Author: Academia Plus

A platform for STEM students who want to grow beyond Academia.
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 8

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Dr. Dipanjana Datta who is an illustrious pioneering genetic counselor in India- a Consultant Genetic Counselor at Apollo Hospitals and a faculty at Calcutta University for Clinical Genetics. She is the State Co-coordinator (West Bengal) for the Organization of  Rare Diseases, India. She carries with her 14 years of experience in Human Genetics and has an imminent interest of pursuing research in the same field.

In this candid chat, she takes us through her journey and explains in depth what a career in genetic counselling looks like.

During the years 2012-2014, when you were doing your Post Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) in the Virginia Commonwealth University  (VCU) Health System, India was expanding its Genetics landscape simultaneously. What introduced you to, and encouraged you to enter this sphere of Genetic Counseling specifically?

Out of the two PDFs (that I have), my first one was at Oregon State Health University (OSHU) where I was working on neuromotor junctions and muscle development. My mentor there headed a clinic on neuromuscular diseases and the project was sponsored by a group called Shriner’s which is a Jewish community program. As part of the PDF, I had to gather patient information and history. He thought I was good with communication and with my knowledge of genetics, I would do well as a Genetic Counselor. Consequently, he asked me to enroll in the program. I shadowed various people at the clinical genetics department there and entered the course for the same. Post this I joined VCU, where I was working on brain development and transcriptomics, and completed my internship at the children’s hospital.

Currently, you work at various organizations as a Genetic Counselor. How do you manage this in terms of work and clients?

I follow a very rigid timetable, where my work hours are predetermined and allotted accordingly, around the week and month.

What are the innate and acquired skills required to become a Genetic Counselor and practice as one?  

Innate skills – Good communication skills, including being a good listener, being passionate (about your topic), having patience, empathy and a non-judgemental attitude. Possessing the art of science communication to deliver complex information to patients is an added asset. 

Acquired skills – the knowledge of genetics itself, continuous education and upskilling in the subject, getting acquainted with the cultures and laws of different places and developing counseling skills. Experience plays a huge role in shaping the thought process of counseling. Hence, the more experience you have, the more clarity and control you have (regarding your role as a genetic counselor). Staying up to date on clinical trials and maintaining a network of doctors are also some other skills that a genetic counselor would need to inculcate or acquire over time. 

Talking of research, is there a scope for it in the field of genetic counseling and how would it impact the genetic counselors, clinicians, and consumers (aka the patients)? (Research in terms of new genetic findings, population genetics, statistical data validation, etc). 

There is immense scope for research in various aspects. Epidemiological studies on disease incidence, mutation profiling about diseases, developing the Indian disease databases, natural history, psycho-socio-religious aspects of common genetic diseases, impact, and response to counseling for families are a few facets to look at. This can help in developing better screening tools and having India-specific disease incidence statistics. Hence, developing distinctive policies for the screening and management of genetic diseases at affordable prices is the need of the hour. 

Early detection and management would improve the quality of life for families. For a genetic counselor, proper guidelines can be outlined to counsel families from different communities based on epidemiology, aiding in predicting and discussing the prognosis and the natural history, genotype-phenotype correlations, and improve the reporting of the Indian variants which are majorly VOUS (Variant of Unknown Significance – wherein the variant of a gene that is manifesting the disorder is genetically unclear). 

A major revolution would be the reduced cost of tests and the decrease of unwanted tests. Research would also pave the way to investigating which diseases need more attention and drug development. Government can prioritize research in such diseases for refurbished drugs, clinical trials, and most of all, proper policy development and building support.

What research is currently underway in the field of genetic counseling, in India and/or globally?

Globally, a lot of research is going on in the aspects discussed above. Many patient support groups are driving incredible research and even encouraging the government to expedite trials. Support centers for management, hospice, and adult patient care are also being established. Artificial Intelligence is also coming up in a big way to support such research. 

In India, things are in the nascent stage. The CRISPR technology Feluda test from India was invented as an equivalent to the American SHERLOCK technique and was used in the detection of Covid. But we are still a long way from developing indigenous tools. Recently, due to the rare disease policy, a number of research grant initiatives by the government (DBT/DST/ICMR) for orphan diseases and drugs have been announced, which has boosted scientists to submit proposals on off-label refurbished drugs. However, everything is not organized and there is discordance between the treating doctor and the scientist. In India, most genetic counselors are unaware of their role in research as they are practicing for genomic companies where research is not the priority, and they are often not allowed to access large-scale data

How do we initiate awareness about genetic counseling as a career choice amidst the student fraternity at the high school and undergraduate levels?

Initiating awareness comes easily if they have the subject in their curriculum. For instance, I teach clinical genetics to students of zoology, physiology, and biotechnology. This is approximately 20 marks out of their entire syllabus at Calcutta University where I take 12 classes in one semester. This itself creates awareness and generates interest in most. I feel visiting schools and colleges and sharing experiences can promote interest but role models are needed, who can inspire and ignite young minds. However, it is also my opinion that unless we have a pan-India body that can have genetic counselors’ employee rights and registration, this will not go a long way. The Board of Genetic Counseling, India (BGCI) certification is not valid all over the world, and hence, genetic counselors trained in India, would not get any global opportunity. Thus, efforts need to be taken to promote acceptance of genetic counseling, and then awareness would follow automatically. 

