19 December 2022 – Over the next decade, new EMBO Global Investigator Baskar Bakthavachalu plans to put as much energy as possible into understanding the cellular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. Bakthavachalu is particularly interested in ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules, large assemblies of RNA and protein found in many cell types. “RNP granules carry out important functions in the cell, and yet they are also associated with the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),” he explains. “Why, and how, do proteins that are so important for cellular function, switch to take on a role in degeneration, causing the cell to die? We are interested in understanding this shift.”
During his PhD and postdoctoral studies, Bakthavachalu studied RNA regulation in cell cultures. He became fascinated by the role RNA regulation in neurons has on brain function. Returning to his home country of India following postdoctoral training in the US, he decided he wanted to study cellular neural processes using in vivo models. He and his team at the Indian Institute of Technology IIT in Mandi, now use fly models to study RNP granules in neurons, and the role they play in disease like ALS. On being selected to join the EMBO Global Investigator Network, Bakthavachalu says he is looking forward to new networking opportunities. “This award is a great recognition of our work,” he says. “Being part of the EMBO Global Investigator Network opens up many new doors, especially for my students, who will have the chance to engage with scientists from across the world.”
