Dr. Amrita B. Hazra
Principal Investigator

Amrita Hazra completed her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Chemistry at Jadavpur University, Calcutta (2000-2003) and at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (2003-2005), respectively. She obtained a Ph.D. at Cornell University in Chemical biology with Tadhg Begley in 2010. This was followed by a postdoctoral stint at the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of California, Berkley with Michi Taga. She joined IISER Pune as an assistant professor in December 2015, and is currently an associate professor. She enjoys teaching organic chemistry and biochemistry, and thinking about enzyme mechanisms, microbial metabolism, and why questions in chemistry and biology. She is fascinated by vitamins, enzymes, microbial communities, fermentation, and millets.

Email: amrita@iiserpune.ac.in

---------- Team ----------

Aniket SR Vartak
Integrated PhD student, Biology

Aniket joined IISER Pune as an integrated PhD student after completing his bachelor's form Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) Mumbai. He is interested in enzymology and biochemistry associated with the biosynthesis of a vitamin B12, and amazed by the interesting insights this biosynthesis pathway enzymes have to offer. Apart from the lab, he loves spending time in nature and enjoys music with good poetry.

Email: aniket.vartak@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Shweta Nikhar

PhD student, Chemistry

Shweta joined IISER Pune in 2022 as PhD scholar. She completed her M.Sc in Chemistry from Nagpur University. She finds the intersection of Biology and Organic Chemistry interesting. With a background in Biotechnology, it amuses her how the Vitamin B1 biosynthesis intermediates are exchanged in E. coli. She finds tranquility in reading books, exploring new places, and reading mythology.

Email: shweta.nikhar@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Rajdip Chakraborty

Integrated PhD student, Chemistry

Rajdip joined IISER Pune as an Integrated-PhD student in 2021 after completing his B.Sc (H) in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta. He is interested in understanding biological systems as a grand assembly of chemical systems. His current work involves investigating the roles of major Sulfurtransferase enzymes in bacterial stress response and physiology. His favourite hobbies include reading classic fiction, playing sitar and listening to Indian classical music.

Email: rajdip.chakraborty@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Shreya Mahato
PhD student, Biology

Shreya joined IISER Pune in January 2024 as a Biology PhD student. She completed her Bachelor's in Biotechnology from St. Xavier's College-Ahmedabad and Masters in Biotechnology from Visva Bharati-Santiniketan. In the lab she is trying to understand the substrate specificity of FAD synthetase by mutational studies. Beyond the lab she finds joy in both classical and contemporary dance, and travelling.

Email: shreya.mahato@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Dhritiraj Bastav Kalita
3rd year BS-MS student, IISER Pune

Dhritiraj is an undergraduate student interested in the interface of chemistry and biology. He is involved in studying the role of nucleotide analogs of SAM in cellular physiology. Apart from studies, he is passionate about music and physical activities.

Email: dhritiraj.bastavkalita@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Prayashi Goswami
MS student, Biology

Prayashi joined IISER Pune to pursue her Master's in Biology after completing her Bachelor's in Biochemistry from St. Anthony's College, NEHU-Shillong. her undergraduate in Microbiology and joined IISER Pune as an iPhD scholar in Biology. She is trying to build a sensitive B12 detection bioassay. She is passionate about music and singing and is a great photographer too.

Email: prayashi.goswami@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Radhika Karve
Integrated PhD student (Lab rotation), Biology

Radhika Karve has done her undergraduate in Microbiology and joined IISER Pune as an Integrated PhD scholar in Biology. She is associated with the B1 co-culture project in the lab. Her hobbies include watching movies, reading and writing poetry and being a full time foodie!

Email: radhika.karve@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Shradha Singh
MS student, Chemistry

Shradha joined IISER Pune in 2024 as a Masters student in Chemistry. She completed her B.Sc in physical sciences in Chemistry from DDUC, Delhi University. She is interested in unravelling the knits between Biology and Organic Chemistry. The idea of expressing oneself via painting fascinates her.

Email: shradha.singh@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Anisha JaiSingh

MS student, Chemistry

Anisha joined IISER Pune as an MSc student with a background in Biotechnology and Chemistry. She is working on the Vitamin B12 project, fascinated by how small molecules build and maintain intricate living systems. Her hobbies include reading novels, playing volleyball and debating.

Email: anisha.jaisingh@students.iiserpune.ac.in

Devika K

2nd year BS-MS student

Devika is interested in Biochemistry, especially in how chemical reactions occur in living systems through definitive pathways. She enjoys exploring how organic chemistry helps explain these processes through clear molecular mechanisms. Beyond her academic pursuits, she enjoys singing, dancing, and exploring the complexities of the human mind.

Email: devika.k@students.iiserpune.ac.in

---------- Alumni ----------

PhD

Yashwant Kumar

PhD student, Chemistry, 2016-2021

Yashwant completed his M.Sc. in chemistry from Vinoba Bhave Univesity, Hazaribag, and then joined PhD in IISER. His research interests involve mechanistic enzymology, synthetic biology, and organic synthesis. He explored the molecular basis of nucleobase utilization in nucleotide-utilizing enzymes. Yashwant is also known for his on-stage performances at several co-curricular events at IISER.

Current affiliation: Post Doctoral fellow, The SParK Research Group, IIT Gandhinagar

Rupali R. M. Sathe
Integrated PhD student, Biology, 2015-2022

Had you have asked the younger Rupali about her dreams, the first thing she would've said that she wants to be a 'scientist.' Well, she did go on to become one, and it seems to be going great for her. Using a bit of both microbiology and chemistry, she tried to work out the alternative pathway for Vitamin B1 biosynthesis. The training in Biotechnology from her Bachelors helped stem new ideas for her work. In her free time, she likes to breathe in a bit (unlike her anaerobic cultures), relax and read novels.

Current affiliation: Postdoctoral fellow, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute

Yamini Mathur
Integrated PhD student, Biology, 2015-2022

Yamini Mathur joined IISER-Pune as an Integrated-PhD scholar in 2015 after a Bachelors in Biochemistry from Jaipur National University. She had a keen interest in extensive metabolic pathways and worked on exploring the function and mechanism of novel methylations involved in the anaerobic pathway to Vitamin B12 biosynthesis. Beyond the lab, she enjoys reading and has a newfound interest in teaching.

Current affiliation: Post Doctoral fellow, Seed Lab, University of California Berkeley

Ateek Shah
Integrated PhD student, Chemistry, 2016-2023

Ateek pursued an integrated PhD curriculum in IISER Pune since 2016. He has completed his B.Sc. (H) in Chemistry from Delhi University. His interests are organic synthesis, biochemistry, enzymology and microbiology. He was trying to understand the role of nucleobase in nucleotide specificity and to change the nucleotide specificity of bifunctional FAD synthetase from Escherichia coli.

Current affiliation: Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Maryland