Professor, Department of Chemical Sciences · Bose Institute
Decoding the language of transcription — how bacterial RNA polymerase initiates and regulates gene expression, and how it can be targeted to fight drug-resistant pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Dissecting, at the molecular level, how RNA polymerase and its sigma factors and transcriptional factors drive promoter recognition, open-complex formation and promoter escape in Bacillus subtilis and M. tuberculosis.
Demonstrating the dual role of the δ factor as both activator and repressor by modulating open-complex formation at promoters.
Showing that sigma factors that do not contain region 1.1 or have a smaller region 1.1 (B. subtilis σA, E. coli σ70 without region 1.1, and σF of M. tuberculosis) are retained — not released — during transcription elongation, reshaping models of promoter escape.
Identifying natural and synthetic inhibitors that target the RNA polymerase to counter multi-drug-resistant infections.
Two of the group's latest advances (2025–26) in the mechanism of bacterial transcription.
Contrary to long-held models, σA from B. subtilis is not released during transcription initiation and elongation — revising the classical sigma-cycle.
Discovery of a previously unrecognised route for RNA polymerase subunit assembly in Bacillus subtilis, with implications for how the transcription machinery is built and regulated.
Recent milestones from the laboratory.
Papers from 2013 onward are listed below; earlier work (pre-2013) is available via the “Show earlier publications” link. Review articles appear under “Book Chapter & Reviews”. Full list via Google Scholar.