Group Leader, Structural Parasitology
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Aruna Asaf Ali Marg
110 067 New Delhi, India
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Tel: +91-9810111336
Education
Purdue University, USA (B. Sc.) 1986-1990 Biology
Northwestern Univ., USA (Ph. D.) 1990-1995 Protein crystallography
Oxford Univ., UK (Post-doc) 1996-2000 Structural biology
Career History
Since 2004, Group Leader, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, IndiaDistinguished Visiting Professor, IIT, Mumbai, India
2019-2022, Director, National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
2001-2006, Wellcome Trust International Senior Research Fellow, Indiaia Research Group of the ICGEB in New Delhi.
2001-2004, Research Scientist/Principal Investigator, Malaria Research Group, ICGEB New Delhi.
1996–2000, Research and teaching fellow, St. Johns and Trinity Colleges, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
1995–2000, Lecturer and Junior Research Fellow, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Genomic Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
1993–1995, National Institute of Health National Research Scholar, Northwestern University, Evanston USA
1989-1990, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Summer Research, Awardee, Purdue University, USA
Scientific Activity
My laboratory takes a multi-disciplinary approach towards understanding malaria parasite proteins. We aim to highlight the principles that govern biological function of some key parasite proteins. Towards this end, we rely extensively on bioinformatics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, parasitology and protein crystallography. The current focus of research includes critical parasite processes like invasion of liver and red blood cells, nucleosome assembly, gametocytogenesis and cytoadherence. The laboratory has elucidated crystal structures of key proteins from the sporozoite, asexual and sexual parasite stages.
Teaching Activity
Teaching and training undergraduates and PhD students at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA, St. Johns and Trinity Colleges, Oxford University, UK, Teaching faculty at ICGEB, New Delhi, India. Subjects: Bioinformatics, biochemistry, molecular biology, parasitology and structural biology
Selected publications
Yadav, C.P., Hussain, S.S.A., Mullick, R., Rahi, M., Sharma, A. 2023. Climate zones are a key component of the heterogeneous presentation of malaria and should be added as a malariometric for the planning of malaria elimination. PLOS Global Public Health | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001878
Yadav, C.P., Hussain, S.S.A., Pasi, S, Sharma, S, Bharti, P.K., Rahi, M., Sharma, A. 2023. Linkages between malaria and malnutrition in co-endemic regions of India. BMJ Global Health e010781 doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010781
Yogavel, M., Bougdour, A., Mishra, S., Malhotra, N., Chhibber-Goel, J., Bellini, V., Harlos, K., Laleu, B., Hakimi, M.A., Sharma, A. 2023. Targeting prolyl-tRNA synthetase via a series of ATP-mimetics to accelerate drug discovery against toxoplasmosis. PLoS Path 19(2):e1011124 doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011124
Kumar, S., Sharma, A., Murali-Krishna, K , Chandele, A., et al. 2022. Structural insights for neutralization of Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 by a broadly neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Science Advances 8(40):eadd2032. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.add2032
Manickam, Y., Malhotra, N., Mishra, S., Babbar, P., Dusane, A., Laleu, B., Sharma, A., et al. 2022 Double drugging of prolyl-tRNA synthetase provides a new paradigm for anti-infective drug development. PLoS Pathogens 18(3):e1010363 doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010363
Rahi, M., Sharma, A. 2022. Malaria control initiatives that have the potential to be gamechangers in India’s quest for malaria elimination. Lancet Reg Health doi: 10.1016/j.lansea.2022.04.005
