Prof. Dr. Nadimpalli Siva KumarUniversity of Hyderabad Department of Biochemistry Hyderabad - 500046 India |
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| Email: | drnsk7@yahoo.co.in nsksl@uohyd.ernet.in knadimpalli23@gmail.com |
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Professor Nadimpalli has more than 27 years of post Ph.D. teaching and research experience at the University of Hyderabad. 13 students have already obtained their Ph.D. under his guidance and 6 are currently working. His research interests are in the areas of protein biochemistry, glycobiology, cell and molecular biology and nanotechnology. So far, 8 M.Tech. Medical Biotechnology, 7 M.Sc. Biotechnology and 4 M.Phil students carried out projects under his guidance. The major focus of research in the laboratory is to develop novel affinity methods for the large scale purification of biologically important proteins from plants and animals. Carry out biochemical, biophysical and immunological characterization of the purified proteins in order to understand their structure-function relationships. Several legume and non-legume seed proteins (lectins, glycosidases) have been affinity purified and have been biochemically characterized in the laboratory. A few examples are the seed proteins from Dolichos lablab, Triticale, Snake gourd, Moringa oleifera, Strychnos potatorum. N-glycan and protein sequence analysis of lectins and glycosidases have been carried out.
Work on animal proteins is focused on understanding the evolution of lysosomal enzymes and their receptors in the animal kingdom, apart from affinity purification of some animal lectins and glycosidases, lysosomal enzymes and their receptors is another field of research. He has extensively collaborated with German scientists from the University of Würzburg, Goettingen, Münster, Greifswald and made outstanding contributions to establish the evolution of the Mannose 6-phosphate receptors, the lysosomal enzyme sorting proteins. Of the 60 published peer reviewed papers, 32 International publications are in the field of lysosomal enzyme and their receptors.
Current research work is focused on understanding the evolution of the lysosomal enzymes and their receptors in the invertebrates (echinodermates and molluscs). Recently for the first time phosphorylated mannooligosacharide nanoparticles have been prepared along with the lysosomal enzyme nanoparticlees and these have been shown to specifically interact with the cell surface Mannose 6-phosphate receptor protein. This novel approach has the potential to use the receptor as a tool to deliver biomolecules/drugs into the cells in a mannose 6-phosphate dependent manner. Additionally letcin nanoparticles have also been prepared and characterized and their potential uses in biology are being currently explored. Proteins from Strychnos potatorum seeds have been found to be potential candidates for binding and removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. Polysaccahride nanoparticles from these seeds have also been prepared and characterized which need to be tested as tools in drug delivery to cells.
The laboratory has the expertise and has the basic infrastructure to carry out the following:
- Preparation of affinity gels and purification of biologically important proteins
- Cell culture, metabolic labelling of cells
- Characterization of purified proteins, radio-iodination of proteins
- Glycosidase enzyme assays
- Molecular cloning (PCR)
- Preparation and characterization of protein and oligosaccharide nanoparticles
Two Ph.D. student registered with Prof. Siva Kumar have done a research stay in Münster University and one more is planning to go. So far four German Ph.D. students recruited into the IRTG program have worked in Hyderabad University and three Indian students have carried out stays in Münster.
