SK

Sandeep Kumar

Also known as: Sandeep Tripathi

Baylor College of Medicine, Washington University in Saint Louis, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology

ORCID iD 0000-0003-1249-1743
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About

I did my PhD from Center for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) India in 2010 with prestigious CSIR-JRF/SRF fellowship from the Indian government. At CDFD, I discovered my passion for DNA replication and recombination and learned various in-vitro DNA replication techniques. In my PhD work (2004-2010), I identified a protein called IciA, which inhibits DNA replication. Further, I studied histone like protein HupB of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for its role in DNA compaction, gene regulation and homologous re-combination. After completing my PhD I joined the laboratory of Dr. Peter Burgers as a Postdoctoral Scientist (2010-2012) and worked on DNA replication checkpoint in budding yeast. In Dr. Burgers laboratory my major research objective was to identify proteins that stimulate Mec1 (human ATR) kinase and to characterize their ATR activation domain (AAD). Here I was able to show that Dna2 connects DNA replication-to-replication checkpoint. Further, it showed that Dpb11 (human TopBP1) is not S-phase specific checkpoint activator. This is a major discovery in the field of DNA replication checkpoint as for many years it was thought that Dpb11 is the principal S-phase specific checkpoint activator. To further my studies on DNA repair and recombination I joined the Dr. Gregory Ira’s lab (2013-current) at Baylor College of Medicine. Here I am trying to understand the molecular mechanism of double strand break repair and how the defects in DNA damage checkpoint lead to development of cancer. My long-term goal is to lead a research group as a principal investigator specializing in studies on DNA repair and chromatin biology, and my short-term goal is to determine initial steps of homologus recombination (HR) when double strand breaks (DSB) occur in heterochromatin.

Employment

  • Baylor College of Medicine Postdoctoral Research Associate
    2013 - Present
  • Washington University in Saint Louis Postdoctoral Research Associate
    2009 - 2012

Education

  • Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics PhD
    2004 - 2009
  • Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology MSc
    2002 - 2004
  • Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology BSc Ag
    1998 - 2002

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (7)

  • Lagging strand maturation factor Dna2 is a component of the replication checkpoint initiation machinery
    Genes & Development 2013
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  • Synergy between the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis HupB is essential for high-affinity binding, DNA supercoiling and inhibition of RecA-promoted strand exchange
    FEBS Journal 2011
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  • The Unstructured C-terminal Tail of Yeast Dpb11 (Human TopBP1) Protein Is Dispensable for DNA Replication and the S Phase Checkpoint but Required for the G2/M Checkpoint
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 2011
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  • DNA clasping by mycobacterial HU: the C-terminal region of HupB mediates increased specificity of DNA binding
    PloS one 2010
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  • In-vitro helix opening of M. tuberculosis oriC by DnaA occurs at precise location and is inhibited by IciA like protein
    PloS one 2009
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  • Mechanistic insights into a novel exporter-importer system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis unravel its role in trafficking of iron
    PloS one 2008
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  • Measurement of genetic dissimilarity in fieldpea (Pisum sativum L.) genotypes using RAPD markers
    Genetic resources and crop evolution 2007
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