Prof. Ashis Biswas Professor
School of Basic Sciences

Research Interests

1. Investigating the inhibitory potential of different plant polyphenols against SARS CoV-2 main protease using various computational and experimental studies; 2. Elucidation of drug repurposing against SARS CoV-2 main protease for COVID-19 treatment using theoretical and experimental approaches; 3. Elucidation of structure-function relationships in small heat shock proteins and its importance in human diseases (leprosy and tuberculosis) using biochemical and biophysical techniques; 4. Investigating the effect of various post-translational modifications on the eye lens crystallin proteins and their role in developing cataract formation in human lens using biophysical methods; 5. Elucidating the mechanism behind the interaction of metal complexes (anti-cancer agents) with DNA and proteins using various biochemical techniques; 6. Exploration of therapeutic potential of peptides derived from acr1 and acr3 heat shock proteins; 7. Investigating the role of different plant extracts and small molecules on the inhibition of amyloid fibrillation and their significance in preventing different amyloid diseases.

Contact Details

  • Room 320, School of Basic Sciences, Arugul campus
  • 06747135118
  • abiswas@iitbbs.ac.in

Other Profile Link(s)

Education

 Degree Discipline Year School
  Ph.D. Biophysical Chemistry 2006 Bose Institute (Jadavpur University)
 

Biosketch

 

Teaching

B. Tech. level - Chemistry Theory (CY1L001), Chemistry Laboratory (CY1P001), Introduction to Bioscience and Technology (ID2L002). M.Sc. Level - Thermodynamics and Chemical Equilibrium (CY5L005), Physical Chemistry Laboratory (CY5P003), Biophysical Chemistry (CY7L021).

 

Recent Publications (International Journals)