What are your roles and responsibilities as the state coordinator of West Bengal for the Organisation of Rare Diseases? How does advocating for rare disease awareness/rare disease screening aid those who might require genetic testing and/or counseling? 

As a coordinator, my role is to generate awareness by holding camps and CME (Continuing Medical Education) among doctors, RTM (remote therapeutic monitoring) with patients and families, collaborating for referrals, understanding and helping them find those referrals, and developing a network of super-specialty doctors who would be able to support the patients and their families. Another segment of responsibilities is to generate CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds, or have beneficiaries who can help poor patients, write and communicate on social media platforms, and also reach out to schools, teachers, and offices for support. Help is also offered in getting the disability certificate, and co-ordinating care in rural areas where all facilities might not be available. Along with this, I also aid in seeking trauma management and support when needed, voicing the needs of families to the state health and finance authorities, helping in crowdfunding, and of course, genetic counseling. Language is a barrier I can cross as I know most languages of this region and hence, it’s easier for me, to communicate with patients and to understand their issues. 
Khyati Arora Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 7

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Dr. Anil Kumar Challa who is an Adjunct Professor in the department of biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Apart from this, he is also a senior scientist at Shiv Nadar University Delhi NCR.

In this candid chat he takes us through his professional journey and talks about what keeps him motivated enough to continue pursuing a Career in Academia. 

What motivated you to take science?

So, there are two answers here. One is as fundamental as being human-I think there’s this urge to find out (more about) things. 

I guess it might sound philosophical, but I think every kid is a scientist. Every infant is so curious about the world and if it is not inhibited then I believe that everybody has the potential to become a scientist in some way or the other.

But for me in terms of a career path in science sometime around sixth grade I gravitated more towards medicine/biology. Those days, it was a social thing- you either became an engineer or a doctor. And by eighth grade, I subscribed to MBBS tutorials, but did not read a single page of it. As a kid, I wasn’t studious, nor did I read textbooks or complete my homework properly. But then, I definitely enjoyed it in middle school, when we had to study different flowers. As a kid, I grew up with a backyard full of flowering plants and fruit trees. I really enjoyed my time with the plants. It was not something very special, or something that was leading me to ‘science’ per say, but I started observing and studying a lot of things by myself. Once, in a class activity, I actually took a razor blade to cut a flower  in a  longitudinal section, drew it, and  coloured it. The reason I’m mentioning this particular incident is because the activity is extremely vivid in my memory even now- so, I started enjoying the process of going through details of things. 

And then, over the years, I got really fascinated by human anatomy and forensic sciences. In the ninth grade, one of my classmates introduced me to science reporter, and I just loved those articles- the way they were written, and I was really fascinated about ballistics and all kinds of chemistry. By the time I was in 11th and 12th grade, I gave a lot of pre-medical entrances, but eventually I realized that medicine is not for me. However, I was already bitten by a general fascination towards everything ‘science’.

Once I got into my undergrad, it was very clear in my head that this is a path I wanted to follow. My learning then was not limited to life sciences as I learnt a lot about engineering and coding through two of my very good friends from the hostel. The Banaras Hindu University campus also really helped me- that it was a very generous institution in a sense that they did not restrict an undergrad’s participation in any seminar or lectures. And because of this, I got immense clarity in my second year BSc that this is the direction that I want to pursue my career in.

You pursued a BSc in agriculture and then shifted your career to molecular biology and genetics., What inspired this transition, and was it difficult?

While in my first year of under graduation, MSc biotechnology was newly introduced, and students had a craze for it. They introduced various subjects in that course. For example, biochemistry was a separate subject/paper. My seniors, who were good friends, were preparing for the MSc Biotechnology entrance exam conducted by JNU. They were reading Principles of Biochemistry by Lehninger, which seemed interesting while I conversed with them about genetics and biochemistry. Also, one of my professors who had gone to the UK to attend the Human Genome Conference returned with lots of literature which he gave my seniors. That got me fascinated, and a couple more of such incidents caught my interest in biochemistry and molecular biology. I realized that despite being an agriculture graduate I can still pursue my research career in molecular biology. This realization dawned on me when I noticed that the authors of those publications were from diverse fields and departments. So while applying for PhD programmes in the US, I kept my options open for various programs. Particularly how I got into molecular genetics at Ohio State University for PhD might seem very silly. Those were pre internet days. We had to write to the university to procure the application form, which was difficult considering we did not know their addresses. Coincidentally when I visited my friend in IIT Madras he offered me an extra form from the Ohio State University, enquiring if I was interested to apply. I had not planned to apply there but checked out their various departments, found molecular genetics very interesting and applied for my PhD, though it was not a serious attempt. And if not for Ohio university, the story would have remained the same because I was not even sure about my research problem. It was simply my fascination for molecular biology. 

