Could you give a few information about yourself and your scientific background, including previous studies and obtained degrees?

I hold an Integrated Master’s degree from Central University of Tamil Nadu, India in Life sciences. Later, to feed my interest towards Structural biology and X-ray crystallography, I moved to Toulouse, France to pursue my 2^nd Masters in Molecular Biosciences – Mechanism to therapeutic targets, a degree with a special emphasis on Structural Biology & Proteomics.

Could you provide details about your scientific research, and previous projects, listing your key expertise and skills? 

My Master’s thesis entitled “Biochemical and Structural characterization of a hypothetical metal transporter MgaSBP1: a solute binding protein from Mycoplasma gallisepticum”. Through this project, I gained expertise in plasmid construction, E. coli bacterial transformation, protein production and protein purification with ӒKTA systems and protein crystallisation. Further, I performed data processing using CCP4 and Phenix and I solved the very 1st experimental structure of a solute binding protein from a mycoplasma ever.

Later I worked as a Research assistant at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf. I worked on solving structures of C-di-AMP signalling proteins from cyanobacteria.

What was the motivation for joining the Aureus project?

The consortium’s main goal towards AMR is personal desire. Moreover, the mix of academic and industry training offers a chance to gain practical insight into how research can move from the lab to real-world application, blending scientific discovery with product development.

What is the motivation and aim of your PhD project?

As an aspiring structural biologist, I was naturally drawn to the DC11 project. I’ll be using X-ray crystallography to study wall teichoic acids to study interactions between inhibitors and enzymes linked in WTA synthesis. I’ll perform structural studies on various pattern recognition receptors (PRR) -WTA complexes and interaction of Fab fragments in free state and in presence of WTA fragments.

Could you write a few sentences about yourself, your hobbies, interests? 

I’m a socially outgoing person. In my free time, I often listen to podcasts on topics like social behaviour, psychology, and human interactions. I also enjoy staying active by playing football and going to the gym when I can. Cooking is another passion of mine. I love experimenting with dishes from different cultures and trying out new cuisines whenever I get the chance.