Assistant Director – IR & HS & Assistant Professor

Dr Sudeshna Saha

Department of Biological Sciences

Interests

  • Microbial Glycobiology
  • Host Pathogen Interactions

Faculty Details

Education

2005

University of North Bengal
India
Bachelors

2007

University of North Bengal
India
Masters

2016

Boston College
USA
PhD

Experience

  • June 2023-August 2023 – Assistant Project Scientist – University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
  • January 2023-June 2023 - Microbial Glycobiology Specialist – University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
  • January 2017-December 2022 – Postdoctoral researcher – University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
  • August 2009-July 2010 – Project Assistant – Bose Institute, Kolkata, India.
  • August 2008-July 2009 – Lecturer – Siliguri College, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, India.

    • Research Interest

  • The research interest of the lab is in microbial glycobiology (study of glycans or carbohydrates), primarily of the human gut microbes. Like any other epithelial lining of the human body, the gastrointestinal tract is covered by a protective layer called mucus. Mucus is important in maintaining gut homeostasis as well as in the modulation gut microbiome. It is primarily composed of the gel-forming family of proteins called mucins, which are heavily glycosylated with the glycan chains terminated with nine-carbon monosaccharides called sialic acid. The unique location, cellular occurrence, and biochemical properties of sialic acids greatly impact microbial interactions in human niches, including in the gastrointestinal tract. Utilizing molecular biology, cell biology and microbiological tools, we are interested in expanding our knowledge of how different gut commensals and pathogens interact with and metabolise mucus carbohydrates to establish themselves in this niche.

    • Awards & Fellowships

  • 2021 – Poster Award - Annual Meeting of the Society for Glycobiology
  • 2018 - Outstanding Oral Presentation Award – Future NextGen Meeting, PEG
  • 2016 - Burroughs Welcome Fund Endowment
  • 2016 - Fellowship from Helmsley Charitable Trust – Biology of Parasitism
  • 2013, 2015, 2016 - Conference Grant - Boston College Graduate Student Association
  • 2016 – Conference Grant - Boston College Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
  • 2015 – First prize for Oral Presentation - New England Association of Parasitologists.
  • 2014 - Best Poster Prize - Biology Department Research Retreat, Boston College.
  • 2009 - Qualified National Eligibility Test (Lectureship) – Council of Scientific and Industrial
    Research (CSIR).
  • 2007 - Gold Medal Graduating Top of Microbiology M.Sc. Class - University of North Bengal
  • 2007 - Highest Scorer in Science - University of North Bengal Alumni Association

