Research

Main research interest of the group lies in underpinning the molecular mechanisms involved during human brain development. We aim to extend the research in two directions – 

1.) role of  non-coding RNAs in neurodevelopmental disorders 

2.) molecular mechanisms involved in cortical brain expansion in primates, which is thought to be a critical determinant of intellectual ability. Understanding what makes human brain unique and intellectually superior from other species is one of the objectives. Specifically we are interested in studying non-coding RNAs.

When the human genome project mapped its first chromosome  in 1999, it was predicted the genome would contain over 100,000 protein coding genes. However, only around 20,000 were eventually identified. Since then, there has been an increase in the no. of identified non-coding genes as compared to the protein coding genes. Non-coding genome constitute ~99% of whole genome whereas 1% of the genome constitute coding genes encoding proteins. For decades it was considered that only the highly conserved protein coding genes were involved in basic cell functions. But later, functional non-coding RNAs were discovered. 

microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and thereby, play an important role in fine-tuning or restricting cellular identities by targeting important genes and pathways. In contrast to coding genes, non-coding transcripts increase in diversity with organismal complexity, and they are particularly diverse in the brain. Therefore, the discovery of non-coding RNAs offer a strong potential for revealing the basis of primate brain expansion and neurodevelopmental diseases associated with humans or primates.