My Personal Site

About Me

Hi! I am Krishnagaanth (Krish), a PhD scholar in the Molecular Pathogenesis and Vector Laboratory at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), India. My research primarily focuses on host-vector interactions, with a special interest in vector-derived immune modulators and their role in host immune evasion.

Academic Journey & Research Experience

My research journey began during my undergraduate studies when I had the opportunity to work as a summer intern at IISER Bhopal for three months. There, I gained hands-on experience in molecular cloning, recombinant protein expression, and purification, which laid the foundation for my interest in molecular biology.

I pursued my master’s degree in biochemistry and was selected as an IAS Summer Research Fellow at NCCS Pune, where I worked on how T cells assist B cells in class switching in inflammatory bowel disease, with a particular focus on Th17 and Th1-like Th17 cells. This experience deepened my understanding of immunology and cellular signaling pathways.

For my master’s thesis at Madurai Kamaraj University, I investigated the potential of reverse transcriptase inhibitors to modulate PIWI proteins, exploring their role in rewiring cell survival pathways in pathological cardiac hypertrophy rat models. This research broadened my expertise in gene regulation and disease pathogenesis.

Beyond Research

Outside of my academic work, I believe in maintaining a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. I stay active by going to the gym regularly to keep myself fit and healthy. I have a passion for adventure sports like trekking, rappelling, and rock climbing.

I enjoy reading self-help books to gain new perspectives and personal growth insights. Additionally, I like automating routine tasks using coding, finding ways to improve efficiency in both research and daily

Beyond science, I actively manage my own investments in the Indian and US equity markets, continuously learning about finance and wealth management. I love engaging in conversations with experienced professionals and mentors, gaining wisdom on investments, career growth, life balance, and personal development.

Academic Journey

2021 - Present

PhD Scholar & DBT-SRF , National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, Telangana.

Lab Page →

2018 - 2020

MSc in Biochemistry, Bharathiayar University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu.

2015 - 2018

BSc in Biochemistry, PSG college of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu.

Research

My research focuses on understanding the molecular landscape of tick biology, with an emphasis on the salivary gland, midgut, and ovary—key tissues that play crucial roles in tick survival, feeding, and reproduction. By integrating transcriptomic and proteomic approaches, I aim to identify highly expressed genes and proteins that contribute to tick physiology and host interactions.

Exploring Tissue-Specific Gene and Protein Expression

The salivary gland, midgut, and ovary are essential for tick survival and pathogen transmission. By analyzing the gene and protein expression profiles in these tissues, we can uncover molecules that are functionally significant for feeding, digestion, and reproduction.

Discovery of Immunomodulatory Molecules in Tick Saliva

Tick saliva contains a diverse array of bioactive molecules that help ticks evade the host immune system, allowing prolonged blood-feeding.
My research focuses on identifying salivary gland proteins with immunomodulatory properties, which may interfere with host immune pathways such as inflammation, complement activation, and coagulation.
Understanding how these molecules interact with host immune components can provide novel insights into tick-host interactions and disease transmission.

Functional Characterization and Potential for Tick Control

After identifying promising salivary gland proteins, their functional properties are explored to determine how they contribute to immune modulation.
Beyond immune evasion, some of these proteins could serve as potential targets for anti-tick interventions, disrupting tick feeding and reducing their ability to transmit pathogens.
Evaluating their role in tick physiology and survival helps assess their suitability for developing novel control strategies, such as vaccines or inhibitors that block their activity.

Laboratory Skills

Mammalian cell culture handling (HEK293, RAW) — maintenance, passage, revival, freezing, and plasmid transfection.
Molecular biology techniques — PCR, qPCR, rDNA cloning, primer design, bacterial culture, plasmid isolation, and recombinant construct validation.
Recombinant protein expression and purification in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems — expression optimization, affinity purification (Ni-NTA, GST-tag), ion exchange, gel filtration chromatography, and AKTA system handling.
Immunological and cell-based assays — ELISA, Western blotting, cell viability assays, complement inhibition assays, and binding assays for functional characterization.
Polyclonal antibody generation and purification.
LC-MS proteomics sample preparation.

Computational & Bioinformatics Skills

Python and R for data analysis, basic statistical analysis, and graphical representation.
Homology modeling, protein structure prediction and molecular docking.
Protein-ligand interaction studies and structure visualization using PyMOL.
Sequence alignment, motif discovery, domain prediction, and structural annotation.
Transcriptome analysis — de novo transcriptome assembly, annotation, sequence analysis, and functional characterization.
Proteomics data analysis — LC-MS/MS raw data processing and downstream interpretation.
Multi-omics data analysis — transcriptome and proteome data integration.

Hey Folks! I'm Krishnagaanth