1Rajesh Ghosh, Ayon Chakraborty, Ashis Biswas and Snehasis Chowdhuri- “Evaluation of Green Tea Polyphenols as Novel Corona Virus (SARS CoV-2) Main Protease (Mpro) Inhibitors – An In Silico Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study” J Biomol Struct Dyn. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2020.1779818 (2020).
2Alok Kumar Panda, Ayon Chakraborty, Sandip Kumar Nandi, Ashis Biswas – “Cover Image” Proteins, 88(6), C1-C1 (2020) [The cover image is based on the Original Article The impact of different mutations at arginine141 on the structure, subunit exchange dynamics and chaperone activity of Hsp16.3 by Ashis Biswas et al.].
3Ayon Chakraborty, Ashis Biswas - “Structure, stability and chaperone function of Mycobacterium leprae Heat Shock Protein 18 are differentially affected upon interaction with gold and silver nanoparticles” Int J Biol Macromol, 152, 250-260 (2020).
4Sandip Kumar Nandi, Ayon Chakraborty, Alok Kumar Panda, Ashis Biswas - “M. leprae HSP18 suppresses copper (II) mediated ROS generation: Effect of redox stress on its structure and function” Int J Biol Macromol, 146, 648-660 (2020).
5Alok Kumar Panda, Ayon Chakraborty, Sandip Kumar Nandi, Ashis Biswas – “The impact of different mutations at arginine141 on the structure, subunit exchange dynamics and chaperone activity of Hsp16. 3” Proteins, 88(6), 759-774 (2020).
6Ayon Chakraborty, Alok Kumar Panda, Rajesh Ghosh, Ashis Biswas – “DNA minor groove binding of a well known anti-mycobacterial drug dapsone: A spectroscopic, viscometric and molecular docking study” Arch Biochem Biophys, 665, 107-113 (2019).
7Ayon Chakraborty, Alok Kumar Panda, Rajesh Ghosh, Ipsita Roy, Ashis Biswas – “Depicting the DNA binding and photo-nuclease ability of anti-mycobacterial drug rifampicin: A biophysical and molecular docking perspective” Int J Biol Macromol, 127, 187-196 (2019).
8Sandip Kumar Nandi, Ayon Chakraborty, Alok Kumar Panda, Rajiv Kumar Kar, Anirban Bhunia, Ashis Biswas – “Evidences for zinc (II) and copper (II) ion interactions with Mycobacterium leprae HSP18: Effect on its structure and chaperone function” J Inorg Biochem, 188, 62-75 (2018).
9Ayon Chakraborty, Sandip Kumar Nandi, Alok Kumar Panda, Pinaki Prasad Mahapatra, Sourav Giri, Ashis Biswas – “Probing the structure-function relationship of Mycobacterium leprae HSP18 under different UV radiations” Int J Biol Macromol, 119, 604-616 (2018).
10Sudarshana Majumder, Sagarika Pasayat, Alok K Panda, Subhashree P Dash, Satabdi Roy, Ashis Biswas, Mokshada E Varma, Bimba N Joshi, Eugenio Garribba, Chahat Kausar, Samir Kumar Patra, Werner Kaminsky, Aurélien Crochet, Rupam Dinda – “Monomeric and Dimeric Oxidomolybdenum(V and VI) Complexes, Cytotoxicity, and DNA Interaction Studies: Molybdenum Assisted C═N Bond Cleavage of Salophen Ligands” Inorg Chem, 56, 11190-11210 (2017).
11Priyabrata Mukhi, Swapna Sarita Mohapatra, M Bhattacharjee, KK Ray, TS Muraleedharan, A Arun, R Sathyavathi, RR Juluri, PV Satyam, Alok K Panda, Ashis Biswas, S Nayak, Sreedhar Bojja, S Pratihar, Sujit Roy – “Mercury based drug in ancient India: The red sulfide of mercury in nanoscale” J Ayurveda Integr Med, 8, 93-98 (2017).
12Alok Kumar Panda, Ayon Chakraborty, Sandip Kumar Nandi, Abhishek Kaushik , Ashis Biswas – “The C-terminal extention of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Hsp16.3 regulates its oligomerization, subunit exchange dynamics and chaperone function” FEBS J., 284(2), 277-300 (2017).
13Subhashree P. Dash‡, Alok Kumar Panda‡, Sarita Dhaka‡, Sagarika Pasayat, Ashis Biswas, Mannar R. Maurya, Paresh Kumar Majhi, Aurélien Crochet and Rupam Dinda - “A study of DNA/BSA interaction and catalytic potential of oxidovanadium(v) complexes with ONO donor ligands” Dalton Trans, 45, 18292-18307 (2016).
14Sandip Kumar Nandi, Ayon Chakraborty, Alok Kumar Panda and Ashis Biswas - “Conformational perturbation, hydrophobic interactions and oligomeric association are responsible for the enhanced chaperone function of Mycobacterium leprae HSP18 under pre-thermal condition” RSC Adv, 6, 62146-62156 (2016).
15Alok Kumar Panda, Sandip Kumar Nandi, Ayon Chakraborty, Ram H. Nagaraj and Ashis Biswas - “Differential role of arginine mutations on the structure and functions of alpha-crystallin”, Biochim Biophys Acta, 1860, 199-210 (2016).
16Ashis Biswas, Srabani Karmakar, Aritra Chowdhury and K. P. Das - “Interaction of α-crystallin with some small molecules and its effect on its structure function”, Biochim Biophys Acta, 1860, 211-21 (2016).
17Sayed Muktar Hossain, Avinash Lakma, Rabindra Nath Pradhan, Ayon Chakraborty, Ashis Biswas and Akhilesh Kumar Singh - “Synthesis and characterization of a novel, ditopic, reversible and highly selective, “turn-on” fluorescent chemosensor for Al3+ ion”, RSC Adv, 5, 63338-63344 (2015).
18Subhashree P. Dash, Alok Kumar Panda, Sagarika Pasayat, Rupam Dinda, Ashis Biswas, Edward R. T. Tiekink, Subhadip Mukhopadhyay, Sujit K. Bhutia, Werner Kaminsky and Ekkehard Sinn - “Oxidovanadium(V) complexes of aroylhydrazones incorporating heterocycles: Synthesis, characterization and study of DNA binding, photo-induced DNA cleavage and cytotoxic activities”, RSC Advances, 5, 51852 – 51867 (2015).
