Mr. ATUL KUMAR
Division of Biochemical Sciences,
National Chemical Laboratory,
Pune 411008, Maharashtra, INDIA
Phone: +91-20-2590-2313/2239
E-mail: atulkumar.f@rediffmail.com, ak.farainzi@rediffmail.com
Academic Qualification
Doctor of Philosophy : Biotechnology, thesis to be submitted Sep.2008 University of Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA
Title : “Penicillin V Acylase from Rhodotorula aurantiaca
(NCIM-3425): Studies on Biochemical and Biophysical
Characterization of the enzyme”
Guide : Dr. (Mrs.) Archana V. Pundle, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Work of place : National Chemical Laboratory, Maharashtra, Pune, 411008
Master of Science : Biotechnology, 2003
Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India
Bachelor of Science : Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, 2000
Lucknow University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA
Presently working as CSIR-Senior Research Fellow at National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.
Publications
- Atul Kumar and Vivek Lonkar, Archana V. Pundle. (2008) Studies on optimization of cultural conditions and effect of media constituents on production of intracellular penicillin V acylase from Erwinia aroideae (DSMZ 30186). Research Journal of Biotechnology 3(2) 26-30.
- Atul Kumar, Archana V. Pundle (2008) Effect of organic solvents on cell-bound penicillin V acylase activity of Erwinia aroideae (DSMZ 30186): a permeabilization effect. Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic (Article in press)
- Atul Kumar, Sanjay Singh, Pankaj Poddar, Asmita A. Prabhune , Archana V. Pundle (2008) Effect of cultural conditions and media constituents on production of penicillin V acylase and CTAB treatment to enhance whole cell enzyme activity of Rhodotorula aurantiaca (NCIM 3425). Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (Article in press)
- Atul Kumar, Asmita A. Prabhune, Suresh C. G., Archana V. Pundle (2008) Characterization of smallest active monomeric penicillin V acylase from new source: a yeast, Rhodotorula aurantiaca (NCIM 3425) Process Biochemistry 43: 961-967.
- Atul Kumar, Nagaraj M. Gowda, Sushma Gaikwad, Archana V. Pundle (2008) Rhodotorula aurantiaca penicillin V acylase: Active site characterization and Fluorometric studies. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology (communicated)
Patent File
- Archana V. Pundle, Atul Kumar and Asmita Prabhune A process for the production of penicillin V acylase using novel source of yeast Rhodotorula aurantiaca (NCIM 3425) and an improved process for 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) production through whole cell permeabilization. Indian patent application no. NCL1 (2005)
Peer reviewed abstract accepted
- Atul Kumar, Asmita A. Prabhune, Archana V. Pundle (2007) Purification and Biochemical Characterization of enzyme from Rhodotorula aurantiaca (NCIM 3425): A Yeast Penicillin V Acylase. XXIIIrd International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology 1-6 July 2007. The Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne, AUSTRALIYA. Yeast 2007; 24: S1-S175
- Atul Kumar, Archana V. Pundle (2008) A permeabilization effect of organic solvents on cell-bound penicillin V acylase activity of Erwinia aroideae (DSMZ 30186). 13th International Biotechnology Symposium & Exhibition (IBS-2008) to be held from October 12 to 17, 2008 in Dalian, CHINA. Journal of Biotechnology as supplement (In press)
Presentations at Conference/ Symposium
- Atul Kumar, Asmita A. Prabhune, Archana V. Pundle. Identification of novel microorganism producing penicillin V acylase and enhancement of the activity through permeabilization. 73rd annual meeting of the Society of Biological Chemists, INIDA, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, INDIA. (November 21-24, 2004)
- A. R. Shirolkar, Atul Kumar, Asmita A. Prabhune, Archana V. Pundle. Optimization of cultural conditions for the production of penicillin V acylase from Erwinia aroideae: a potent PVA producer. 76th annual meeting of the Society of Biological Chemists, INDIA (2006).
- A. Gopalkanan. Atul Kumar, V. Arul. Effect of gut probiotic lactic acid bacteria isolated from marine fish on Panaeus monodon post larvae to control the Vibrio angullarium infections. Proceedings of MBR 2004. National Seminar on New Frontiers in Marine Bioscience Research held in Chennai, INDIA.
