My lab's research focus is structure function characterization of macromolecules implicated in the disease conditions in diverse biological systems, ranging from humans to plants and their pathogens. We investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying host–pathogen interactions, stress-responsive epigenetic regulation in host systems—particularly involving sirtuins—and the roles of chromatin readers in plant pathogenesis. Through integrative structural and functional approaches, we aim to elucidate how these molecular processes drive disease outcomes in crop plants and other organisms.
By combining structural bioinformatics, biochemical, and functional approaches, our work aims to provide mechanistic insights into epigenetic and chromatin-mediated regulation of disease processes, ultimately contributing to strategies for disease control and crop improvement. Our lab is well funded by CSIR, DBT and DST grants, FRPDF (WB Govt). Anybody interested in these topics are welcome to explore.
Our lab is always looking for enthusiastic students (preferably qualified DBT/ICMR/UGC/CSIR NET-JRF) who have done their MSc in Lifesciences /Biotechnology /Biochemistry/Chemistry/Botany. If you are interested in this exciting research, you can contact me @ sdey.dbs@presiuniv.ac.in
PhD Biochemistry (Texas A&M University, USA, 2008)
BEd (Nagpur University, 1998)
MSc (Biochemistry) Nagpur University, 1997
BSc (Biochemistry, Chemistry, Zoology) Nagpur University,1995
Professional experience:
Assistant Professor (Dept. of Life Sciences, Presidency University) 2013 -present
Postdoctoral Research Associate (Washington University in St Louis, Missouri) 2012-2013
Postdoctoral Research Associate (University of California, San Diego) 2008-2012
Departmental syllabus committee member
Teaching Experience:
MSc students in Biological/Life Sciences, Presidency University, 2013- present
Courses teaching: Advanced Enzymology, Biophysical methods, Protein and RNA biochemistry, Protein engineering
MSc Thesis students:
(2026) Sandipan Banerjee (PU), Rohini Tanti (PU)
(2025) Anusmita Ghosh (PU), Ushosi Mitra (CU)
(2024) Bipasha Das (PU), Tanima Barman (PU)
(2023) Dishan Adhikary (CU), Tanumoy Das (CU)
(2022) Shreya Das (PU)
(2021) Beas Mukherjee (PU), Shriya Bose (CU)
(2020) Shibam Banerjee (PU), Ankita Das (PU), Shinjini Ghosh (CU), Shreya Laha (CU),
(2019) Atreyee Mukherjee (PU), Tapas Sardar (CU), Souvik Saha (CU)
(2018) Izaz Monir Kamal (PU), Souraj Banerjee (CU)
(2016) Adrija Basak (PU), Priti Agarwal (PU)
(2015) Manisha Adhikary (PU), Sargam Chopra (PU)
BSc students in Biological Sciences, Presidency University, 2013 - present
Courses teaching: Protein chemistry, Enzymology, Intermediate Metabolism, Biophysical methods and applications
Undergraduate students (BSc Honors) in Biochemistry, Presidency University 2013 - 2015
Courses taught: Enzyme kinetics, DNA repair mechanisms, Cellular Metabolism
Undergraduate students in Biochemistry (Teaching assistant, Texas A&M University, Texas, USA) 2001-2002
Undergraduate students in Biotechnology (LAD College, Nagpur University) 1998-2000
MSc students in Biochemistry (Department of Biochemistry, Nagpur University) 1997-2000
Past PhD Student:
Nilabhra Mitra worked on "Comparative analysis of eukaryotic (Homosapiens and Oryza sativa indica) class IV sirtuins" PhD awarded in 2022
Sonali Khan DST-SERB Fellow: "Structural and Biochemical characterization of a class III sirtuin OsCobB in Oryza sativa indica and its association to stress response in plants". PhD awarded in 2024
Current PhD Students:
Joykesh Roy Barman CSIR- NET JRF (2020- present): "Structure function dissection of class II sirtuin member in Oryza sativa indica, OsSRT2". Registered in PU
Asim Kumar Roy CSIR-UGC NET LS (2023-present): “Understanding the molecular mechanism of substrate recognition in rice sirtuins”. Registered in PU
Trisha Chakraborty CSIR-UGC NET JRF (2024-present): "Molecular dissection of bromodomains in plant pathogenic fungi: Insights into its ligand recognition and regulation". Registered in PU
TB structural genomics consortium (USA)
Google Scholar Citations
14. Roy AK, Khan S, Dey S (2025) "Understanding the selectivity of lysine negatively charged acyl modifications by OsCobB and its link with different stress conditions in plants" bioRxiv 2025.04.25.649731; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.25.649731
13. Khan S, Mitra N, Dey S (2022), " CobB like sirtuin in Oryza sativa indica regulates the mitochondrial machinery under stress conditions" Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2022.109446
12. Mitra N, Dey S (2022), "Understanding the catalytic abilities of class IV sirtuin OsSRT1 and its linkage to the DNA repair system under stress conditions" Plant Science ; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111398
11. Mitra N, Dey S (2019), " Biochemical characterization of mono ADP ribosyl transferase activity of human sirtuin SIRT7 and its regulation" Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics; 10.1016/j.abb.2019.108226
10. Yi H*, Dey S*, Kumaran S, Lee SG, Krishnan HB, Jez JM (2013), "Structure of soybean serine acetyltransferase and formation of the cysteine regulatory complex as a molecular chaperone", J Biol Chem.; 288(51):36463-72 * equal contribution
9. Arambula D, Wong W, Medhekar BA, Guo H, Gingery M, Czornyj E, Liu M, Dey S, Ghosh P, Miller JF (2013). Surface display of a massively variable lipoprotein by a Legionella diversity generating retroelement. PNAS;110(20): 8212-17
8. Jez JM, Dey S (2013). The cysteine regulatory complex from plants and microbes: what was old is new again. Current opinion in Structural Biology;23: 302-10.
7. Alayyoubi M, Guo H, Dey S, Miller JF, Ghosh P (2013). Structure of the essential diversity-generating retroelement protein bAvd and its functionally important interaction with reverse transcriptase. Structure; 21(2): 266-76.
6. Musgrave WB, Yi H, Kline D, Cameron JC, Wignes J, Dey S, Pakrasi HB, Jez JM (2012). Probing the Origins of glutathione biosynthesis throughout biochemical analysis of glutamate-cysteine ligase and glutathione synthetase from a model photosynthetic prokaryote. Biochemical Journal; 450(1): 63-72.
5. Dey S, Lane JM, Lee RE, Rubin EJ, Sacchettini JC (2010). Structural characterization of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis biotin biosynthetic enzymes 7, 8-Diaminopelargonic Acid synthase and Dethiobiotin synthetase. Biochemistry; 49(31): 6746-60.
4. Dey S, Burton RL, Grant GA, Sacchettini JC (2008). Structural analysis of substrate and effector binding in Mycobacterium tuberculosis D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase. Biochemistry; 47(32): 8271-82.
3. Dey S, Hu Z, Xu XL, Sacchettini JC, Grant GA (2007). The effect of hinge mutationson effector binding and domain rotation in E.coli D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase. J Biol Chem.; 282(25):18418-26.
2. Dey S, Grant GA, Sacchettini JC (2005). Crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis D-3 phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase: extreme asymmetry in a tetramer of identical subunits. J Biol Chem.; 280(15):14892-99. (On cover)
1. Dey S, Hu Z, Xu XL, Sacchettini JC, Grant GA (2005). D-3 phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a link between the Escherichia coli and mammalian enzymes. J Biol Chem.; 280(15):14884-91.
Presidency University Students Corner