19Sandip Kumar Nandi, Alok Kumar Panda, Ayon Chakraborty, Sougata Sinha Ray and Ashis Biswas - “Role of Subunit Exchange and Electrostatic Interactions on the Chaperone Activity of Mycobacterium leprae HSP18”, PLoS One, 10(6), e0129734 (2015).
20Sandip Kumar Nandi, Ayon Chakraborty, Alok Kumar Panda, Sougata Sinha Ray, Rajiv Kumar Kar, Anirban Bhunia and Ashis Biswas - “Interaction of ATP with a small heat shock protein from Mycobacterium leprae: effect on its structure and function”, PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 9(3), e0003661 (2015).
21Saswati, Ayon Chakraborty, Subhashree P. Dash, Alok Kumar Panda, Rama Acharyya, Ashis Biswas, Subhadip Mukhopadhyay, Sujit K Bhutia, Aurelien Crochet, Yogesh P. Patil, Munirathinam Nethaji and Rupam Dinda - “Synthesis, X-ray structure and in vitro cytotoxicity studies of Cu(I/II) complexes of thiosemicarbazone: special emphasis on their interactions with DNA”, Dalton Trans, 44(13), 6140-6157 (2015).
22Subhashree P. Dash, Alok Kumar Panda, Sagarika Pasayat, Sudarshana Majumder, Ashis Biswas, Werner Kaminsky, Subhadip Mukhopadhyay, Sujit K. Bhutia and Rupam Dinda -  “Evaluation of the cell cytotoxicity and DNA/BSA binding and cleavage activity of some dioxidovanadium(V) complexes containing aroylhydrazones”, J Inorg Biochem, 144, 1-12 (2015).
23Michael A. DiMauro, , Sandip Kumar Nandi, Cibin T. Raghavan, Rajiv Kumar Kar, Benlian Wang, Anirban Bhunia, Ram H. Nagaraj and Ashis Biswas - “Acetylation of Gly1 and Lys2 promotes aggregation of human gammaD-crystallin”, Biochemistry ,53(46), 7269-7282 (2014).
24Subhashree. P. Dash, Alok Kumar Panda, Sagarika Pasayat, Rupam Dinda, Ashis Biswas, E. R. Tiekink, Yogesh P. Patil, M. Nethaji, Werner Kaminsky, Subhadip Mukhopadhyay and Sujit K. Bhutia - “Syntheses and structural investigation of some alkali metal ion-mediated LV(V)O2(-) (L(2-) = tridentate ONO ligands) species: DNA binding, photo-induced DNA cleavage and cytotoxic activities”, Dalton Trans, 43(26), 10139-10156 (2014).
25Sandip Kumar Nandi, Elengikal A. A. Rehna, Alok Kumar Panda, Sugathan Shiburaj, Kuppamuthu Dharmalingam and Ashis Biswas – “A S52P mutation in the 'α-crystallin domain' of Mycobacterium leprae HSP18 reduces its oligomeric size and chaperone function”, FEBS J, 280(23), 5994-6009(2013).
26Rooban B. Nahomi, Rong Huang, Sandip Kumar Nandi, Benlian Wang, Smitha Padmanabha, Puttur Santhoshkumar, Slawomir Filipek, Ashis Biswas and Ram H. Nagaraj – “Acetylation of lysine 92 improves the chaperone and anti-apoptotic activities of human alphaB-crystallin”, Biochemistry, 52(45), 8126-38 (2013).
27Ram H. Nagaraj, Alok Kumar Panda, Shilpa Shanthakumar, Puttur Santhoshkumar, NagaRekha Pasupuleti, Benlian Wang and Ashis Biswas - “Hydroimidazolone modification of the conserved Arg12 in small heat shock proteins: studies on the structure and chaperone function using mutant mimics”, PLoS One, 7, e30257 (2012).
28Ram H. Nagaraj, Rooban B. Nahomi, Shilpa Shanthakumar, Mikhail Linetsky, Smitha Padmanabha, Nagarekha Pasupuleti, Benlian Wang, Puttur Santhoshkumar, Alok Kumar Panda and Ashis Biswas - “Acetylation of alphaA-crystallin in the human lens: effects on structure and chaperone function”, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1822, 120-129 (2012).
29Zhi-Qiang Wang, Jesús Tejero, Chin-Chuan Wei, Mohammad Mahfuzul Haque, Jerome Santolini, Mohammed Fadlalla, Ashis Biswas and Dennis J. Stuehr -  “Arg375 tunes tetrahydrobiopterin functions and modulates catalysis by inducible nitric oxide synthase”, J Inorg. Biochem., 108, 203-215 (2012).
30Ashis Biswas, Srabani Karmakar, Victor Banerjee, Sudipa Saha, Madhuchhanda Kundu, Jaya Bhattacharyya, Dipak Chandra Konar and K. P. Das-  “Biophysical studies on the molecular chaperone function, structure and interaction of eye lens protein a-crystallin – A Review”, J Indian Chem. Soc., 88, 1827-1855 (2011).
31Jesús Tejero, Ashis Biswas, Mohammad Mahfuzul Haque, Zhi‑Qiang Wang, Craig Hemann, Cornelius L. Varnado, Zachary Novince, Russ Hille, Douglas C. Goodwin and Dennis J. Stuehr-  “Mesohaem substitution reveals how haem electronic properties can influence the kinetic and catalytic parameters of neuronal NO synthase”, Biochem. J., 433, 163 - 174 (2011).
32Syed Mohsin Waheed, Arnab Ghosh, Ritu Chakravarti, Ashis Biswas, Mohammad Mahfuzul Haque, Koustubh Panda and Dennis J. Stuehr-  “Nitric oxide blocks cellular heme insertion into a broad range of heme proteins”, Free Radic. Biol. Med., 48, 1548 – 1558 (2010).
33Monolekha Bhattacharya. Ashis Biswas and Amit Kumar Das -  “Interaction analysis of TcrX/Y two component system from Mycobacterium tuberculosis”, Biochemie, 92, 263 – 272 (2010).
34Jesús Tejero, Ashis Biswas, Zhi-Qiang Wang, Richard C. Page, Mohammad Mahfuzul Haque, Craig Hemann, Jay L. Zweier, Saurav Misra and Dennis J. Stuehr -  “Stabilization and Characterization of a Heme-Oxy Reaction Intermediate in Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase”, J Biol. Chem., 283, 33498 - 33507 (2008).
 

