Dr. Jaya Sivaswami Tyagi , M.Sc.,Ph.D
Professor ,Biotechnology

 

Education / Professional Studies:  I.S.C., Loreto Convent, Lucknow, 1969 (First class); B.Sc. from University of Delhi, 1973; M.Sc. from University of Delhi, 1975; Ph.D. from University of Delhi, 1979.

Membership of Professional Bodies: Society of Biological Chemists (India), Microbiological Society of India, Indian Society for Cell Biology, American Society of Microbiology.

 Institution

Post Held

Duration

V.P.Chest Institute, Delhi

 

JRF, SRF

 

Oct. 1975- July 1979

National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA

 

International Visiting Fellow and International Visiting Associate, Dr. Ira Pastan’s laboratory

Aug. 1979 - June 1983

CSIR Centre for Biochemical Technology, Delhi (now IGIB)

Scientist C

June 1983- May 1987

AIIMS, New Delhi

Associate Professor

Additional Professor

Professor

June 1987- June 1991

July 1990-June 2001

July 2001- Present  

 

Awards, fellowships and membership of professional bodies:

·         National Science Talent Fellow, Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Scholarship during B.Sc, M.Sc. and fellowship during Ph.D.

·         First class First in B.Sc. (1973) and M.Sc. (1975), University of Delhi

·         First position in Biochemistry in the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) examination , 1978

·         Dr. Kona Sampath Kumar Memorial Prize, University of Delhi, 1985.

·         DBT Short-term Overseas Biotechnology Associateship, 1991. 

·         P.S. Sarma Memorial Award of the Society of Biological Chemists (India), 1999.

·         National Women Bioscientist Award, 1999.

·         New Millennium Science Medal, Indian Science Congress, 2000.

·         Tata Innovation Fellowship, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, 2009

·         Member, Guha Research Conference, 1996.

·         Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, India, 1999.

·         Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, 2008


 

Key Activities:

Teaching:        Bacterial Genetics, Molecular Biology, Recombinant DNA Technology for Masters in Biotechnology

Training:         Summer students, PhD students supervisor and post MD/ MS trainees

Research:      Tuberculosis- molecular pathogenesis, dormancy, diagnosis, host pathogen interactions.

Other:            Project review for funding agencies, manuscript editorship activities for Journal of Biosciences and reviewing journal articles, involved in Institutional Patents Committee, Biosafety Committee and Research Committee work.

Current research efforts of Jaya S. Tyagi Lab:

1.       understanding the role of key dormancy regulating system, DevR-DevS/DosT (Rv3133c-Rv3132c/Rv2027c), in pathogenesis with special reference to dormancy and adaptation within macrophages

  1. developing and validating efficient diagnostic tools for pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis including TB meningitis. The USP multipurpose diagnostic technology has been developed which encompasses sample processing, highly sensitive smear microscopy, culture on solid/liquid medium and PCR. This technology is being licensed.

  2. exploiting the DevR-DevS two-component system as a novel antitubercular target.

  3. elucidating the mechanism of transcriptional activation mediated by DevR

  4. deciphering the environmental signals which DevS and Rv2027c sensor kinases respond to in vitro and macrophages

  5. evaluating host-M. tb  interactions in a novel dormancy model of infection.

 Most of the work has been published in peer-reviewed journals or has been filed for patents or are in press/ preparation.

Recent Publications (2005-2009):

  1. Chauhan S and Tyagi JS (2009) Powerful induction of tgs1-Rv3131 divergent genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis is mediated by DevR interaction with a high affinity site and an adjacent cryptic low affinity site. J. Bacteriol. doi:10.1128/JB.00310-09.

  2. Chauhan S, Kumar A, Singhal A, Tyagi JS and Prasad HK (2009) CmtR, a cadmium-sensing ArsR–SmtB repressor, cooperatively interacts with multiple operator sites to autorepress its transcription in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. FEBS Journal 276:3428-39.

  3. Haldar S, Sharma N, Gupta VK and Tyagi JS (2009) Efficient diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis by detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in cerebrospinal fluid filtrates using PCR. J Med Microbiol. 58: 616-624.

  4. Malhotra V, Tyagi JS & Clark-Curtiss J.E. (2009) DevR-mediated adaptive response in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra: Links to asparagine metabolismTuberculosis  Tuberculosis (Edinb). 89:169-74.

  5. Chauhan S & Tyagi JS (2008) Interaction of DevR with multiple binding sites synergistically activates divergent transcription of narK2-Rv1738 genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J. Bacteriol. 190:5394-5403.

  6. Chauhan S & Tyagi JS (2008) Cooperative binding of phosphorylated DevR to upstream sites is necessary and sufficient for activation of the Rv3134c-devRS operon in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Implication in the induction of DevR target genes. 190:4301-4312.

