Dr. Kamesh Rajendra Babu

Assistant Professor -Senior scale, Department of Allied Health Sciences

• PhD (Molecular Medicine) – University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany (2016)
• MPhil (Biochemistry) – University of Madras, Chennai, India (2012)
• MSc (Biotechnology) – VIT University, Vellore, India (2011)
• BSc (Microbiology) – University of Madras, Chennai, India (2009)

Area of Specialization:

Contribution:

• Identified miRNAs regulating mammalian iron transporters
• Identified the atlas of iron-regulated murine hepatic long non-coding RNAs
• Knowledge addition to the public domain by publishing several (6) peer-reviewed international articles

Interests:

• Non-coding RNAs
• Cancer Biology
• Molecular Medicine
• Nucleic acid-based markers and therapies

Career Graph:

• Founder and CEO of Samsara Biotech Pvt. Ltd., Tamilnadu, India (May 2021-June 2022)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore (April 2020-March 2021)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cancer Science Institute, NUS, Singapore (March 2017-March 2020)
• Research Fellow, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany (March 2013-December 2016)

Recent Publications:

• Li, J., Xu, D., Jiang, Y., Degirmenci, U., Babu, K.R., Xin, L., Yang, H., Sun, L. (2022) Alternative Isoform Usage Analysis of Adipose Tissues Reveals HuR as a Master Regulator for the Depot-specific Signatures. Nature Metabolism (In Revision)
• Babu, K.R., Sun, L. (2020) Control of iron availability in cancer by microRNAs. Proceedings of the Singapore National Academy of Science. 14(2): 79-89.
• Babu, K.R., Tay, Y. (2019) The Yin-Yang Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species and MicroRNAs in Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 20(21):5335
• Zhang, B., Babu, K.R., Lim, C.Y., Kwok, Z.H., Li, J., Zhou, S., Yang, H., Tay, Y. (2019). A comprehensive expression landscape of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) across 16 human cancer types. RNA Biology. 10.1080/15476286.2019.1673657, 1-16, doi:10.1080/15476286.2019.1673657
• Babu, K.R., Muckenthaler, M.U. (2019). miR-148a regulates the expression of the transferrin receptor 1 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Scientific Reports. 9, 1518 doi:10.1038/s41598-018-35947-7
• Babu, K.R., Muckenthaler, M.U. (2016). miR-20a regulates the expression of the iron exporter ferroportin in lung cancer. Journal of Molecular Medicine 94: 347{359
• Appari,M., Babu, K.R., Kaczorowski,A., Gross,W., & Herr,I. (2014). Sulforaphane, quercetin and catechins complement each other in the elimination of advanced pancreatic cancer by miR-let-7 induction and K-ras inhibition. International Journal of Oncology 45(4): 1391-1400

Selected conference papers:

• Babu, K.R., Prakash, A., Altamura, S., Klaus, B., Benes, V., Huber, W., Bateman, A., Muckenthaler, M.U. (2016). Identification of hepatic long non-coding RNAs involved in iron homeostasis. European iron club-Meeting, Innsbruck, Austria
• Babu, K.R., Muckenthaler, M.U. (2015). miR-20a regulates the expression of the iron exporter ferroportin in lung cancer. Sixth Congress of the International BioIron Society, Hangzhou, China
• Babu, K.R.., Muckenthaler, M.U. (2014). The expression of the iron exporter Ferroportin is controlled by the microRNA family miR-17. European iron club-Meeting, Verona, Italy
• Babu, K.R., Muckenthaler, M.U. (2014). The microRNA cluster miR-17-92 decreases the expression of the iron exporter Ferroportin. Non-coding RNA-mechanism to cancer, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany
• Babu, K.R., Hoti, S.L. (2012). Pharmacogenomic approach to unravel the variation in response to Diethylcarbamazine (DEC). International Symposium on Global Challenges of Chronic Tropical Diseases, Max-plank Institute of Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
• Babu, K.R., Hoti, S.L. (2011). Exploring polymorphism in the promoter of gene encoding prostaglandin I2 synthase involved in the diethylcarbamazine action. International Conference on Medical Genetics and Genomics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India

Professional Memberships/Fellowship:

• Member of the European Iron Club
• An awardee of HBIGS PhD graduate fellowship, Heidelberg, Germany (2013)
• Recipient of German Research Foundation (DFG 1036)
• Recipient of EcToP5 research grant from CellNetworks, Heidelberg, Germany

Honours and Achievements:

• Travel award from European Iron Club Meeting 2016, Innsbruck, Austria (Apr 2016)
• Travel award from Kyoto University Winter School 2016, Kyoto, Japan (Feb 2016)
• Travel award from International BioIron Society, Hangzhou, China (Sep 2015)
• Travel grant from European Iron Club Meeting 2014, Verona, Italy (Sep 2014)
• Best poster award from International Conference on Medical Genetics and Genomics, Tiruchirappalli, India (Dec 2011)