Assistant Professor

Dr Kaushik Saha

Department of Biological Sciences

Interests

  •  RNA therapeutics
  •  Biochemical mechanisms of mammalian splice site recognition
  •  RNA structure-mediated regulation of RNA metabolism

Faculty Details

Education

2001

Presidency College, University of Calcutta
India
BSc (Hons.)

2003

University of Calcutta
India
MSc

2008

University of Cambridge
UK
PhD

Experience

  • July 2022 – August 2023, Staff Research Associate 3, University of California San Diego
  • Jule 2014 – June 2022, Assistant Project Scientist, University of California San Diego
  • July 2011 – June 2014, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, University of California San Diego
  • Jan 2009 – June 2011, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Brandeis University

    • Research Interest

  • Designing therapeutic RNA to correct splicing errors
  • Mechanistic investigation into the mammalian splice site recognition

    • Awards & Fellowships

    • 2019 - Helmsley Scholarship - Helmsley Charitable Trust
    • 2007 - Research Studentship - Cambridge Philosophical Society
    • 2007 - Lundgren Research Award - University of Cambridge
    • 2005 - Frank Smart Studentship - University of Cambridge
    • 2004 - Lt. Col. J. N. Bose Scholarship - University of Calcutta
    • 2004-2007 - Overseas Research Students’ (ORS) Award - Universities UK
    • 2004-2007 - Cambridge Nehru Scholarship - Cambridge Commonwealth Trusts & Nehru Trust for Cambridge University
    • 2003 - Junior Research Fellowship (declined) - Indian Council of Medical Research
    • 2001 - National Scholarship - Govt. of India

    Publications

    Journal Articles:

  • 1. Cooperative engagement and subsequent selective displacement of SR proteins define the pre-mRNA 3D structural scaffold for early spliceosome assembly - K. Saha*, G. Ghosh* Nucleic Acids Research 50,8262–8278 (2022). * Shared correspondence
  • 2. Immune Response to COVID-19 in India through Vaccination and Natural Infection - T.R. Sarraf, S. Maity,A. Ghosh, S. Bhattacharjee, A. Pani, K. Saha, D. Chattopadhyay, G. Ghosh, M. Sen Fortune Journal of Health Sciences 5, 432-454 (2022).
  • 3. Antibody Development through SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination in India - A.Ghosh, K. Saha, A. Das, S. Bhattacharjee, A. Pani, G.G. Shee, P. Ray, D. Singh, S. Biswas, S. Murmu, et al. Journal of Infect Disease and Epidemiology 7:219, 1-9 (2021).
  • 4. Discovery of a pre-mRNA structural scaffold as a contributor to the mammalian splicingcode - K. Saha*, M. M. Fernandez, T. Biswas, S. Joseph, G. Ghosh* Nucleic Acids Research** 49, 7103-7121 (2021).* Shared correspondence, **promoted by the journal on its Twitter account
  • 5. Structural disruption of exonic stem-loops immediately upstream of the intron regulates mammalian splicing - K. Saha, W. England, M. M. Fernandez, T. Biswas, R. C. Spitale, G. Ghosh Nucleic Acids Research 48, 6294-6309 (2020).
  • 6. Characterization of evolutionarily conserved iron-sulfur cluster of sirohydrochlorin ferrochelatase from Arabidopsis thaliana - K. Saha, M. E. Webb, S. J. Rigby, H. K. Leech, M. J. Warren, A. G. Smith Biochemical Journal 444, 227-237 (2012).
  • 7. Identification of the Arabidopsis gene encoding the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis enzyme uroporphyrinogen III synthase by functional complementation of a yeast mutant - F-C Tan, Q. Cheng, K. Saha, I. U. Heinemann, M. Jahn, D. Jahn, A. G. Smith Biochemical Journal 410, 291-299 (2008).

