Dr. Susan Thomas
Scientist-E
Email: thomass[at]nirrh[dot]res[dot]in, susansherry[at]gmail[dot]com
Phone: +( 91-22) 2419 2107
Department: Biomedical Informatics Centre
- Ph.D guide for Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Mumbai
- Member of AdHoc Board Of Studies In Molecular Biology, University of Mumbai (2015-2018)
Academic Background
- M.Sc. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Biotechnology; 1998)
- Ph.D Indian Institute of Technology , Bombay (Biotechnology; 2007)
Professional Experience
| Scientist | NIRRH | 2006 – Till date |
| IUSSTF Post-doctorate Research Fellow | University of Miami, Florida, USA | 2011-2012 |
Research Interests
- Sequence-structure-function relationship of proteins
- Identification of novel targets for diseases
- Identification of cell-specific homing peptides
- Gene-disease associations
Present
- Ms. Faiza Waghu (Ph.D student; 2013)
- Ms. Kaushiki Prabhudesai (Ph.D student; 2015)
- Mr. Sahil Raje (JRF; 2017)
- Ms. Shuvechha Chakraborty (Ph.D student; 2017)
- Mr. Raza Ali Jafri (JRF; 2018)
- Ms. Sameeksha Ratnakar Bhaye (Technical Assistant; 2018)
- Ms. Indra Kundu (JRF)
- Mr. Kushal Pokar (Sr. Lab Assistant)
- Dr. Muthu Sankar Aathi (ICMR-PDF)
Past
- Mr. Jitender Sakhreliya (M.Tech dissertation; 2007)
- Mr. Ashmit Hadke (M.Tech dissertation; 2007)
- Ms. Padma Nanaware (PA; 2007-2008)
- Ms. Archana Jagtap (PA/JRF/SRF; 2008-2015)
- Ms. Neha Srivastava (PA; 2008)
- Mr. Pravin Nilawe (PA; 2008-2010)
- Mr. Kapil Sharma (JRF; 2010-2011)
- Mr. Swapnil Patil (JRF; 2010-2011)
- Ms. Faiza Waghu (M.Sc. dissertation; 2011)
- Mr. Sarfaraz Niazi (SRF; 2011-2014)
- Mr. Lijin Gopi (SRF; 2011-2013)
- Mr. Pranay Ramteke (JRF; 2012-2013)
- Ms. Pallavi Nakhawa (PA; 2013-2014)
- Mr. Bilal Nizami (M.Tech dissertation; 2013)
- Ms. Sapna Iyer (M.Sc. dissertation; 2013)
- Ms. Sonali Chauhan (SRF; 2014)
- Ms. Pratima Gurung (JRF; 2014-2015)
- Ms. Madhura Khare (M.Tech dissertation; 2014)
- Ms. Rasika Bhujbalrao (M.Sc. dissertation; 2014)
- Ms. Bhavana Sahu (PA; 2014-2015)
- Ms. Harshala Haldankar (M.Tech dissertation/PA; 2015- 2016)
- Mr. Mohammed Hussain (Research Scholar; 2015-2016)
- Ms. Sanchi Shah (M.Sc. dissertation; 2015)
- Ms. Khushboo Shroff (M.Tech dissertation; 2016)
- Ms. Abhipriya (JRF; 2015)
- Ms. Gauri Shende (SRF; 2016)
- Mr. Vinit Shetty (M.Sc. dissertation; 2016)
- Ms. Shrusti Raut (M.Sc. dissertation; 2016)
- Mr. Sanket Ghawali (JRF; 2016-2017)
- Ms. Ankita Dhamnaskar (PA; 2016-2017)
- Ms. Ulka Gawade (PA; 2016-2017)
- Ms. Rachel Fernandes (Research Scholar; 2016-2017)
- Ms. Aishwarya Rane (M.Sc. dissertation; 2017)
- Mr. Ayan Mandal (M.Sc. dissertation; 2017)
Awards & Achievements
- Scholarships/Fellowship
- Department of Health Research Overseas training fellowship (2018-2019)
- Indo-US Science and Technology Forum Research Fellowship (2011 – 2012)
- Fulbright PDR scholarship (selected but not availed)
- SERC Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientists (2010-2013)
- Junior & Senior Research Fellowship from CSIR (2001 – 2006)
- Junior Research Fellowship from ICAR (1996-1998)
- KAU merit scholarship (1991-1996)
- Achievements
- Gargi Vishnoi Memorial Award – Best Ph.D Thesis of BioSchool, IITB, 2007
- Finn Wold Travel Awardee of Protein Science Society, USA – 2006
- National Eligibility Test (NET) – 2001
- State Eligibility Test (SET) -2001
Publications
Designing Antibacterial Peptides with Enhanced Killing Kinetics.