Radke, J.B., Melillo, B., Mittal, P., Sharma, M., Sharma, A., Sibley, L.D. et al. 2022. Bicyclic azetidines target acute and chronic stages of Toxoplasma gondii by inhibiting parasite phenylalanyl t-RNA synthetase. Nature Comms. 13(1):459. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28108-y. PMID: 35075105; PMCID: PMC8786932
Yadav, C.P., Gupta, S., Bharti, P.K., Rahi, M., Faizi, N., Sharma, A. 2022. India may need an additional metric to assess the endemicity of malaria in low surveillance districts. PLOS Glob Public Health:e0000326. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000326
Yadav, C.P., Sharma, A. 2022. National Institute of Malaria Research-Malaria Dashboard (NIMR-MDB): A digital platform for analysis and visualization of epidemiological data, Lancet Regional Health, 5:100030. 10.1016/j.lansea.2022.100030
Rahi M, Chaturvedi R, Das P, Sharma, A. 2021. India can consider integration of three eliminable disease control programmes on malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and visceral leishmaniasis PLoS Path17(5):e1009492. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009492
Sharma, M., Malhotra, N., Manickam, Y., Harlos, K., Melillo, B., Comer, E., Gonse, A., Parvez, S., Mitasev, B., Fang, F.C., Schreiber, S.L., Sharma, A. 2021. Structural basis of malaria parasite phenylalanine tRNA-synthetase inhibition by bicyclic azetidines. Nature Comms 12, 343
Chowdhary A, Tarai B, Singh A, Sharma, A. 2020. Multidrug-resistant Candida auris infections in critically ill coronavirus disease patients, India. Emerging Infect Dis DOI: 10.3201/eid2611.203504
Vinayak S, Sharma, A., Comer E., et al. 2017. Bicyclic azetidines kill the diarrheal pathogen Cryptosporidium in mice by inhibiting parasite phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase. Sci Trans Med
10:1495-1505.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2017.07.015. PMID: 28867614
Yogavel, J.M., Kikuchi, M., Oshima, H., Hariguchi, Y., Matsumoto, N., Goel, M., Touquet, P., Jumani, B., Tacchini-Cottier, F., Harlos, K., Huston, C.D., Hakimi, M.A., Sharma, A.2017. Targeting Prolyl-tRNA Synthetase to Accelerate Drug Discovery against Malaria, Leishmaniasis, Toxoplasmosis, Cryptosporidiosis, and Coccidiosis. Structure 25(10):1495-1505.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2017.07.015. Epub 2017 Aug 31. PMID: 28867614
Kato N, Comer E, Sakata-Kato T, Sharma, A., Schreiber, S.L., et al. 2016. Diversity-oriented synthesis yields novel multistage antimalarial inhibitors. Nature 538(7625):344-349
Bhatt TK, Khan S, Dwivedi VP, Banday MM, Sharma A, Chandele A, Camacho N, Ribas de Pouplana L, Wu Y, Craig AG, Mikkonen AT, Maier AG, Yogavel M, Sharma, A. 2011. Malaria parasite tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase secretion triggers pro-inflammatory responses. Nature Comms 2:530. doi: 10.1038/ncomms1522. PMID:22068597
Gill J, Yogavel M, Kumar A, Belrhali H, Jain SK, Rug M, Brown M, Maier AG, Sharma, A. 2009. Crystal structure of malaria parasite nucleosome assembly protein: distinct modes of protein localization and histone recognition. J Biol Chem 284(15):10076-87. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M808633200. Epub 2009 Jan 27. PMID: 19176479; PMCID: PMC2665062
Singh SK, Hora R, Belrhali H, Chitnis CE, Sharma, A. 2006. Structural basis for Duffy recognition by the malaria parasite Duffy-binding-like domain. Nature 439(7077):741-4. doi: 10.1038/nature04443. Epub 2005 Dec 21. PMID: 16372020
Sharma, A., Sharma I, Kogkasuriyachai D, Kumar N. 2003. Structure of a gametocyte protein essential for sexual development in Plasmodium falciparum. Nature Struct Biol Mar; 10(3):197-203. doi: 10.1038/nsb899. PMID: 12577051
Sharma, A., Askari JA, Humphries MJ, Jones EY, Stuart DI. 1999. Crystal structure of a heparin- and integrin-binding segment of human fibronectin. EMBO J 18(6):1468-79. doi: 10.1093/emboj/18.6.1468. PMID: 10075919; PMCID: PMC1171236