Researchers from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University and Panjab University, Chandigarh led by Dr. Narendra K Bairwa, Assistant Professor, School of Biotechnology, SMVDU and, Dr. Deepak B Salunke, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, recipients of Ramalingaswami fellowship, identified the potential antifungal property of a synthetic indoloquinazoline‐based alkaloid, compound (RK64) using yeast as the drug screening platform. The study is published in the Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology July 2021 issue which can be accessed using the following URL https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbt.22864. The authors of the published study titled “Genetic interaction between F-box motif encoding YDR131C and retrograde signalling related RTG1 regulates the stress response and apoptosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae” Ms. Heena Shoket, Ms. Monika Pandita, Ms. Meenu Sharma, Mr. Ravinder Kumar, Ms. Shreya Wazir, Ms. Aayushi Rakwal, and Mr. Prabhat Kumar are researchers who contributed to the work.
Prof. Vijeshwar Verma, former HOD of SoBT, SMVDU provided bioinformatics support to the researchers. Dr. Deepak B Salunke is also heading the National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccine, Immunotherapeutic and Antimicrobials, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India and is supported by UGC (start-up grant), DBT (RLF grant), MHRD’s SPARC grant, Panjab University (Alumni association, development fund) as well as Bridging Grant from Australia in collaboration with Prof. Petrovsky of Flinders University. Dr. Narendra K Bairwa and Dr. Deepak B Salunke both are collaborating on the screening of laboratory synthesized molecules for drug repurposing using S.cerevisie as a drug screening platform. The laboratory of Dr. Narendra Kumar Bairwa is supported by DBT, SERB-DST, & SMVDU, for work on gene-gene interactions, genome stability regulation, stress response, and screening of small molecules for drug discovery. Vice-Chancellor, Prof. RK Sinha, Dean, R&D Dr. Rakesh Kumar Jha, Dean FoS, Prof. Ashok Sharma, and Head, SoBT Dr. Sharada M Potukuchi, SMVDU congratulated the authors for carrying out the fundamental and applied for research work.