Shajahan Anver

I am studying the influence of ribosome biogenesis and protein translation on ageing using fission yeast and fruit fly models.

During my BSc I developed a greater interest in genetics and microbiology along with biotechnology. This drove me to pursue MS and PhD in molecular biology. My PhD training exposed me to the wonderful world of omics and bioinformatics. I learnt to appreciate the power of omics approaches to answer basic questions that the living systems put forward. Now, I strongly believe omics approacahes could be wisely used to decode the complex language of life along with the associated data analyses tools.

During my PhD at UC Davis, I used both Arabidopsis thaliana and Schizosaccharomyces pombe model systems to functionally characterize a protein of unknown function, initially identified in a screen designed to capture mutants with defects in the plant circadian rhythms. We took genome-wide genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches along with other basic physiological experiments in both model systems to show that X-chromosome associated protein 5 (Xap5) binds chromatin and repress cryptic transcripts including transposable elements and long terminal repeats.

Soon after my PhD, I joined Max Plank Institute for Plant Breeding Research as a MaxPlank Research Fellow. There, I explored conservation and diversification of innate immune system in Brassicaceae using omics approaches. We took transcriptomics, hormonomics, and biochemical approaches along with other basic physiology to answer the question. Comparative genomics analysis of available genome sequences of different Brassicaceae species revealed interesting phylogenetic relationships among prominent defence-associated genes compared to A. thaliana genome. Some genes are highly conserved at sequence level whereas some sequences have evolved considerably to include new motifs(?). Genes with paralogous partners in Arabidopsis have lost them in some other species. On the contrary, some genes have acquired paralogs in certain other species due to whole genome duplications. These are all interesting changes at the sequence level. However, are these orthologs transcriptionally regulated similarly upon pathogen challenge? Our time-course RNAseq after challenging with flg22 suggests that some transcriptional modules are conserved and yet some are not. The transcriptional landscapes during PTI is interestingly very different in different Brassicaceae species tested.

Going back to work with fission yeast! Use omics in S. pombe to answer interesting biological questions! Joined Jürg Bähler group at UCL in 2016 as a Research Associate. Yet another question to find answers with omics approaches! More than 80% of the genomes of many organisms are transcribed whereas only 2% comprises of protein coding transcripts. Many of these are long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Many lncRNAs are differentially expressed especially during ageing and cancers. What are their biological significance? In this long expedition I identified and characterized a lncRNA which prolongs lifespan by attenuating protein translation. Attenuating protein translation by partially depeleting Pol I levels in the gut extends lifespan in flies. I am currently investigating the molecular mechanism(s) of this lifepsan extension in Drosophila melanogater.