Academic Honors & Awards

  • National Scholarship (1991): For holding 101st position in Secondary Examination
  • National Scholarship (1993): For holding 81st position in Higher Secondary
  • American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (2008-2010): Principal Investigator, $88,000 for two years
 

Research Scholar

03 (Degree awarded), 03 (Continuing).
 

Various social contribution to combat COVID-19

 1. Prepared alcohol based hand sanitizer, prescribed by World Health Organization (WHO), for distribution in campus community to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (SARS CoV-2)

https://iitsystem.ac.in/?q=covid19/publicview&ctnm=Sanitization

https://www.iitbbs.ac.in/iit-bhubaneswar-prepares-alcohol-based-hand-sanitizer.php

Times of India: https://www.iitbbs.ac.in/documents/IIT%20BBS%20working%20on%20anti-viral%20face%20shield-The%20Times%20of%20India-21st%20April%202020c.pdf

2. Prepared disinfectant comprising of isopropyl alcohol and oxidizing agent for the “Disinfectant station” and “Disinfectant Tunnel” for sanitization during this recent outbreak of COVID-19.

https://iitsystem.ac.in/?q=covid19/publicview&ctnm=Sanitization

https://www.iitbbs.ac.in/development-of-a-disinfectant-tunnel-by-iit-bhubaneswar.php

3. Development of a face shield with antimicrobial properties by researchers at IIT Bhubaneswar

https://www.iitbbs.ac.in/development-of-a-face-shield-with-antimicrobial-properties-by-researchers-at-iit-bhubaneswar.php

Times of India: https://www.iitbbs.ac.in/documents/IIT%20BBS%20working%20on%20anti-viral%20face%20shield-The%20Times%20of%20India-21st%20April%202020c.pdf

List of publications (2001-2008)

1.      Ashis Biswas, Shawn Lewis, Benlian Wang, Masaru Miyagi, Puttur Santoshkumar, Mahesha Honsigere and Ram H. Nagaraj. - “Chemical modulation of the chaperone function of human αA-crystallin”, J. Biochem., 144, 21-32 (2008).

 

2.      R.H. Nagaraj, A. Biswas, A. Miller. T. Oya-Ito - “The other side of the Maillard Reaction”, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 1126, 107-112 (2008).

