Anna University, Chennai
Advancing Structural Informatics and Chemical Biology: The Research and Training Excellence at Anna University, Chennai
The Bioinformatics Center is committed to advancing research and supporting specialized training in thematic domains. With upgraded infrastructure and skilled personnel, the center aims to establish a distinctive identity, specializing in Structural Informatics and Chemical Biology. The facility is being extensively utilized by students and research scholars, serving as a central hub for their academic pursuits and investigations.
The center's primary objectives revolve around multifaceted initiatives. One key aim is to provide state-of-the-art research facilities catering to Structural Informatics, Chemical Biology, and their associated disciplines. Simultaneously, the center upholds educational excellence by delivering high-quality teaching in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, aligning closely with international scientific standards. Moreover, the center serves as a convergence of research and education in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, extending its expertise to offer training services. These services, conducted through national-level workshops, cater to college instructors from other state universities, fostering their professional development and enriching their understanding of these dynamic fields.
Docked structures of final siRNA candidates (cartoon view) with Human Ago2 protein (surface view). The PAZ domain and the MID domain are coloured as magenta and cyan respectively and rest of the protein denoted by orange colour (including N-terminal domain and PIWI domain). The siRNA was designated by yellow colour. The structures are for A. e5 B. m2 C. n1 D. g80 siRNAs. (Premnath Madanagopal et al, 2022)
The center has achieved milestones across diverse research domains. Notably, investigations into PTP1B and PPAR gamma with natural plant ligands have yielded valuable insights. Explorations into plant defensins, neurodegenerative diseases, and Crystallin proteins have contributed to the understanding of these complex areas. Furthermore, the center has made strides in neuro-cognitive herbal isolates and drug repurposing, focusing on targeting regulator proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's to unravel disease mechanisms. In parallel, structural studies of viral proteins have offered critical perspectives in virology. Complementing these research accomplishments, the center has made a substantial contribution to nurturing trained manpower in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology through undergraduate and postgraduate courses and research programs. Additionally, the center extends its expertise by providing training services to college teachers from other state universities via national-level workshops. Leveraging computer-aided drug design, the BIC has conducted impactful research delving into metabolic disorders, neurocognitive disorders, and systems biology approaches, enriching the understanding of these diseases at a molecular level.
The NNP partner, CAS in Crystallography and Biophysics at the University of Madras, is well-known for its dedicated research focused on unraveling the structure-function relationship of bacterial virulence proteins and crystallization of macromolecular structures. This profound understanding will contribute to research endeavors, particularly in Multi-targeted Lead Identification for Metabolic Disorders through in silico and biochemical characterization.
