Viruses are obligate intercellular parasites that rely upon host machinery to perform different steps of their life cycle. Hence, understanding the virus-host interaction in molecular level is essential to develop therapeutic strategies to invade these pathogens. Research in my lab is focused upon understanding the fundamental molecular mechanisms by which RNA viruses assemble their replication machinery to drive viral RNA synthesis and how these viruses utilize host factors to facilitate this process. Viral replication machinery is composed of viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and genomic RNA template along with the nucleoprotein to form the ribonucleoprotein complex or RNP. RNPs lie ate the heart of the infectious cycle, driving viral gene expression and genome replication during different stages of virus life cycle and interact with a large number of host factors to modulate these processes. Yet, how these macromolecular complexes assemble is largely unknown. We implement biochemical and biophysical and proteomic approaches to understand the molecular interactions between viral and host proteins. Subsequently, information gained from these molecular studies are validated by investigating their physiological relevance during the course of infection. We are also interested in characterizing post-translational modification of viral proteins by host factors and elucidating their role in virus life cycle. Finally, we aim to identify pharmacologically active compounds that can inhibit specific virus-host interaction, hence will have the potential to be developed as antiviral therapy. Currently we are dealing with influenza A and B viruses which causes respiratory infection in human and a wide range of other animals. We are also interested in other viruses that causes human epidemics in Indian subcontinents.

All Publications

Targeting an evolutionarily conserved E-L-L motif in the spike protein to develop a small molecule fusion inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2 by Das Jana I., Bhattacharya P. , Mayilsamy K. , Banerjee S. , Bhattacharje G. , Das S. , Aditya S. , Ghosh A. , Mcgill A. R., Srikrishnan S. , Das A. K., Basak A. , Mohapatra S. S., Chandran B. , Bhimsaria D. , Mohapatra S. , Roy A. , Mondal A. PNAS Nexus 1 - (2022)
The Species-Specific 282 Residue in the PB2 Subunit of the Polymerase Regulates RNA Synthesis and Replication of Influenza A Viruses Infecting Bat and Nonbat Hosts by Banerjee S., De A., Kedia N., Bhakta K., Wang L., Bhattacharjee B., Mondal A. Journal of Virology 96 - (2022)
Copper Nanoparticle-Graphene Composite-Based Transparent Surface Coating with Antiviral Activity against Influenza Virus by Das Jana I., Kumbhakar P., Banerjee S., Gowda C.C., Kedia N., Kuila S.K., Banerjee S., Das N.C., Das A.K., Manna I., Tiwary C.S., Mondal A. ACS Applied Nano Materials 4 352-362 (2021)
Piecewise Isothermal Nucleic Acid Testing (PINAT) for Infectious Disease Detection with Sample-to-Result Integration at the Point-of-Care by Banerjee S., Biswas S. K., Kedia N. , Sarkar R. , De A. , Mitra S. , Roy S. , Bandopadhyay A. , Banerjee I. , Goswami R. , Dutta S. , Chawla-sarkar M. , Chakraborty S. , Mondal A. ACS sensors 6 3753-3764 (2021)
"Phosphorylation controls RNA binding and transcription by the influenza virus polymerase, by Dawson A. R., Wilson G. M., Freiberger E. C., Mondal A. , Coon J. J., Mehle A. Plos Pathogens - (2020)
Influenza virus recruits host protein kinase C to control assembly and activity of its replication machinery by Mondal A., Dawson A. R., Potts G. K., Freiberger E. C., Baker S. F., Moser L. A., Bernard K. ., Coon J. J., Mehle A. eLife 7 - (2017)
Phosphorylation at the homotypic interface regulates nucleoprotein oligomerization and assembly of the influenza virus replication machinery by Mondal A, Potts GK, Dawson AR, Coon JJ, Mehle A Plos Pathogens Apr 13;11(4) - (2015)
Newly identified phosphorylation site in the vesicular stomatitis virus P protein is required for viral RNA synthesis. by Mondal A, Victor KG, Pudupakam RS, Lyons CE, Wertz GW. Journal of Virology Feb;88(3) 1461-72 (2014)

Completed Projects

Principal Investigator

Advance Center for Clinical Evaluation of Diagnostics of National Importance Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
Characterization of molecular interaction between influenza virus Nonstructural protein-1 (NS1) and viral Ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP) and elucidating the role of this interaction in regulating viral RNA synthesis and virus replication. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
Characterization of molecular interaction between influenza virus Nonstructural protein-1 (NS1) and viral Ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP) and elucidating the role of this interaction in regulating viral RNA synthesis and virus replication Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)
Developing broad-spectrum flavivirus NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitor and assessing their antiviral potential Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
Development and Field-Adaptation of a Platform-Technology Device for Infections Disease Detection at Extreme Point of Care Settings IITKGP Foundation (USA)
Development of a Point of care nucleic acid test for detection of flu-like infections of Similar Symptomatic Format, With Particular Focus on Adenovirus and Influenza Viruses WB-DST

Co-Principal Investigator

Cervical and Circulating HPV DNA Detection in Carcinoma Cervix Using An Indigenous Point-of Care Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Device: Determination of Diagnostic Accuracy and Prognostic Utility (HINA) DBT, NEW DELHI
Collaborative studies on INGENE_Mini DNA lab and its Pharmacogenomics impact on Population genetics SMARTQR TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED
Differential diagnostics of infectious diseases on a multiplexed lateral flow assay platform using gargle samples Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Establishing a State-of the-Art Hybrid BSLIII Facility at IIT Kharagpur to Facilitate Fundamental Research and Development of Diagnostics and Therapeutics Against Class III Pathogen Caused Viral and Bacterial Diseases Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
Establishment of the Saurabh Hemraj Bora Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Inclusive Technologies for Precision Engineering and Womens Health Saurabh Hemraj Bora
Fabrication of a wash free electrochemical aptasensor device HEAT for Hepatitis A, E virus surveillance Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
From Lab to Beside: An attempt to take the multiplex enteric virus real-time PCR detection assay, a step further to Hand held PCR INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH (ICMR)