I had executed a summer internship at AIIMS in the department of biophysics for two and a half months. Summer internships in those days were not common, though today, quite unfortunately, everyone has to do it. Dr. TP Singh was very encouraging. He did not question me as to why an undergrad should work in a lab, rather he permitted me to join his lab. That environment added immense value to my learnings/understanding about research. Discussions with PhD students were extremely insightful and since I was accommodated in a research scholar’s room I could learn a lot from their conversations.

So that pretty much sums up how I landed at the Department of molecular genetics. Though it was by chance, this was bound to happen since I knew I would pursue my career in this field. I just wanted to understand how life works -the molecular basis of life. 

Which books piqued your interest in science?

I was actually scared of reading books. I am saying this out loud for such kids who are like me. Until 10th I read perhaps only one book outside my syllabus. My physics teacher in Class 12 was a very interesting character, a voracious reader. We were blessed to have a teacher like him, though at that time I disliked him as a teacher as he was very old school and strict. Also, at that time, I wanted my teacher to tell me how to crack exams, and nothing else. However, would say that there is no IIT physics or IIT chemistry, there is only physics and chemistry. He would carry a book to class which he never shared with any of us.

Nevertheless, he created an intense curiosity in us to know what the book was all about. One day he came to class and said “If you are a biology student and you haven’t read this, you are not a biology student “. He was talking about In Search of the Double Helix by John Gribbin. I bought it from an old second hand book shop and that book was a page turner! I was hooked on it. Another book that made me veer towards life sciences was The Double Helix by James Watson. It was quite an expensive book but my parents bought it for me, no questions asked. I recommend these gems to all undergrads. No doubt they are controversial, involving plenty of gossip, but rest assured- you simply won’t be able to put them down, once you start reading them.

Did you ever feel like giving up on academia, and if yes then what motivated you to continue?

In my undergrad I read Lehninger’s Biochemistry cover by cover and while doing that in the reference section there were all these scientific American articles that made me realize that PhD or research in general is not a straightforward path. Culturally it has been inculcated in my mind that every journey has its challenges, but that does not mean that one should not proceed with it. Now, I remember only good things about my PhD but there are definitely one or two times that I thought “That’s it, I want to quit!” . But since I was in the US and not India, quitting meant that if it would have taken me 2-3 weeks to pack everything up and come back- and within that buffer period, something interesting always happened in the lab which made me realize that it was worth continuing and that’s how I  completed my PhD. 

There are three types of truths- “, known known”, “known unknown” and “unknown unknown”. The reason for the frustration is “unknown unknown”, with which even your guide cannot help you, and that is frustrating but you have to deal with it on your own. Understanding that- if an experiment does not work, then it’s not always the protocol that goes wrong, sometimes it’s our own mistakes too and,changing even a small component can make a huge difference- as a student we are always impatient and believe that everything should work the way it has been prescribed to us,but that is ’ not always the case. There are times when things don’t work out, and one needs to figure out why. 

After PhD, I thought about quitting research a couple of times. After my post-doctoral tenure, I could not continue with research-  but by then, I was also pursuing a career in science education and that kept me going on. Teaching is what I love doing and is now the reason I continue to remain in science.

What changes do you think are required in the current scenario of the Indian education system?

In any graduate program, not much thought is given to mentoring students. Everybody focuses on what study material should be shared. The focus is on the content and the assessment. The goal should not be in turning all students into scientists. Rather, they should be allowed to choose,while we can definitely contribute to making the journey interesting and engaging. Students should not believe it is wrong to change one’s career path or field of education. In case you are a biotechnology graduate and you see no reason nor interest in hanging onto that path, you should change your domain, confidently. It is your growth and you have to choose what is best for you. Only you  can mold yourself into the best version of you. 

The system should be more student oriented. This confidence should be instilled in students if this course is not working out for you something else will, because we all are trying for the sustenance of our society when seen as a larger picture.
Mustafa Inamdar Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 6

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Ravi Teja Mandapaka who is a researcher in literature and life sciences. He is also an avid hockey fan and has worked as a freelance sports columnist, covering all aspects about the sport. In a candid chat Ravi talked about how his varied interests in life played a crucial role in contributing towards his career journey, and what keeps him motivated to get up and go to work every single day.

You pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and then shifted to a Masters degree in Food and Nutritional Sciences, what was your motivation behind this and how was the transition?

Firstly, thank you for your time and consideration of my profile.

I must admit here, a PhD in literary criticism, literary analysis, and literary translations remains my first love.

I’ve read many books during my graduation in the pursuit of understanding science in a way, and, to the extent, it should be understood. On many a time, I’ve related learning to my passion and respect for agriculture. ‘Food’ to me is an emotion and I consider myself blessed to eat three meals a day. Personal trauma took me closer to valuing food and diet more than ever and taught me the importance of respecting the available resources.

Long story short, I envisage myself researching more on food security, food safety, and food waste management, ahead. Trust me, there’s a no bigger blessing in life than going to bed, with a full stomach.

I also see you are an avid hockey fan and have written a lot about it in newspaper columns, has this practice of non- academic writing helped you in scientific writing or is it vice versa?