- Participated in XXXIII National Seminar on Crystallography during 8-10 January, 2004 held at National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, INDIA.
- Participated in “Biomics” on National Science Day held on 28th February, 2002, conducted by Department of Biological Science, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, INDIA
Awards and honors
- Awarded the Senior Research Fellowship by Council of scientific and industrial research,
Government of India in the year 2006 for 3 years - Qualified Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) examination conducted by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India through national level examination held in June 2004
- Qualified Graduate Aptitude test of Engineering (GATE) 2003 conducted by Department of Education, Ministry of Human Recourse Development, Government of India
- Selected for Masters Degree in Biotechnology, 2001, through All India Combined Entrance Examination for Biotechnology, conducted by, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, INDIA
Personal details
Sex: Male
Date of Birth: December 15, 1980
Nationality: Indian
Marital status: Unmarried
Language skills: English, Hindi
Hobbies: Listening soft music; learn things easily and become expert in that
Expertise
- Isolations and characterization of microbial cultures from various sources (industrial fluent, soil sources, fish intestine).
- Purification of intracellular enzyme from bacterial and yeast source.
- Biochemical characterization of enzyme, Enzyme Kinetics.
- Biophysical characterization of enzyme (Fluorometric analysis , Circular Dicroism)
- Proficiency in computer application like WINDOWS, MS-Office & Internet related work.
Techniques Known
- Microbiology: Isolation, Identification and Characterization of microorganisms, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
- Biochemistry: Hands on experience with protein purification techniques, ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration, affinity chromatography, western blotting etc. Native and SDS-Poly Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, IsoElectric Focusing (IEF), 2d Gel Electrophoresis, Estimation of DNA and Proteins.
- Molecular Biology: Isolation of DNA and RNA, Transformation, Conjugation, Transfection, Restriction digestion, Ligation, Blotting Techniques, Gel Electrophoresis, Polymerase Chain Reactions, Reverse Transcriptase PCR, Real Time PCR Rapid Amplification of Polymorphic DNA sequences.
Description of research background
Belonging from a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) institute, I had been working on Industrial Biotechnology. Penicillin V acylase (PVA) is pharmaceutically important enzyme to produce 6-aminopanicillanic acid (6-APA), a starting molecule for the manufacture of semi-synthetic antibiotics. Screening and isolation was carried out of micro-organisms producing PVA, from various natural microflora such as samples of soil, drainage and waste materials, and national culture collections. The First time, very high production of intracellular PVA from bacteria, Erwinia aroideae and yeast Rhodotorula aurantiaca was achieved by media manipulations and standardizing fermentation parameters. Further, for the first time, 8 fold increase of cell-bound PVA activity was achieved by using organic solvents on E. aroideae cells, enhancement in enzyme activity was correlated to physicochemical properties of solvents; results help for selection of suitable solvents to permeabilize Gram-negative bacteria; however enhanced activity of permeabilized cells can be used as biocatalysts in future
Intracellular PVA activity of R. aurantiaca was enhanced by CTAB treatment and visual evidences presented by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for the first time. This is the first time we have purified PVA from R. aurantiaca, an eukaryotic source of PVA and characterized, extensively, as smallest active monomeric PVA of 36 kDa; further, active site characterization and microenvironment of tryptophan residues of Ra-PVA, in its native and denatured conditions, was investigated using fluorometry and circular dicroism analysis.
List of References
Dr. (Mrs.) Archana V. Pundle
Research Guide
Senior Scientist
Division of Biochemical Sciences
National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008
INDIA
Telephone: +91-20-2590-2239/2313
Fax: +91-20-25902648
E- mail: av.pundle@ncl.res.in
Dr. C. G. Suresh
Senior Scientist
Division of Biochemical Sciences
National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008
INDIA
Telephone: +91-20-2590-2235
Fax: +91-20-25902648
E- mail: cg.suresh@ncl.res.in
Dr. (Mrs.) Asmita A. Prabhune
Senior Scientist
Division of Biochemical Sciences
National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008
INDIA
Telephone: +91-20-2590-2239/2313
Fax: +91-20-25902648
E- mail: aa.prabhune@ncl.res.in