    • Book chapters:

  • 1. SHAPE to probe RNA structure and RNA-protein interactions in vitro. K. Saha, G. Ghosh. In: RNA-Protein Complexes and Interactions, R-J. Lin. (Ed). Methods in Molecular Biology. Humana Press, New York, NY. (2023) DOI:10.1007/978-1-0716-3191-1.
  • 2. Chemical probing of RNA structure in vivo. K. Saha, G, Ghosh. In: RNA-Protein Complexes and Interactions, R-J. Lin. (Ed). Methods in Molecular Biology. Humana Press, New York, NY, (2023). DOI:10.1007/978-1-0716-3191-1.
  • 3. Analysis of RNA-protein interaction network. K. Saha, G. Ghosh. In: RNA-Protein Complexes and Interactions, R-J. Lin. (Ed). Methods in Molecular Biology. Humana Press, New York, NY, (2023). DOI:10.1007/978-1-0716-3191-1.
  • 4. Tetrapyrrole in plants: Chemical biology of metal insertion and removal. K. Saha, M. Moulin, A. G. Smith In Wiley Encyclopedia of Chemical Biology, T. Begley et al. (Eds). John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (2009). DOI: 10.1002/9780470048672.wecb454.

    • Oral Presentations:

  • 1. A ubiquitous exonic splice signal triggers pre-mRNA remodelling for splice site recognition, Cancer/Oncogenesis Club Monthly Meeting, January 17, 2017, UC San Diego, U.S.A.
  • 2. Initiation Steps in the Assembly of Human Spliceosome, La Jolla RNA Club Meeting, 21 October 2016, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, U.S.A.
  • 3. Molecular Dynamics of E-complex assembly – role of SR proteins, La Jolla RNA Club Meeting, 11 January 2013, UC San Diego, U.S.A.
  • 4. Using recombinant U1 snRNP for in vitro splicing assay and molecular dissection of alternative splicing, Brandeis University Dept of Biochemistry retreat, November 2009, Marine Biological Laboratory, Wood Hole, MA, U.S.A.
  • 5. Study of the Arabidopsis sirohydrochlorin ferrochelatase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of a tetrapyrrole cofactor sirohaem, Iron Sulphur Proteins Meeting, 13 September 2007, King’s College, London.
  • 6. Role of the iron sulphur cluster in Arabidopsis sirohydrochlorin ferrochelatase, Tetrapyrrole Discussion Group Meeting, 29-31 August 2007, Backgarden, Höör, Sweden.
  • 7. Role of the Iron Sulphur Cluster in Arabidopsis sirohydrochlorin ferrochelatase, Iron Sulphur Proteins Meeting, 21 April 2006, King’s College, London.
  • 8. Interactions between Enzymes of Tetrapyrrole Biosynthetic Pathways in Arabidopsis, Tetrapyrrole Discussion Group Meeting, 27 March 2006, St. Edmunds Hall, Oxford, UK.

    • Poster presentations:

  • 1. Pre-mRNA 3D structural scaffold as a contributor to the mammalian splicing code - K.Saha, W. England, M. M. Fernandez, T. Biswas, R. C. Spitale, G. Ghosh. Rustbelt RNA Meeting, October 2022, Case Western Reserve University & Cleveland Clinic Health Education Campus, Cleveland, OH, U.S.A.
  • 2. Pre-mRNA 3D structural scaffold as a contributor to the mammalian splicing code - K. Saha, W. England, M. M. Fernandez, T. Biswas, R. C. Spitale, G. Ghosh. Gordon Research Conference on Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation, July 2022, Jordan Hotel at Sunday River, Newry, ME, U.S.A.
  • 3. Discovery and mechanisms of the pre-mRNA 3D structural scaffold as a contributor to the mammalian splicing code - K. Saha, W. England, M. M. Fernandez, T. Biswas, R. C. Spitale, G. Ghosh. RNA Therapeutics: From Concept to Clinic, June 2022, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, U.S.A.
  • 4. Identification and role of a major structural splice signal in mammalian spliceosome assembly - K. Saha, W. England, M. M. Fernandez, T. Biswas, R. C. Spitale, G. Ghosh. Gordon Research Conference on Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation, July 2018, Jordan Hotel at Sunday River, Newry, ME, U.S.A.
  • 5. A ubiquitous exonic signal triggers pre-mRNA remodeling for splice site recognition - K. Saha, W. England, M. M. Fernandez, T. Biswas, R. C. Spitale, G. Ghosh. Cold Spring Harbor Meeting - Eukaryotic mRNA Processing, August 2017, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, N.Y., U.S.A.
  • 6. Role of the iron sulphur cluster in sirohydrochlorin ferrochelatases in Arabidopsis – K.Saha, M. E. Webb, S. J. Rigby, H. K. Leech, M. J. Warren, A. G. Gordon Research Conference on Chemistry and Biology of Tetrapyrroles, July 2006, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI, U.S.A.

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