“Field Hockey – A facet of life so undeniably appreciated in our society. I would wish it to be one of the last things I think before I die.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

A failed sportsperson can talk about the game more passionately than anyone, they say. True? You might never know if I can pause time and space in this picturesque vacuum of our universe to tell tales in hockey and make an attempt in living their lives once again, but one is true. Today, tomorrow and forever, I take pride in the national game of my country India, and I look forward to celebrating many future victories.

I see myself as a ‘research writer’ and if that’s true, I should be able to write on any topic on any given day, right? As simple as that.

You have varied experiences up your sleeves such as a SRF (Senior Research fellow), content, medical and sports writer, as well as a lecturer. How has your skill set expanded during each of these experiences?

Every new day in life provides you with an opportunity to learn and grow – personally, emotionally and professionally. I am not a robot and I admit I’ve made some gruesome mistakes in life. I practice learning and, evolving myself from my worst and I embrace my experiences the same way I embrace this uncertainty called, life.

You are also member of a lot of organizations like Royal Society of Literature, Nutrition Society of India. How has being a part of such organizations enhanced your personal and professional growth?

They provide me with appreciable networking opportunities, access to online resources, allow me to present my research in conferences as posters and talks and on the whole, provide me with a good platform for continuous learning and education.

Have you ever faced imposter syndrome while working in different roles of a researcher, lecturer, and content writer? Did you face any issues while adjusting to each role or was the transition smooth?

Honestly, no. My goal in life is to become a professor. And, I constantly work on my writing and language skills, to become an editor.

In your formative years, who has been your role model? Any piece of advice you can give to the students who want to pursue their career in life sciences.

Sir William Shakespeare and Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Literature), Javagal Srinath (Cricket), Dhanraj Pillay (Field Hockey), Michael Phelps (Swimming), Prof. Dr. M. S. Swaminathan (Science) were my role models while growing up. I have learnt a lot from them.

To all those who would like to pursue a career in life sciences, I would say that- academia and research are not for everyone – it’s a mental health battle like never before. But then again, isn’t life, in one way or another, the same? So, put your heart and soul into everything you do. Trust your instincts. Be honest, sincere, and humble today; have no regrets tomorrow.
Aaqifa Shaikh Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 5

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Gayatri Ramachandran who is pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry at the School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad. She has had a decade of experience spanning research, industry and teaching, primarily in Genetics. This apart, she is also an academic mentor who is enthusiastic about career guidance in Life Sciences.

In a candid chat Gayatri talked about how she applies her scientific learnings in her daily life and why she is passionate about teaching and mentoring.

As you have pursued your B.Sc and M.Sc in Genetics, could you please tell us about your interest in Genetics and how did you decide to pursue it?

It all started back in my 12th standard, when I came across a chapter on Genetics. I would like to call it “me-search” here, as Genetics has helped me understand what I am and how I can utilise the knowledge of behavioural and psychological traits belonging to my pedigree, to enhance my personality and make me a better human being. Genetics helps me apply that knowledge to my daily life and to my immediate family. Science has always been a part of my daily life. I love to apply what I learnt. It’s not for the sake of building a career that I do anything. Genetics, I felt, will help a lot because life starts at the DNA level. It helps me tweak acquired traits to lead a better life.

How is/was your experience in being an academic mentor?

I never knew that I would be a good mentor, I did not have any mentor back then when I was a student. During my UG and PG, the concept of mentoring was very primitive and not many people were into it. I missed out on that part, so I felt my students should not miss out on it and I should pass on my learnings to them. When I joined as a lecturer, it helped me understand my innate strength in mentoring. Students connect with me and they reach out to me when they need help with their career, and, while facing mental health issues, imposter syndrome etc. After speaking to me they feel better and that is how I started my journey as a mentor. I did not take up any formal courses in mentorship. It is my innate strength that came out during teaching. The mentorship experience is very rewarding and I plan to continue it for the rest of my life. I’ve realised it comes naturally to me, thanks to my genes. 

What is your work as a Researcher.Life ambassador?

It’s more than work, it’s an experience- it revolves around connecting to other researchers, learning mutually, growing and supporting each other. Researcher.Life is a good platform where one can ask questions pertaining to research or anything in Academia. I got into the ambassador program only a few months ago. It was through one of their services-R Voice, that I got into this. R Voice is an amazing community platform which provides emotional and academic support, including mental health support to researchers, worldwide. Editage Insights, under which Researcher.Life comes,  covers all the broad areas of Academia, including: how to write a publication, how to read a review, how to go through research literature, how to understand the peer-review process, etc. Additionally, it supports my practice as a mental health advocate. Mental health is a taboo topic and nobody really talks about it but R Voice is like a family where all of this is discussed, quite comfortably.

What has been your go-to motto in life when things don’t work out?

I have go-to people, who are my mentors including my current PhD supervisor to whom I go for advice on my research front. In addition to that, I would seek my father’s advice on the professional front as well, primarily because he is the reason why I had been motivated into science. His motto, “Science in daily life”, is also my motto.

What was your ‘cloud-9’ moment in life sciences?