2018
Waghu FH, Joseph S, Ghawali S, Martis EA, Madan T, Venkatesh KV, Idicula-Thomas S.
Front Microbiol. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00325, 2018
Evaluation of 4-thiazolidinone derivatives as potential reverse transcriptase inhibitors against HIV-1 drug resistant strains.
2017
Suryawanshi R, Jadhav S, Makwana N, Desai D, Chaturbhuj D, Sonawani A, Idicula-Thomas S, Murugesan V, Katti SB, Tripathy S, Paranjape R, Kulkarni S
Bioorg Chem. 2017, 71:211-218, doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2017.02.007.
Protein-Protein interaction between surfactant protein D and DC-SIGN via C-type lectin domain can suppress HIV-1 transfer.
2017
Dodagatta-Marri E, Mitchell DA, Pandit H, Sonawani A, Murugaiah V, Idicula-Thomas S, Nal B, Al-Mozaini MM, Kaur A, Madan T, Kishore U.
Front Immunol 31: 8:834, doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00834, 2017.
Tubulin acetylation: A novel functional avenue for CDYL in sperm.
2017
Parab S, Dalvi V, Mylavaram S, Kishore A, Idicula-Thomas S, Sonawane S, Parte P.
Cytoskeleton 74: 331-342, 2017.
PBIT: Pipeline builder for identification of drug targets for infectious diseases.
2017
Shende G, Haldankar H, Barai RS, Bharmal MH, Shetty V, Idicula-Thomas S.
Bioinformatics 33: 929-931, 2017
PCOSKB: A KnowledgeBase on genes, diseases, ontology terms and biochemical pathways associated with Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome
2016
Joseph S, Barai RS, Bhujbalrao R, Idicula-Thomas S
Nucleic Acids Res 44(D1):D1032-5, 2016
CAMPR3: A database on sequences, structures and signatures of antimicrobial peptides
2016
Waghu FH, Barai RS, Gurung P, Idicula-Thomas S
Nucleic Acids Res, 4;44(D1):D1094-7, 2016
Leveraging family-specific signatures for AMP discovery and high-throughput annotation
2016
Waghu FH, Barai RS, Idicula-Thomas S
Sci Rep, 6:24684, 2016
HPV16 E6 variants: Frequency, association with HPV types and in silico analysis of the identified novel variants
2014
Gokhale PS, Sonawani A, Idicula-Thomas S, Kerkar S, Tongaonkar H and Mania-Pramanik J
J Med Virol 86: 968-974, 2014
Cervical cancer in Indian women reveals contrasting association among common sub-family of HLA class I alleles
2014
Gokhale PS, Mania-Pramanik J, Sonawani A, Idicula-Thomas S, Kerkar S, Tongaonkar H, Chaudhari H, Warke H and Salvi V
Immunogenetics 66: 683-691
Surfactant protein D inhibits HIV-1 infection of target cells via interference with gp120-CD4 interaction and modulates pro-inflammatory cytokine production
2014
Pandit H, Gopal S, Sonawani A, Yadav AK, Qaseem AS, Warke H, Patil A, Gajbhiye, R, Kulkarni V, Al-Mozaini MA, Idicula-Thomas S, Kishore U and Madan T
PLoS One 9(7):e102395, 2014
CAMP: Collection of sequences and structures of antimicrobial peptides
2014
Waghu FH, Gopi L, Barai RS, Ramteke P, Nizami B and Idicula-Thomas S
Nucleic Acids Res 42: D1154-D1158, 2014
In silico study on binding specificity of gonadotropins and their receptors: design of a novel and selective peptidomimetic for human follicle stimulating hormone receptor
2013
Sonawani A, Niazi S, Idicula-Thomas S
PLoS One 8:e64475, 2013
A Chemical Proteomics Approach to Profiling the ATP-Binding Proteome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
2013
Wolfe LM, Veeraraghavan U, Idicula-Thomas S, Schurer S, Wennerberg K, Reynolds R, Besra GS, Dobos KM
Mol Cell Proteomics 12:1644-1660, 2013
ClassAMP: a prediction tool for classification of antimicrobial peptides
2012
