Manasa
Upadhyaya
I hail from Bangalore, and I have completed my initial education in Bangalore. I completed my undergraduation with a BTech Degree majoring in Biotechnology. I hold a minor BTech degree in Computer Science. I am a classical vocalist, I learn and teach carnatic music !
Research Interests
I am currently a part of the Torres Laboratory, and I am working on protein motifs. To summarize my research experience: I have worked in the structural biology laboratory at Poorna Prajna Institute of Scientific Research. I was chiefly involved in the cloning, isolation, extraction, and purification of proteins like the main protease (M Pro) of the SARS CoV2 virus, TEV protease and Reverse transcriptase of the HIV virus. I also had the opportunity to use softwares like Coot and PyMOL to visualise protein structures. Further, my final year undergraduate thesis was an in-silico study of devising possible novel antidepressants to regulate suicidal ideation. The project involved virtual screening, molecular docking, and visualisation of receptor molecules and the docked poses with their ligands. My previous internships included brief projects in cancer biology and immunology. These experiences strengthened my lab and in-silico skills kindled my interests in the field of structural biology, bioinformatics, membrane systems and disease biology.