For me, every day is a ‘cloud-9’ moment as every day is an opportunity to learn something new. I wake up with the motivation that I am going to utilize the day to progress in something- be it on the professional or personal side. When I go to bed I feel happy that I have achieved something and that it was a day well spent. If nothing (substantial) has happened on a particular day, it is still a neutral day. I believe it is better we do not have cloud 9 moments (moments of hyper-excitement) often as we tend to lose track of what our actual goals are. Psychologically that is how it works. Hence, I strive to maintain balanced emotions, always in life.

Do you have an anecdote to tell us about your student or professional life?

My education plus career started and has remained in Hyderabad. I see many students are under peer-pressure to get out and explore. But I never felt the pressure as I believed in following those paths that made me happy. I would say-”Do what makes you happy and there is never a definite, tailored path to one’s happiness”.

If you ever put yourself in a stand that you might regret later, then that is not going to help. When I was an early career researcher, I had to deal with mental health issues because of a toxic lab environment and supervisor. I finally decided to leave that position, owing to the toxic work culture/environment. This decision wasn’t easy and it took me a good 6 months to arrive at that conclusion. I weighed all the pros and cons, weighing my personal vs professional life, whether it would affect me later and so on. My tagline in those 6 months was “I should never regret this decision later, ever”. I looked for other opportunities, and that’s when I came across a position at Thomson Reuters, that perfectly fit my passion and experience. I felt it was God sent. They required personnel with an academic background in Genetics, which fit my profile to the T. A  career switch as this to industry was interesting as well as challenging. When I look back I think that getting out of that toxic lab environment was the best decision I had made in my life till date. When you know you deserve better, it’s better not to stay in such environments- be it related to your work, or your personal life. Never put up with anything toxic in your life. That 3 year stint as an early career researcher was a great learning experience. I was able to turn a negative experience into a positive one. It is a lesson well learnt, for life, and something I mentor students about, as well. To the mentees who are stuck at a stage of transition in academics or career- perform an honest self-assessment, know what you love, know what you want and your soul WILL pull you towards that.
Aaqifa Shaikh Author
Science In Context

Exploring the gut-brain connection

Academia Plus

Gutsy: Hey Mindy! What’s up? I see that you are not keeping well these days. It’s really difficult for me to move things fast when you are ill!

Mindy: I’ve kind of started feeling anxious quite often.

Gutsy: Oh, that’s bad! Is there anything I can do to help you with your anxiety?

Mindy: Umm. I might need my medicines. I am running out of stock!

Gutsy: Well, send me the list, and I’ll deliver them to you.

Mindy: 4 tablets of Serotonin, 2 tablets each of Dopamine and Oxytocin, and maybe a tablet of Endorphin!

Gutsy: Ah! All the happy hormones! I got it, friend. Your order will be delivered.

Mindy: Thank you Gutsy! You’ve always been my savior.

Gutsy: No worries, my friend. Which delivery system would you like to opt for? The courier or the fax?

Mindy: Any one will do, as long as they are here!

Gutsy: You are all set, buddy. Your order will be delivered soon! I hope you feel better and then we can get back to work smoothly once again.

Mindy: Great! Waiting for it.

Gutsy: Take care till then. Bye!

Wondering who this hormone dealer Gutsy is? Well, it is none other than our Gut! And Mindy, who is desperately in need of happy hormones, is our Brain.

Our brain cells (neurons) constantly require different types of hormones to communicate with one another, which is an important process of brain and body functioning. More than 30 such hormones, known as neurotransmitters are closely associated with our gut- the microbiota residing in our gut are able to regulate the production of neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are capable of directly or indirectly modulating the brain function.

Isn’t it interesting how the remotely residing gut microbiota influences brain functions? This can only happen when there is a concrete connection between the brain and the gut. In our previous article, we briefly touched upon this connection; in this article, we shall explore the connection more.

We know that our gut/intestine is home to many different types of bacteria. These bacteria while thriving in our gut, utilise the nutrients that we consume and produce metabolic waste products/metabolites. Even though these metabolites are waste for the bacteria, they are useful to humans!

Eeuu! So, are we saying that bacterial poop is useful to humans? Oh yes! Certain bacterial metabolites stimulate a special type of cells in the gut which leads to an increased production of selective neurotransmitters, including the happy hormones that Mindy requires.

Hmm.. so now Gutsy must send across these neurotransmitters or at least the information encoded in these neurotransmitters to Mindy to reduce the anxiety. But, how will she do that?

Well, she can use two different types of delivery systems- the fax delivery system or the courier delivery system.

We have learnt about the Vagus nerve in our previous blog, which is the longest nerve that connects the brain and the gut. The ends of the Vagus nerves that are spread onto the gut wall have receptors that can sense specific neurotransmitters. These terminal receptors bind to the neurotransmitters present in the gut lumen, and a signal transduction through the vagus nerve is initiated. Depending on the neurotransmitter produced in the body, different signals can be sent to the Brain through the Vagus nerve.

This works just like the fax delivery system- where the original document is just scanned through the fax machine and the information is decoded at the other end and an exactly similar copy gets printed. When signal transduction takes place through neural pathway, the neurotransmitters from the gut lumen do not reach the brain physically, but simply transmit the relevant information (nerve impulse) to the brain.