 

3.      Ashis Biswas and Kali P. Das - “Zn+2 enhances the molecular chaperone function and stability of α-crystallin”, Biochemistry, 47, 804-816 (2008).

 

4.      Ashis Biswas, Benlian Wang, Masaru Miyagi and Ram H. Nagaraj - “Effect of methylglyoxal modification on stress-induced aggregation of client proteins and their chaperoning by human alphaA-crystallin”, Biochem. J., 409, 771-777 (2008).

 

5.      Shivaprakash Puttaiah*, Ashis Biswas*, Magdalena Staniszewska and Ram H. Nagaraj - “Methylglyoxal inhibits glycation-mediated loss in chaperone function of α-crystallin and synthesis of pentosidine in the lens”, Experimental Eye Research, 84, 914-921 (2007). * The first two authors contribute equally.

 

6.      Ashis Biswas and K. P. Das - “Differential recognition of natural and non-natural substrate by molecular chaperone α-crystallin – A subunit exchange study”, Biopolymers, 85, 189-197 (2007).

 

7.      A. Biswas and K. P. Das - “α-Crystallin assisted refolding of enzyme substrates: optimization of external parameters”, Protein J., 26, 247-255 (2007).

 

8.      Ashis Biswas, Jeffery Goshe, Antonia Miller, Puttur Santhoshkumar, Carol Luckey, Manjunatha B. Bhat and Ram H. Nagaraj - “Paradoxical effects of substitution and deletion mutations of arg56 on the structure and chaperone function of human αB-crystallin”, Biochemistry 46, 1117-1127 (2007).

 

9.      Ashis Biswas, Antonia Miller, Tomoko Oya-Ito, Puttur Santhoshkumar, Manjunatha Bhat and Ram H. Nagaraj - “Effect of site-directed mutagenesis of methylglyoxal modifiable arginine residues on the structure and chaperone function of human αA-crystallin”, Biochemistry, 45, 4569-4577 (2006).

 

10.  C. Bhattacharjee, S. Saha, A. Biswas, M. Kundu, L. Ghosh and K. P. Das - “Structural changes of β-lactoglobulin during thermal unfolding and refolding – An FT-IR and circular dichroism study”, Protein J., 24, 27-35 (2005).

 

11.  Ashis Biswas and Kali P. Das - “SDS induced structural changes in α-crystallin and it’s effect on refolding”, Protein J., 23, 529 - 538 (2004).

 

12.  Ashis Biswas and Kali P. Das - “Role of ATP on the interaction of α-crystallin with its substrates and its implications for the molecular chaperone function”, J Biol. Chem., 279, 42648 - 42657 (2004).

 

13.  Ashis Biswas, Sudipa Saha and Kali P. Das - “Structural features of molecular chaperones: A possible micellar connection”, J Surface Sci. Technol., 18, 1 - 24 (2002).

 

14.  Ashis Biswas and Joykrishna Dey - “Ground and excited state ionization behavior of 9-aminocamptothecin: An absorption and fluorescence study”, Indian J. Chem., 40A, 1143 – 48 (2001).

 

 

Projects

  • Evaluation of natural polyphenols and nucleoside analogues compounds as novel corona virus (SARS CoV-2) main protease (Mpro/ 3CLpro) inhibitors – An in silico docking and molecular dynamics simulation study
    Ongoing Sponsoring Agency - IIT Delhi, HPC.
  • Investigation of the therapeutic compound repurposing for COVID19
    Ongoing Sponsoring Agency - IIT Delhi, HPC
  • Impact of lysine acetylation in Hsp16.3 on its structure, chaperone function and the growth, survival as well as pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
    Ongoing Sponsoring Agency - SERB DST (CRG),, Government of India.
  • Role of C-terminal Region of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Hsp16.3 for its Structure, Stability and Chaperon Function-A Biophysical and Site Directed Truncation Study
    Sponsored Agency - CSIR, Government of India.
  • Catalytic activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase – a probe into the molecular basis of its electron transfer limitation - 2010 – 2013
    Sponsored Agency - Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India.
  • Structural basis enhancement of chaperone function of alpha-crystallin - 2010 – 2012
    Sponsored Agency – IIT Bhubaneswar, India.

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