Thematic Areas

Biophysics and Biochemistry

The division of biophysics and biochemistry merges the foundations of physics, chemistry and biology. The research interests of the group lie at the intersection of biochemical and biophysical processes in the cell, developing new biophysical methodologies and realistic and predictive biophysical models.

We use a combination of advanced imaging, multi-omics, computational and biophysical tools to address complex cellular functions. We are specifically interested in the circadian regulation of cellular physiology, mechanics of force sensors, chaperone biology, cellular and nuclear mechanobiology. 

Cell and Developmental Biology

Cells are the fundamental unit of life. Precise intra- and inter-cellular communication plays a central role during the organism development.  Perturbing this fine tuned balance results in various disease states. The central theme of the cell and developmental biology division is to understand the molecular wiring of how these processes are linked with organism development and disease progression. Faculties participating in this program employ various genetic, biochemical and advanced microscopy tools to investigate various cell biology questions. Some of the current questions being addressed include understanding the dynamic regulation of cell shape; role of cell surface signalling and intracellular trafficking and mechanisms that specify organ development and regulate growth control.

Computational and Mathematical Biology

The division of computational and mathematical biology applies principles of mathematics, physics, statistics and computational approaches to address problems in biology. Key research areas of the participating faculty involve diagnosis of rare genetic disorders, predicting disease progression in the population and modeling cellular processes. Our ongoing research interests lie mainly in the area of modeling infectious diseases, in developing new tools in genomics that can be useful in genome annotation and in mathematical models for biophysical processes.

Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution (BEE):

Understanding how diverse living organisms function, interact and respond to changing environments remains an uphill task in Biological research . To understand these complex and dynamic processes involved in biological organizations across scales, BEE faculty members and students adopt diverse and integrated methods that include blending of field and laboratory experiments, theoretical modelling as well as molecular and physiological manipulations. Various research groups in the department work on areas as varied as evolution of neural and behavioural systems of communication in response to ecological constraints, structuring plant-pollinators interactions, eco-evolutionary dynamics of host-pathogen interactions and genetic basis of adaptation.