Ta-da! Aren’t you impressed by how wisely our body has been constructed? Efficiency increases with the complexity it seems.

How does the courier delivery service work then?

This is the most popular system of our body, functioning continuously that connects each and every body part to one another a.k.a. the circulatory system. It not only provides a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood to all body organs, but also provide nutrients and hormones and is responsible for removing waste products from the different parts of our body.

Now, can you guess how Gutsy uses this system to deliver the neurotransmitters to Mindy? The capillary network in the gut wall absorbs the neurotransmitters and they travel all the way through our blood to the brain, much like a parcel (courier) is physically delivered to the designated address. And just like a courier must be signed off by the recipient upon delivery, the delivered neurotransmitters too must be approved by a special type of cells of the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) – which is the shield or a gate, around our brain. It is only upon approval that the neurotransmitters are able to cross the blood brain barrier and modulate the brain activity.

We now know that the Neural Pathway (fax delivery system) and Circulatory Pathway (courier delivery system) are the two main routes through which the Gut-Brain connection manifests. But which system is more efficient for the different types of neurotransmitters? And does Gutsy always use the same system for delivering the hormones to Mindy? We shall reflect upon these questions and also talk about the specific influence that neurotransmitters have on our brain activity, in the upcoming articles.

In the meanwhile, rest assured- Mindy might have surely received her order of happy hormones by now! Hurray!
Payal Lonkar Writer
Aaqifa Shaikh Sci-Artist

Disclaimer: The content of this article is meant for educational and creative purposes only, and will not be directly used for generation of profits. All rights and responsibilities, including the authenticity of the information presented in this article belong to the original authors and their publications (listed below in the Bibliography section), and there is no copyright infringement intended.

Bibliography

Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 4

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Sakshi Sharma, who is a biotechnology postgraduate with training in clinical research and data management. In a candid chat, Sakshi talks about her internship experience in academia and industry settings and shares some of her most memorable learnings.

What was your motivation behind enrolling in the Biotechnology Skill Enhancement Programme in Clinical Research Data Management?

Throughout B.Sc. and M.Sc. I did well in academics and scored fairly well in my exams. But in the back of my mind, it was always there that I don’t know much and am not practically trained. I was exploring courses that could help me in this regard. That’s what made me enroll in Biotechnology Skill Enhancement Programme [BISKEP], organized by Karnataka Government. There were many subjects to choose from, but I opted for Clinical Research data Management, as I was very much interested in research. It was of one-year duration, which included 6 months training program and 6 months internship. 

How was your experience doing an internship at IISc?

I reached out to a professor at IISc who was a contact of my College Professor. Luckily, he selected me when I thought, maybe I didn’t give my best impression. The interview happened around March 2020 and I was expected to start in April. I had come home for a week in Chhattisgarh and Covid lockdown had begun.  I couldn’t do my internship. But after a month or so, the Professor reached out to me in May and said there was work at the lab and if I was still interested. The flights had just begun, and without much thought, I flew down to Bangalore. I crashed at my friends’ place. Due to Covid, the lab wasn’t functioning at full capacity, and I couldn’t absorb the best out of the internship due to unfortunate timing. However, I did learn, how to read papers and analyze as well as interpret the data efficiently which has helped me immensely.

How different was your internship experience at Advarra Forte?

While I enjoyed the previous internship and had a great learning experience, I realized that it wasn’t aligning with my future career goals per se and hence started looking for industry-based experiences and also knew from a few of my friends that few companies offered a paid internship. I remember giving tons of interviews and after 3-4 rounds of assessments in a walk-in interview at Advarra, I secured the internship. It felt like less like an internship and more like a job. We got to sit in all the meetings and were treated like consultants. It was a surprise! Good pay and great work experience. I realized that there are so many things I do not know.

How did you come across these internships?

I would say by talking to people. I would talk to professors, and talk to people while attending conferences. I would never shy away from asking questions and always approached with an ‘I don’t know ‘attitude. Talking to people helps in understanding their journey thus far and helps in making your decisions. For instance, I came to know about the BISKEP program in my college while was in my second semester by talking to people in the neighbouring lab. And I happened to attend the induction program that year, even though hadn’t planned to enroll that year. I was curious to know more. It so happened that they were asking the people, why they are joining the program. And I remember one lay’s response vividly, that she realized the gap in her skills after working for a year. I thought to myself, why not equip myself with those skills even before I start job-hunting. So, listening to others’ stories can help you narrow down your choices and decisions.

What was your approach in preparing for the two internship interviews?

The IISc internship was just one round which felt like a chat that ran for an hour. On the other hand, my interview with Advarra Forte was systematic with one round after another, assessing me on different skills. In my experience of giving a lot of interviews in search of internships and jobs, what they are looking for is do you understand the kind of work they are doing and why you are there. For the IISc internship, I read a lot of papers published in the lab in understanding their work, but for the clinical research internship, I worked on understanding the technicalities and familiarising myself with the terms.

Any piece of advice for people who are looking for internships?