    • Publications

    Research articles

    • 1. Evolution of Human-specific Alleles Protecting Cognitive Function of Grandmothers - S. Saha, N. Khan, A. Verhagen, A. Sasmal, T. Comi, S. Diaz, H. Yu, X. Chen, J. Akey, M. Frank, P. Gagneux, A. Varki Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39 (8), (2022).
    • 2. Models of murine vaginal colonization by anaerobically grown bacteria – S. Morrill, K. Agarwal, S. Saha, W. Lewis, N. Gilbert, A. Lewis Journal of Visualized Experiments,(183) (2022).
    • 3. The basal complex: the other apicomplexan business end as assessed in T. gondii – M.-J. Gubbels, D.J.P. Ferguson, S. Saha, J. Romano, S. Chavan, V.A. Primo, C. Michaud, I. Coppens, K. Engelberg Frontiers in Cellular and Infectious Microbiology, 12:882166, (2022).
    • 4. Evolutionary Conservation of Ketodeoxynonulosonic acid production by human cells: Humans is Not for Sialoglycan Biosynthesis – K. Kawanishi*, S. Saha*, S. Diaz, M.Vaill, A. Sasmal, S.S. Siddiqui, B. Choudhury, K. Sharma, X. Chen, I.C. Schoenhofen, C. Sato, K. Kitajima, H.H. Freeze, A. Münster-Kühnel, A. Varki The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 131(5), e137681 (2021).
    • 5. Exploring the impact of ketodeoxynonulosonic acid in host-pathogen interactions using uptake and surface display by non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae – S. Saha, A. Coady, A. Sasmal, K. Kawanishi, B. Choudhury, H. Yu, R.-U. Sorensen, J. Inostroza, I.C.Schoenhofen, X. Chen, A. Münster-Kühnel, C. Sato, K. Kitajima, S. Ram, V. Nizet, A.Varki mBio, 12 (1): e03226-20 (2021).
    • 6. Efficacy of anti-gonococcal CMP-nonulosonate therapeutics require cathelicidins – S. Gulati, I.C. Schoenhofen, T. Lindhout-Djukic, L.A. Lewis, I.Y. Moustafa, S. Saha, B. Zheng, N. Nowak, P.R. Rice, A. Varki, S. Ram The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 222 (10), 1641–1650 (2020).
    • 7. Therapeutic CMP-nonulosonates against multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae – S.Gulati,I. Schoenhofen, T. Lindhout-Djukic, M. Schur, C.S. Landig, S. Saha, L. Deng, L.A. Lewis, B. Zheng, A. Varki, S. Ram The Journal of Immunology, 204 (12), 3283–3295 (2020).
    • 8. Controversies about the subcellular localization and mechanisms of action of the Alzheimer’s disease protective CD33 splice variant – S. Saha, S. Siddiqui, N. Khan, A. Verhagen, W. Jiang, S. Springer, P. Ghosh, A. Varki Acta Neuropathologica 138 (4), 671-672 (2019).
    • 9. Siglec-7 engagement by GBS β-protein suppresses pyroptotic cell death of natural killer cells – J.J. Fong, C.-M. Tsai, S. Saha, V. Nizet, A. Varki, J.D. Bui Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115 (41), 10410-10415 (2018).
    • 10. A member of the ferlin calcium sensor family is essential for Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry secretion – B.I. Coleman*, S. Saha*, S. Sato, K. Engelberg, D.J.P. Ferguson, I. Coppens, M.B. Lodoen, M.-J. Gubbels mBio, 9(5), e01510-18 (2018).
    • 11. A novel sialylation site on Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipooligosaccharide links heptose II lactose expression with pathogenicity – S. Ram, S. Gulati, L.A. Lewis, S. Chakraborti, B. Zheng, R.B. DeOliveira, G.W. Reed, A.W. Cox, J. Li, F.S. Michael, J. Stupak, X.-H. Su, S. Saha, C.S. Landig, A. Varki, P.A. Rice Infection and Immunity 86(8): e00285-18 (2018).
    • 12. Two phosphoglucomutase paralogs facilitate ionophore-triggered secretion of the Toxoplasma micronemes – S. Saha, B.I. Coleman, R. Dubey, I.J. Blader, M.-J. Gubbels mSphere, 2(6) (2017).
    • 13. Parasite calcineurin regulates host cell recognition and attachment by apicomplexans – A. Paul, S. Saha, K. Engelberg, R.Y. Jiang, B.I. Coleman, A.L. Kosber, C.-T. Chen, M. Ganter, N. Espy, T.W. Gilberger, M.-J. Gubbels, M.T. Duraisingh Cell Host and Microbe, 18(1):49-60 (2015).

