Jayandharan Giridhara Rao

PhD (Christian Medical College, Vellore)

Email: jayrao[AT]iitk.ac.in

Office Phone: 0512-259-4086

Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences & Bioengineering (BSBE)

Specialization

Gene therapy, Human molecular genetics

Research Interest

The most important component of gene therapy in humans is the choice of an efficient and safe gene delivery system, otherwise known as vectors. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) based vectors have emerged as important tools for this purpose. However limitations, most notably, the immunological barriers related to the recipient and the virus coat protein preclude the universal application of this promising vector system.
Unraveling how host cells perceive the viral intrusion and their immediate and long-lived response to this infection process is thus crucial. Our laboratory's research interests traverse and investigate aspects of the virus-host life cycle, dissect the tug-of-war initiated between these players to establish primacy and dwell on how it is possible to alter this milieu in favor of the virus. The information thus gathered is then used to bioengineer the vectors and develop improved gene delivery strategies. Such a multi-pronged basic biology approach to develop efficient vectors and their subsequent validation in pre-clinical models augurs well for their translation to human gene therapy.

Education

Post-doctoral Fellow- 2007-2009, Powell Gene Therapy Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
PhD [Biomedical sciences/ Molecular Biology]-2008, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.

Website(s)

Homepage

CV

+ - Teaching Area Click to collapse

Cellular & Molecular Biology
Biochemistry and Biochemical Engineering

+ - Selected Publications Click to collapse

Publications in 2016

Balakrishnan B, Jayandharan GR*. Intra-cellular trafficking of AAV5 vectors. Hum Gene Ther Methods 2016; 27: 47-8.
Hareendran S, Ramakrishna B, Jayandharan GR*. Synergistic inhibition of PARP-1 and NF-kB signaling down-regulates immune response against recombinant AAV2 vectors during hepatic gene therapy. Eur J Immunol 2016, 46:154-66.
Selot R, Marepally S, Vemula PK, Jayandharan GR*. Nanoparticle coated viral vectors for gene therapy. Curr Biotech, 2016, 5: 44 – 53.
Arumugam S. Jayandharan GR*. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-2 Genome in Arthrobacter sp. LS16? J Genet Syn Gene Ther 2016, 7:2.
Sen D, Jayandharan GR*. microRNA-15b modulates molecular mediators of blood induced arthropathy in hemophilia mice. Int J Mol Biosci 2016, 17: 492. doi:10.3390/ijms17040492.

+ - Professional Experience Click to collapse

Oct 2014- till present Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, IIT-Kanpur

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Awards

2015 B.M. Birla Science Prize in Biology for the year 2014
2014 Young scientist award, YIM-MIT Boston, USA
2014-17 Senior Innovative Young Biotechnologist award, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India
2011-16 Swarnajayanti Fellowship, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
2011 Innovative Young Biotechnologist award, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India
2011 Eberhard Mammen Young Investigator award, Thieme Publishers
2010 Bayer Hemophilia Early Career Investigator Award, Bayer Inc, USA

+ - Contact Information Click to collapse

Office

Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering
Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur 208 016 (U.P)

Office Phone: 0512-259-4086
Fax Phone: 0512-259-4010

Email: jayrao[AT]iitk.ac.in

+ - Keywords Click to collapse

Gene Therapy, Molecular Genetics