Give as many interviews as possible, and take every rejection as a redirection. The more you communicate to people in interviews or just anybody you meet that belongs to your field, make an effort to know about their journeys as it will help you know about different options available and different ways to achieve things. The more you converse, the more you learn about yourself.
Meghna Girish Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Understanding a PhD

Academia Plus

Dr. Sunil Saroj, Associate Professor a Symbiosis International University shares his perception on the right attitude towards pursuing a PhD. 

What is a PhD, according to you?

If you go literally, then it is a doctor of philosophy. A lot of emphasis has to be made on the philosophy part. PhD is about gaining an overview of a particular subject. Most of the PhD topics are unidirectional and extremely focused, but the overall goal is to develop a philosophical understanding over it.

PhD also talks about the synthesis of knowledge, but before synthesising the knowledge we should also have a broad overview- how is it going to impact society? What are the deliverables? If not the immediate deliverable to the society, but in the long term how is it going to help us understand a particular process and benefit mankind?

Science is driven by observation. When we observe something, we try to question it. The question is generally ‘how’. How is this thing happening? And once we understand how it is happening, the next question is ‘why’. Why is this particular thing happening? And if we want to understand why— we need deeper knowledge. Answering ‘how’ is simple. For instance, in biological sciences, we talk about the mechanism of a particular thing. But WHY is the larger perspective. If we want to answer why, then we need an understanding of diverse fields.

If I am talking about a small part of bacteria, I need to understand the entire functioning of the cell. If I want to understand host-pathogen interaction then I should understand the host as well as the pathogen. Here we are talking only about biological forces, but there are also physical forces that play a role. For that, I require a detailed understanding of physics, chemistry, and all of those processes which are governed by the principle of mathematics; without considering all these aspects it is hard to come to a specific conclusion.

Thus, pursuing a PhD should ideally help me understand any particular question from all these diverse perspectives.

Earlier a PhD would be completed in seven years, which reduced to five years and now it has reduced to three. It is understandable that people want to progress quickly in their careers. Hence, the research topics or the research questions are highly focused nowadays. But it does not mean, we should be leaving the ‘why’ part. We need to understand, why a particular thing is happening, or else there is not much difference in a PhD and a MSc dissertation project. MSc students do a research project for a short period and we do not expect them to answer something called ‘why’. But when it comes to PhD, if we are not able to answer the ‘why’ then PhD is just an extended MSc dissertation project.

To conclude, while pursuing a PhD, a person must be able to answer ‘why’ in addition to the ‘how’ and that is one way to develop the philosophy around science.
Mustafa Inamdar Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Understanding scientific temper

Academia Plus

On the occasion of National Science Day, Indian scientists and academicians express their views regarding ‘scientific temper’, by answering the pertinent question:

“What does scientific temper mean to you?”

“In the first place, scientific temper is not an academic matter, it is in some ways a basic feature of being human. You do not cross the road without looking- because you know what might happen. So the question to ask is not- why we don’t have scientific temper. The question to ask is- why do we abandon scientific temper, in the instances that we do.” – Dr. Satyajit Rath (visiting faculty at IISER, Pune)

“When you start rationalising things and build up your opinion on it in an impartial or unbiased way, and when that opinion gets tested- you build up further on it. For me, that is the development of a scientific temper.” – Dr. Radha Chauhan (Scientist E at NCCS, Pune)

“Scientific temper need not be restricted to a person from science background- it can even be present in someone from arts, commerce or economics background. If they are observant enough, they are all doing science. Only when we observe, the curiosity can be generated and if it is not generated then the scientific temper is lost. So according to me anybody who is observant has a great scientific temper.” – Dr. Sunil Saroj (Faculty member at Symbiosis international deemed university, Pune)

“People think that only some people are cut out to be scientists, that is not true. I think everybody can, it’s just that they need the support and encouragement from people around them to keep asking questions, and grow as a scientist. So, the main thing is- don’t stop questioning, be curious, don’t be afraid to ask and don’t be afraid to be wrong.” – Dr. Deepa Subramanyam (Scientist E at NCCS, Pune)

“I think scientific temper is being open to new discoveries, new findings, new data. Whenever you get new data you should be prepared to accept it in spite of the fact that they don’t agree with your long-held beliefs or your favourite books or any other dictates that you have.” – Dr. Surendra Ghaskadbi (Emeritus scientist at ARI, Pune)

Watch the complete video on the youtube channel- The Curious Biotechnologist.
Mustafa Inamdar Author
Science In Context

Introducing the second brain

Academia Plus

What? Do we have a second brain?
Yes, you read that right. Your gut has a brain of its own!

Have you ever experienced changes in your mood after having your favourite meal? Or sensed butterflies in your stomach when you are too excited or anxious? Also, you must have noticed how your tummy rumbles when you are hungry and your mouth waters just by the sight of your favourite food.

Well, these are not merely illusions created by your mind. Science is now catching up to reveal what might be causing these sensations in your stomach. There exists a bidirectional communication system between your brain and your gut. This is termed as the Gut-Brain Axis (GBA). In simple terms, GBA is the communication network that connects your gut to your brain. Thus, our gut has a direct influence on our brain and vice versa.