    * Equal contribution

    Conference abstracts

    • 1. Deciphering the functional implication of Gardnerella sialidase activity in host interactions using isogenic bacterial strains – S. Saha, C. Armstrong, L.S. Robinson., W.G. Lewis, A.L. Lewis Glycobiology, 32 (11), 1052-1052 (2022).
    • 2. Functional variation of Gardnerella sialidase NanH3 is mediated by a 5’ polycytosinetract – L.S. Robinson, S. Saha, W. Lewis, A. Lewis Glycobiology, 31(12), 1679-1679 (2021).
    • 3. Understanding human-specific evolution of CD33/Siglec-3 and its impact on sialoglycan binding and functionality – S. Saha, N. Khan, A. Verhagen, A. Sasmal, H. Yu, P. Gagneux, X. Chen, N. Varki, M. Frank, A. Varki Glycobiology, 30 (12), 1016–1145 (2020).
    • 4. Exploring Evolutionary Origins of Human-Specific CD33/Siglec-3 Alleles that Protect against Late Onset Alzheimer’s Disease: Prior Selection by Uniquely Human Pathogens? S. Saha, N. Khan, A. Verhagen, A. Sasmal, H. Yu, P. Gagneux, X. Chen, N. Varki, M. Frank, A. Varki Glycobiology, 29 (12), 886–989 (2019).
    • 5. Exploiting the molecular mimicry of Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae with ketodeoxynonulosonic acid: Confusing the bacterium in its own game – S. Saha, A.Coady, B. Choudhury, X. Chen, S. Ram, V. Nizet, A. Varki The Journal of Immunology, 202 (1 Supplement) 190.46 (2019).
    • 6. Kdn, a Free Sialic Acid in Humans has Therapeutic Potential Against Non-Typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) infections – S. Saha, S. Diaz, B. Choudhury, S. Thiel, V. Nizet, S. Ram, I. Schoenhofen, A. Varki Glycobiology, 27 (12), 1171–1255 (2017).
    • 7. Exocytosis of Toxoplasma gondii microneme and rhoptry organelles is controlled by the ferlin family of Ca 2+- sensors – B.I. Coleman, S. Saha, E.C. Gray, D. Tagoe, M.-J. Gubbels Molecular Biology of the Cell, 27 (1) (2016).
    • 8. Dissecting the role of parafusin-related protein1 and calcineurin in Ca 2+ signaling of Toxoplasma gondii – S. Saha, B.I. Coleman, C.-T. Chen, M.-J. Gubbels Molecular Biology of the Cell, 25 (1), (2014).

    Selected Oral Presentation

    • 1. Exploring Evolutionary Origins of Human-Specific CD33/Siglec-3 Alleles that Protect against Late Onset Alzheimer’s Disease: Prior Selection by Uniquely Human Pathogens? Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting, 2019.
    • 2. Using the free nonulosonic acid Kdn as a potential therapeutic against Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) infections. Future GlycoGen Meeting, 2018.
    • 3. A Toxoplasma ferlin confers Ca 2+ -regulation to rhoptry secretion. XXVIIth Molecular Parasitology Meeting, 2016.
    • 4. Uncovering surprising roles for calmodulin, calcineurin and PRP1 in Ca 2+ signaling underlying Toxoplasma gondii invasion and egress. XXVIth Molecular Parasitology Meeting, 2015.
    • 5. Deciphering the roles of calcineurin, calmodulin and PRP1 in Ca 2+ signalling associated with Toxoplasma gondii invasion and egress. 13th International Congress on Toxoplasmosis & T. gondii Biology, 2015.
    • 6. Understanding the roles of calcineurin/calmodulin/PRP1 in different Ca 2+ signalling steps related to Toxoplasma gondii invasion and egress. Annual Meeting New England Association of Parasitologists, 2015.

    Selected Poster Presentation

    • 1. Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting 2022.
    • 2. Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting 2021.
    • 3. Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting 2020.
    • 4. Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting 2019.
    • 5. 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), 2019.
    • 6. NextGen Meeting, 22nd Annual San Diego Glycobiology Symposium, 2019.
    • 7. NHLBI Programs of Excellence in Glycosciences meeting, 2018.
    • 8. 21st Annual San Diego Glycobiology Symposium, 2018.
    • 9. Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting, 2017.
    • 10. Smith Family New Investigator Awards Program Poster Session and Dinner, 2015.
    • 11. General Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, 2014.
    • 12. XXIVth Molecular Parasitology Meeting, 2013.

    Contact Details

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