Joseph S, Karnik S, Nilawe P, Jayaraman VK, Idicula-Thomas S
IEEE/ACM Trans Comput Biol Bioinform 9: 1535-8, 2012
Immunization with Ovarian Autoantigens leads to reduced fertility in mice following follicular dysfunction
2012
Mande P, Thomas S, Khan S, Jadhav S, Khole V
Reproduction 143:309-23, 2012
Imatinib resistance due to a novel tri-nucleotide insertion in the SH2/C lobe interface of BCR/ABL kinase domain between position K357 and N358
2012
Vaidya S, Sonawani A, Idicula-Thomas S, Vundinti BR, Ghosh K
Leuk Res. 36(5) :e110-2, 2012
Anti-HSP90 autoantibodies in sera of infertile women identify a dominant, conserved epitope EP6 (380-389) of HSP90 beta protein
2011
Pires ES, Choudhury AK, Idicula-Thomas S, Khole V
Reprod Biol Endocrinol 27: 9-16, 2011
ClotBase: A knowledgebase on proteins involved in blood coagulation
2010
Sonawani A, Nilawe P, Barai RS, Idicula-Thomas S
Blood 116: 855-856, 2010
Molecular analysis of hereditary factor X (FX) deficiency cases from Western India
2010
Mota L, Shetty S, Idicula-Thomas S, Ghosh K
Haemophilia 16: 693-697, 2010
CAMP: a useful resource for research on antimicrobial peptides.
2010
Joseph S, Karnik S, Barai RS, Jayaraman VK, Idicula-Thomas S.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2010 Jan;38(Database issue):D774-80. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkp1021. Epub 2009 Nov 18. PubMed PMID: 19923233; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2808926.
A novel 9-bp insertion detected in steroid 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21A2): prediction of its structural and functional implications by computational methods
2009
Dubey S, Idicula-Thomas S, Anwaruddin M, Saravanan C, Varma R and Maitra A
J Biomed Sci 16:3, 2009
Hereditary basis of protein C deficiency (PCD) in thrombosis patients: First report from India
2009
Pai N, Shetty S, Idicula-Thomas S, Kulkarni B and Ghosh K
Thromb Haemost 101: 785-787, 2009
Projects Ongoing
- Identification and preparation of radio-labeled modulators of hFSHR for therapeutic applications (BRNS, Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India)
- Development and validation of multi-scale dynamic and steady state metabolic network models for PCOS using computational and wet-lab methods (Department of Biotechnology, Government of India)
- Exploring the hinge and transmembrane region of human FSHR for design of small molecule and peptidomimetic modulators (Department of Biotechnology, Government of India)
- Identification and validation of potential drug targets for infectious diseases using in silico and wet lab methods (SERB, Government of India)
Projects Completed
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Analysis of the structures of known antimicrobial peptides using machine learning algorithms and molecular dynamics simulations. (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India)
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Studies to understand the tertiary structure-dependence on antimicrobial activity of 2 novel peptides (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India)
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Elucidation of the role of primary structure of proteins on their antimicrobial activity (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India)
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Introduction of electronic patient record systems in Indian government hospitals. (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India)