Designation : SERB Distinguished Fellow
Institution
: Molecular Biophysics Unit
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore-560 012
A. Educational Background: Ph.D. (1976): Christian Medical College, Vellore (Tamil Nadu); M.Sc. (1972) Biochemistry: M.S. University, Baroda; B.Sc. (1970) Jodhpur University.
B. Career Profile: Honorary Professor and CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (August 2013). Director, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi (March 2006- Dec 2011),. Visiting Scientist, Division of Bioengineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology(2004 & 2005), Visiting Scientist, Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology, Maryland, USA. (1990-98) (4 weeks each year), Chairman, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, (2000-March 15, 2006); Honorary Professor Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, (1998-till Date); Professor, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, (1986-till Date); Visiting Investigator, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1983 & 1987-1990); Visiting Scientist, Dept. of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1982); Assistant Professor, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, (1981-86); Scientist, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Calcutta (1976-81).
C. Membership of Professional bodies: Executive Committee Member (Member for Publications) International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (http://www.iubmb.org) (2012-2021). Member, Board of Trustees, Human Frontier Scientific Program Organization (www.hfsp.org) (2006 - 2013) Fellow, Indian National Science Academy (1991); Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences (1987); Fellow, National Science Academy (1995); Member, International Glycoconjugate Organization (1998); President, International Glycoconjugate Organization (2001-2004); Member, International Molecular Biologists Network (1998-till date); Member, Guha Research Conference (1978-till date); Life Member, Society of Biological Chemists (India); Life Member, Indian Biophysical Society.
D. Awards and prize(s) won: Conferred S.S. Bhatnagar Fellowship of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) India, J.C. Ray Oration, IICB, Kolkata (2013) Degree of Doctor of Medical Science by the Queens University, Belfast(2013),Prof. S.H. Zaidi Oration CSIR- Indian Institute of Toxicology, Lucknow (2013), Themis Chemicals UICT Diamond Jubilee Distinguished fellow in Pharmaceutical Science (2010-2011), Jawaharlal Nehru Medal, Indian National Science Academy(2011) ;11th Smt. Pushpa Sriramachari Foundation Day Oration Award 2011 Institute of Pathology (ICMR) ; Themis Chemicals UICT Diamond Jubilee Distinguished fellow in Pharmaceutical Science 2010-2011 University of Chemical Technology ; Mumbai; J.C.Bose Fellowship (2006) ; DST K.K.G.Menon Oration (2006) ; B.K.Bachhawat Memorial Award (2007) ; Third World Academy of Sciences Prize in Biology (2001) ; Mellan by Memorial Lecture (2000), CDRI, Lucknow ; Professor GN Ramachandran 60th Birthday Commemoration Medal (2000), INSA ; Alumni Award of the Indian Institute of Science for research (1999) ; Ranbaxy Science Foundations Award (1995) in Basic Medical Sciences ; Shri Om Prakhash Bhasin Award for Biotechnology (1993) ; FICCI award in Biological Sciences (1993) ; W.H. Stillmark Prize for his outstanding contributions on lectins (1990) at the Interlec Conference, University of California at Davis; S.S. Bhatanagar Award in Biological Sciences (1987) ; CSIR, Sreenivasaya Memorial Award (1982) by the Society of Biological Chemists (India) ; VASAVIK award for Biological Sciences and Technology (1980) ; Andhra University Medallion of the University of Madras (1980) for best thesis in Chemistry and Biochemistry for the years 1975-77 ; Young Biophysicist Fellowship of VI International Biophysics Congress, 1978 ; Dr. C.S. Patel Gold Medal (1978) for Research in Biochemistry, M. S. University, Baroda ; Young Scientist Medal (1976) of the Indian National Science Academy ; B.K. Bachhawat Memorial Lecture (1998) Centre for Biochemical Technology, Delhi ; Foundation Day Lecture (1994) Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh ; Diamond Jubilee Lecture (2002) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi ; Dr. C.S. Patel Gold Medal (1972) for securing Ist class I with distinction in M.Sc., Biochemistry at M.S. University, Baroda; N.T. Thomal Prize for securing distinction in Advanced Nutrition (1972) ; Anil Starch Prize for securing highest number of marks in theory papers in M.Sc. (1972) ; Anil Starch Prize for securing highest number of marks in practicals in M.Sc. (1972), M.S. University, Baroda.
