Dr. Snigdha Mishra 

Dr. Snigdha Mishra is an avid fly researcher. While working on Drosophila melanogaster, a widely acclaimed invertebrate model for genetics, she received her Ph. D from CSIR- Indian Institute of Toxicology Research and later joined Dr. Mariana Wolfner’s fly-lab at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, to work on male derived reproductive proteins and how they modulate the physiology and behavior of females, post-transfer. She has publications in journals of international repute, including Elife, BMC Biology, PLoS Genetics, Toxicological Sciences, Scientific Reports, Phil Trans Royal Sci B, and likewise.

Dr. Mishra carries expert hands-on biological techniques, such as Reverse Transcriptase PCR, Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, Semi-quantitative/Quantitative Real Time PCR (qPCR), Cloning, CRISPR-based knock-outs and TAP-tagged Knock-ins of peptides, CRISPR based generation of mutants, Protein modification (carbonylation), 1D/ 2D- Gel Electrophoresis, Western blotting, Immunofluorescence, TAP-TAG pull down assays. Biochemical assays- ELISA, ONPG assays, X-Gal staining, both in vitro/ in vivo conditions, Reactive oxygen species measurement via blotting based oxy-blot analysis, protein carbonyl content analysis. Inverted and fluorescence microscopes. GC-MS/MS-based metabolome profiling and Tandem Affinity Purification based techniques for characterization of the molecular interactors or proteins in the complex.

Prior to joining UPES, Dr. Snigdha Mishra worked as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at Wolfner Lab, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA 2018-2021. Dr. Mishra also worked as a Research Associate at the National Institute of Research in Reproductive Health, Mumbai, India.

Dr. Mishra carries expertise in the areas of Molecular Biology, Recombinant DNA Technology and Genetics; Developmental Biology; Drosophila Research in Reproductive Biology and endocrinology. She uses the tools of the powerful model system Drosophila to address questions about seminal proteins and sperm in action. Additionally, she also works on reproductive ailments where obesity serves as the underlying risk factor, employing fruit flies as the model of research.

Dr. Mishra considers (1) Envisioning the subject (or science here) as an actual live process and (2) individualizing one’s own learning experiences as the two most important criteria of effective learning and understanding of the subject. She has developed a new technique-based curriculum for undergraduates and graduate students to expand the existing knowledge of bio instrumentation, recombinant DNA technology, molecular biology, and advances in genetics courses.

Molecular Biology, Recombinant DNA Technology, Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Development Biology, Biotechnology.

Presenter at Annual Drosophila Research Conference, USA (2019-2022), Qualified CSIR- National Eligibility Test for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) 2009, Qualified GATE 2009, Qualified CSIR- National Eligibility Test for LS 2008.

Nora C. Brown, Benjamin Gordon, Caitlin E. McDonough-Goldstein, Snigdha Misra, Geoffrey D. Findlay, Andrew G. Clark*, Mariana F. Wolfner*. The seminal odorant binding protein Obp56g is required for mating plug formation and male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster. Under review in Elife (IF-8.7)

Snigdha Misra, Norene A. Buehner, Akanksha Singh, MF Wolfner. Female factors are essential for seminal Sex Peptide’s association with sperm in mated Drosophila melanogaster. BMC Biology, 2022, 20: 279 (IF-7.4)

Snigdha Misra, MF Wolfner. Drosophila seminal sex peptide associates with rival as well as own sperm, providing SP function in polyandrous females. Elife 9, 2020, e58322 (IF-8.7) Snigdha Misra, Anuj Kumar Pandey, Snigdha Gupta, Ajay Kumar, Priyanka Khanna, Jai Shankar, Ravi Ram Kristipati. Estrogen-related receptor is required for testicular development and for the normal sperm axoneme/mitochondrial derivatives in Drosophila males. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 2017| 7:40372 (IF-5.0)

Snigdha Misra, Anshuman Singh, Chintapalli Ratnasekhar, Vandana Sharma, Mohana Krishna Reddy Mudiam and Kristipati Ravi Ram. Identification of Drosophila-based endpoints for the assessment and understanding of xenobiotic-mediated male reproductive adversities. TOXICOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 2014, 141(1), 278–291 (IF-4.1). This work (Tox sci 2014) has been included in OECD and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) documents on the final scope of risk evaluation and assessment for Dibutyl phthalate.

Snigdha Misra, Ajay Kumar, CH Ratnasekhar, Vandana Sharma, Mohan Krishna Reddy Mudiam, Kristipati Ravi Ram. Exposure to endosulfan influences sperm competition in Drosophila. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 2014| 4 : 7433 (IF-5.0)

Vandana Sharma, Anuj Kumar Pandey, Ajay Kumar, Snigdha Misra, Himanshu P K Gupta, Snigdha Gupta, Anshuman Singh, Norene A Buehner, Kristipati Ravi Ram. Functional male accessory glands and fertility in Drosophila require novel ecdysone receptors. PLoS GENETICS, 2017, 1006788 (IF-6.0)

Nora C. Brown†, Sarah E. Allen, SnigdhaMisra, Jessica L. Sitnik‡, Irem Sepil, Andrew G. Clark and Mariana F. Wolfner. The Drosophila seminal proteome and its role in postcopulatory sexual selection. Stuart Wigby†. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2020. Vol. 375, Issue. 1813 (IF-6.7) Misra S, Allen SE, Chen DS and Wolfner MF. Seminal metalloprotease-1. In N.D Rawlings & D. Auld (Eds.), Handbook of Proteolytic enzymes (4th ed.). Academic Press. In press

snigdha.misra@ddn.upes.ac.in