What causes this bi-directional communication to occur?

Well, perhaps a better question would be – who causes this bidirectional communication to occur? And the answer lies in the trillions of microbial cells (even outnumbering our own human cells), collectively known as the Human Microbiota. The human gut microbiota forms an essential component of human gut. It has been reported that the gut microbiota composition of an individual considerably influences how their brain functions, thereby creating an impact on the overall health.

You might think, how can a microbe send and even receive signals? Well, let’s dive into the basics to understand this.

Neurons, the cells present in your Central Nervous System (Brain), instruct your body how to behave by sending and receiving information to and from all parts of the body. The human brain is thought to have approximately 100 billion such neurons. Interestingly, 500 million neurons are found to be present in the ‘Gastro-Intestinal Tract’ or gut. These neurons connect the gut to the brain, through nerves present in your nervous system. This is specifically termed as the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). In other words, it is the nervous system of the gut. One of the biggest nerves of ENS that connects the brain and the gut physically as well as biochemically is the Vagus Nerve. It has the ability to send signals in both directions at the same time. The ends of the Vagus nerves that are spread on to the gut wall can sense certain chemicals called ‘Neurotransmitters’ and ‘Hormones’. These form chemical connections between the brain and the body parts.

Interesting! Isn’t it? Voila! Now it must be clear how the gut and the brain swap messages.

But what do they talk about? And is it important?

The gut wall encloses a complex environment and contains millions of neurons, hormone producing cells (endocrine cells) and most of our immune cells. That being so, the gut becomes central to hormone production and a place where most of the body reactions ensue. The gut, being the part of our digestive system is also involved in digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. While this is happening, the brain on the other hand, needs to direct and co-ordinate the sequence of activities taking place there. Accordingly, the brain and gut continuously exchange information and influence each other’s performances.

What’s the role of gut microbiota then?

Well, most of the hormones and neurotransmitters are made in the gastro-intestinal tract by the gut microbiota. For example, the neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) produced by gut microbes is the main regulator of emotions such as fear and anxiety. Similarly, several neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine etc. that communicate with the brain to stimulate and regulate other set of emotions are also produced by the gut microbiota.

Profuse right!!

We will reflect over these compounds and their cycle of production and regulation in our upcoming articles.
Payal Lonkar Writer
Ramya Ganesan Sci-Artist
Aaqifa Shaikh Sci-Artist

Disclaimer: The content of this article is meant for educational and creative purposes only, and will not be directly used for generation of profits. All rights and responsibilities, including the authenticity of the information presented in this article belong to the original authors and their publications (listed below in the Bibliography section), and there is no copyright infringement intended.

Bibliography

Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 3

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Amruth Bhat, who is an Engineering graduate. In a candid chat, Amruth walks us through his unusual internship journey in the post-pandemic world.

Why do you think an internship is important?

I would say it depends on what an individual wants. If you want to be a researcher, doing an internship gives you a preview of what research is and what it looks like to work in a lab. It will give you clarity on if research is for you or not. If your dream is to apply abroad, doing an internship will leverage your profile. 

An internship is important because it gives you exposure to the field you want to make your career in.

You are pursuing two internships – one at IIT Bombay and another at T-3 molecular genetics/ How different or similar are they? Is it an on-site or remote internship?

I initially applied for IIT Bombay. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was set as a remote internship. I was on the lookout for a wet-lab-based experience and T-3 molecular genetics presented that opportunity. Technically they are similar as they are on the subject of proteomics. At IIT Bombay, it is more at the basic research end whereas, at T-3, I am involved in product-based (applied) research.

How did you come across these internships and how rigorous was the selection process?

I came across the IIT Bombay internship on social media. The internship was under Dr. Sanjeeva Srivastava, Proteomics Lab. There were almost 700 applicants for the internship. The screening process involved a 3-week training on basic concepts and daily quizzes. Top 100 scorers were screened for the second round. Next, we had to work on some mini data and it was followed by an interview. The selection process was extensive running up to 1.5 months but it was a great learning experience in itself.  For  T-3, I had sent in my resume to the Bangalore Bioinnovation Center [BBC]-a start-up incubation centre. I got an opportunity to intern at 3-4 start-ups at BBC but the work at T-3 excited me more, and thus I chose T-3 Molecular Genetics for my second internship.   

What qualities do you think helped you get these internships?

I would say, the mini-project I did in college on bioinformatics was a crucial tipping point for my selection. This gave me the base knowledge and some experience in the subject area. I had been trying to get an internship for two years. Since I did not have any research experience, I couldn’t score an internship opportunity. It is a paradox in itself- one needs the experience to gain experience!

Any suggestions for fellow students, who are looking for internships?

Do not be discouraged by a lack of experience. I would suggest you to work on small hobby projects with any of your faculty if you are at your college or on your own. Try building on your technical knowledge and finessing your skills. There are lots of free resources out there. Do a little research, work on your skills, and show that you can apply those skills in the internship you want to pursue. Also, don’t hesitate to work at startups, they can offer exciting experiences! 
Meghna Girish Author