E. Publications (Numbers only): 357 in reputed journals such as Nature, Science Translational Medicine, EMBO Mol. Med., JBC, PNAS and JMB
International Patents Granted: 15 Patents Pending / Filed: 18
Processes / Products Commercialized: 6
F. Scientific Contributions: Prof. Surolia’s seminal contributions have strongly influenced our appreciation of the role of orientation and dynamics of cell surface carbohydrate receptors, protein folding and glycobiologyinternationally. He discovered novel blood group and tumor antigen specific lectins and made original contributionsto elucidate the energetics and mechanism of protein-sugar recognition. He,imparted exquisite T-antigen specific tumor recognizing ability to peanut agglutinin.Molecular basis of carbohydrate recognition by legume lectinswas demonstrated by him to invoke variation in the shape and the size of specificity determining loops and demonstrated the existence of novel C-H…O/N hydrogen bond in protein-sugar interactions. He discovered novel modes of oligomerization in legume lectins. He found a molten globule monomeric intermediate during the folding of peanut agglutinin that retained its carbohydrate binding ability - establishing ‘wet’ molten globule as an “on pathway” folding intermediate- a breakthrough explaining protein folding process in general. He elucidated the molecular features of substrate recognition by endoplasmic reticulum chaperones calreticulin and calnexin. Discovered the unusual quaternary structure of peanut agglutinin and a novel lectin fold in jacalin as well as the structural basis of inactivation of ribosomes by gelonin. Enunciated that solvent reorganization modulates protein-ligand interactions and their specificities. Showed the existence of co-operativity in lectin- multimeric sugar interactions. Likewise, Prof. Surolia’s recentpathbreaking invention of a novel physical form of insulin promises to be a boon for treating diabetes. His original strategies for drug and DNA delivery are widely acclaimed. Surolia explained the enigmatic endotoxin neutralizing activity of polymyxin B to its specific ability to remove endotoxin from its assembly and attributed it to its unique amphiphilicity. He popularized Protein A as a tool in immunology. Discovered the fatty acid synthesis pathway in human malarial parasite which is distinct from its human host. He is currently developing novel therapies for treating cancer and tuberculosis.
G. Representative Publications.
1) Yadav S. and Surolia A. (2019). Lysozyme elicits pain during nerve injury by neuronal Toll-like receptor 4 activation and has therapeutic potential in neuropathic pain. Science Translational Medicine. 11(504), eaav4176. PDF
2) Gimeno, A., Delgado, S., Valverde, P., Bertuzzi, S., Berbis, M. A., Echavarren, J., ... & Jimenez Barbero, J. (2019). Minimizing the Entropy Penalty for Ligand Binding: Lessons from the Molecular Recognition of the Histo Blood Group Antigens by Human Galectin3. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 58(22), 7268-7272. PDF
3) Mishra, A., Mamidi, A. S., Rajmani, R. S., Ray, A., Roy, R., & Surolia, A. (2018). An allosteric inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ArgJ: Implications to a novel combinatorial therapy. EMBO molecular medicine. 10(4).PDF
4) Auto-reactive Th17-cells trigger obsessive-compulsive-disorder like behavior in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Kant, R., Pasi, S., & Surolia, A. (2018) Frontiers in immunology 9, 2508.PDF
5) Pasi, S., Kant, R., & Surolia, A. (2016). Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain derived from TcpC (TIR-TcpC) ameliorates experimental autoimmune arthritis by down-modulating Th17 cell response. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 291(23), 12358-12369. PDF
6) Patra, D., Mishra, P., Vijayan, M., & Surolia, A. (2015). Negative cooperativity and high affinity in chitooligosaccharide binding by a Mycobacterium smegmatis protein containing LysM and Lectin domains. Biochemistry . 55(1), 49-61.
7) Pasi, S., Kant, R., Gupta, S., & Surolia, A. (2015). Novel multimeric IL-1 receptor antagonist for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Biomaterials, 42, 121-133.
8) Gupta, S., Chattopadhyay, T., Singh, M. P., & Surolia, A. (2010). Supramolecular insulin assembly II for a sustained treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 107(30), 13246-13251.
9) Surolia, N., & Surolia, A. (2001). Triclosan offers protection against blood stages of malaria by inhibiting enoyl-ACP reductase of Plasmodium falciparum. Nature medicine. 7(2), 167.
10) Thomas, C. J., Gangadhar, B. P., Surolia, N., & Surolia, A. (1998). Kinetics and mechanism of the recognition of endotoxin by polymyxin B. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 120(48), 12428-12434.
11) Sankaranarayanan, R., Sekar, K., Banerjee, R., Sharma, V., Surolia, A., & Vijayan, M. (1996). A novel mode of carbohydrate recognition in jacalin, a Moraceae plant lectin with a ?-prism fold. Nature structural biology. 3(7), 596.
12) Surolia, A., Bachhawat, B. K., & Podder, S. K. (1975). Interaction between lectin from Ricinus communis and liposomes containing gangliosides. Nature. 257(5529), 802.