Shantnu Kumar

EDUCATION

College / University

Hindu College, University of Delhi

Highest Degree

Master of Science

Major Subjects

Zoology with specialization in Genomics

Country

India

Lab Experience

Molecular cloning, Primer designing, Restriction digestion and ligation, RNA isolation, plasmid and genomic DNA isolation, Protein isolation and purification, Affinity Chromatography, Size Exclusion Chromatography, Proteomics sample preparation, Mass spectrometry, Bradford Protein Assay and BCA, Exosome isolation, Nanoparticle Tracking Analyzer, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, Urea PAGE, EMSA, ELISA, spectrophotometry, PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, RT-PCR tests for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus, Southern blotting, Silver staining.
Bacterial cell culture techniques, Mammalian cell culture, MTT cell viability assay, Flow cytometry, Fluorescence microscopy, Light microscopy.
Model Organisms Dissection – Drosophila melanogaster and BALB/c syngeneic mouse model.

Projects / Research

05/2022 – 08/2022: "Isolation and characterization of small extracellular vesicles from mammalian cell lines during heat shock stress and to study the vesicular communication in maintaining proteostasis". Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, (CSIR-IGIB) South Campus, New Delhi, India
09/2021 - 03/2022: "Role of STAT3 signaling in HPV infected cervical cancer cell lines". Supervisor: Prof Dr Alok Chandra Bharti (Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, India)
02/2021 – 07/2021: "Investigating the association of micro-RNA and Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) with the pathogenesis of influenza virus infection". Supervisor: Dr Madhu Khanna (Respiratory Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, VPCI, University of Delhi, India)
07/2020 – 08/2020: CSIR-Summer Research Training Program (CSIR_SRTP) project "Female predominant sampling in fMRI studies of drug-naïve, schizophrenia subjects – A meta-analytical study". Supervisor: Dr Urvakhsh Mehta (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience (NIMHANS) Bangalore, India)

Scholarships / Awards

2022 – 2023:	Stipend by the International Max Planck Research School
2019 – 2021:	National Post-Graduate Scholarship for University Rank Holders (1^st Rank in B.Sc.) by UGC (University Grants Commission), India
2020:	Awarded Merit Certificate for Outstanding Performance in the Certificate Course on "(META) Genomics and Bioinformatics" Jointly organized by Maitreyi College, University of Delhi, and PhiXgen Pvt. Ltd., India
2019:	University of Delhi Gold Medalist Award in BSc Honors Zoology for securing the highest marks in BSc Honours
2018– 2019:	Jai Dev Award and Academic Award by KMC, University of Delhi, India for obtaining 1^st position in BSc(H) Zoology

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS AND GOALS

From my graduate study, I have discovered that I am majorly interested in molecular cell biology and RNA biology, particularly understanding different biomolecule interactions (like RNA-protein interactions) and their effect on the various cellular process. I am most fascinated by the interactions of different molecular and cellular processes and how this complex process helps in maintaining a cell's internal homeostasis. In the course of my MSc/PhD program, I would like to deepen my understanding and broaden the scope of my experience in molecular cell biology and structural biology subjects and hope to make a valuable contribution to this field of biology.