  7. Haldar S, Chakravorty S, Bhalla M, De Majumdar S. & Tyagi JS (2007) Simplified detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum using smear microscopy and PCR with molecular beacons. J Med Microbiol. 56:1356-1362

  8. Pathak D, Chakravorty S, Hanif M & Tyagi JS (2007) Lysis of tubercle bacilli in fresh and stored sputum specimens: implications for diagnosing tuberculosis in stored and paucibacillary specimens by PCR. BMC Microbiology 2007, 7:83 doi:10.1186/1471-2180-7-83

  9. Taneja NK & Tyagi JS (2007) Resazurin reduction assays for screening of anti-tubercular compounds against dormant and actively growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis BCG and Mycobacterium smegmatis. J Antimicrob Chemotherapy 60:288–293.

  10. Sharma D & Tyagi JS (2007) The value of comparative genomics in understanding mycobacterial virulence: Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra genome sequencing – a worthwhile endeavour. J. Biosci. 32:185-189.

  11. Sharma D, Bose A, Shakila H, Das TK, Tyagi JS & Ramanathan VD (2006) Expression of mycobacterial cell division protein, FtsZ, and dormancy proteins, DevR and Acr, within lung granulomas throughout guinea pig infection. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 48:329-336.

  12. Tyagi JS (2006) The timeless legacy of Robert Koch. Resonance 11:20-28

  13. Chakravorty S, Pathak D, Dudeja M, Haldar S & Tyagi JS (2006) PCR amplification of shorter fragments from the devR (Rv3133c) gene significantly increases the sensitivity of tuberculosis diagnosis. FEMS Micro. Lett. 257: 306-311.

  14. Bagchi G, Chauhan S, Sharma D & Tyagi JS (2005) Transcription and autoregulation of the Rv3134c-devR-devS operon of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Microbiology 151:4045-4053.

  15. Sen MK, Chakravorty S & Tyagi JS (2005) Polymerase chain reaction to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with tuberculous lymphadenopathy. Natl. Medical J. India. 18:302-303.

  16. Chakravorty S, Sen MK & Tyagi JS (2005) Diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis by smear, culture and PCR using Universal Sample Processing technology. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43:4357-4362.

  17. Haldar S, De Majumdar S, Chakravorty S, Tyagi JS, Bhalla & Sen MK. (2005) Detection of acid-fast bacilli in postlysis debris of clinical specimens improves the reliability of PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 3580-3581.

  18. Chakravorty S & Tyagi JS (2005) Novel Multipurpose Methodology for Detection of Mycobacteria in Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Specimens by Smear Microscopy, Culture, and PCR. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 2697-2702.

  19. Chakravorty S, Dudeja M, Hanif M & Tyagi JS. (2005) Utility of Universal Sample Processing Methodology, Combining Smear Microscopy, Culture, and PCR, for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 2703-2708

  20. Saini DK & Tyagi JS. (2005) High-throughput microplate phosphorylation assaysbased on DevR-DevS/Rv2027c 2-component signal transduction pathway to screen for novel antitubercular compounds. J. Biomol. Screening. 10:215-224.

 

 Patents:

     Indian: 5                               International: 6

Indian:

  1. A rapid, efficient, single - tube extraction procedure for the isolation of PCR – amplifiable M.tuberculosis DNA from clinical specimens, Appl. No. 497/ DEL/ 2000.

  2. A process for identifying and producing DevR protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been granted, 1999.

  3. A process for identifying a novel target for the development of therapeutic modalities and drugs effective against tuberculosis, Appl. No. 1286/ DEL/ 2001.

  4. A simple and fast process for evaluating promoter activity of persistent M. tuberculosis in hypoxic conditions using M. smegmatis as a surrogate host. Appl. No. 981/DEL/2003.

  5. A method for diagnosis of tuberculosis by smear microscopy, culture and polymerase chain reaction using processed clinical samples and kit thereof.

International:

1.       A process for identifying a novel target for the development of therapeutic modalities and drugs effective against tuberculosis, Appl. No. PCT/IN02/00022,

2.       A process for identifying a novel target for the development of therapeutic modalities and drugs effective against tuberculosis. In national phase in US, UK and Japan.

3.       A screening method for developing drugs against pathogenic microbes having two-component system. US patent Appl. No. 60/418,837.

4.       A screening method for developing drugs against pathogenic microbes having two-component system. PCT Appl. No.PCT/IB03/04555.

5.       A method for diagnosis of tuberculosis by smear microscopy, culture and polymerase chain reaction using processed clinical samples and kit thereof. PCT Appl. No. PCT/IB 03/03211.

6.       A method for diagnosis of tuberculosis by smear microscopy, culture and polymerase chain reaction using processed clinical samples and kit thereof. In national phase in US, Europe, English speaking African countries, China.