS during infections has emerged as a significant concept in infectious diseases research.
Key Publications
1. Paul P, Kumar A, Parida AS, De AK, Bhadke G, Khatua S and Tiwari B*. p53 mediated regulation of LINE1 retrotransposon derived R-loops. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2025; 108200. DOI:10.1016/j.jbc.2025.108200
2. Paul P, Kumar A, De AK, Parida AS, Bhadke GV, Khatua S, Pattanayak F and Tiwari B*. p53 mediated regulation of LINE1 retrotransposon derived R-loops. bioRxiv 2024. DOI:10.1101/2024.04.12.589154.
3. Kunjulakshmi R, Kumar A, Kumar KV, Sengupta A, Kundal K, Sharma S, Pawar A, Sai Krishna P, Alfatah M, Ray S, Tiwari B and Kumar R*. “AagingBase: a comprehensive database of anti-aging peptides,” Database (Oxford), 2024; 2024:baae016. DOI:10.1093/database/baae016.
4. Paul P and Tiwari B*. Organelles are miscommunicating: Membrane contact sites getting hijacked by pathogens. Virulence 2023;14(1):2265095. DOI:10.1080/21505594.2023.2265095.
5. Rishi VS, Kalakuntla N, Chirmule N and Tiwari B*. The Happy Hopping of Transposons: The Origins of V(D)J Recombination in Adaptive Immunity. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 2022; 10. DOi:10.3389/fevo.2022.836066
6. Tiwari B, Jones AE, Caillet CJ, Das S, Royer SK and Abrams JM*. p53 directly represses human LINE1 transposons. Genes & Development. 2020;34(21-22):1439-1451. DOI:10.1101/gad.343186.120.
o This finding was covered in UTSW News Press
o This article was featured in Science 20 Nov 2020 370 Issue 6519
7. Kurtz P, Jones AE, Tiwari B, Link N, Wylie A, Tracy C, Kramer H and Abrams JM*. Drosophila p53 directs nonapoptotic programs in postmitotic tissue. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 2019;30(11):1339-1351. DOI:10.1091/mbc.E18-12-0791.
8. Tiwari B, Jones AE and Abrams JM*. Transposons, p53 and Genome Security. Trends in Genetics. 2018;34(11):846-855. DOI:10.1016/j.tig.2018.08.003.
o Featured as cover page in Trends in genetics 2018 Nov issue
9. Tiwari B, Kurtz P, Jones AE and Wylie A, Amatruda JF, Boggupalli DP, Gonsalvez, GB and Abrams JM*. Retrotransposons Mimic Germ Plasm Determinants to Promote Transgenerational Inheritance. Current Biology. 2017;27(19):3010-3016.e3. DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.036.
o This article was highlighted issue with a coverpage and a commentary.
10. Tiwari B, Ramakrishnan UM and Raghunand TR*. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein pair PE9 (Rv1088)-PE10 (Rv1089) forms heterodimers and induces macrophage apoptosis through Toll-like receptor 4. Cellular Microbiology. 2015;17(11):1653-1669. DOI:10.1111/cmi.12462.
11. Tiwari B, Soory A and Raghunand TR*. An immunomodulatory role for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis region of difference 1 locus proteins PE35 (Rv3872) and PPE68 (Rv3873). FEBS J. 2014;281(6):1556-1570. DOI:10.1111/febs.12723.
12. Tiwari BM, Kannan N, Vemu L and Raghunand TR*. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis PE proteins Rv0285 and Rv1386 modulate innate immunity and mediate bacillary survival in macrophages. PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e51686. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0051686.
Contact Details
Full Name
Bhavana Tiwari
btiwari@iiserbpr.ac.in
Address
IISER Berhampur
Personal Website
https://sites.google.com/iiserbpr.ac.in/btlab/home