Molecular researcher. Global health thinker. From CRISPR labs to LMIC market access — science with purpose.
I am an MS Biotechnology candidate at the University of Portsmouth — a researcher who thinks in systems, from molecule to market. My work spans CRISPR/Cas9 functional modelling of the human BTBD6 p.Gln194* variant in Xenopus tropicalis, and transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis — investigating how the L55P mutation drives protein misfolding.
Before my MS, I worked inside India's biotech and healthcare sector, watching how supply constraints, procurement politics, and affordability gaps determine what medicines reach patients. That gave me a ground-level understanding of LMIC access barriers — not just in policy papers.
I hold a Governor's Award from The Bharat Scouts and Guides, and I was accepted to present a flash talk at the Cancer Prevention Research Conference 2026 in Atlanta on AI-driven breast cancer risk prediction.
BTBD6 is a protein required to kickstart neurogenesis. When lost, a key repressor called PLZF cannot be cleared — and neurons fail to differentiate properly.
The patient variant p.Gln194* effectively switches BTBD6 off. No in vivo model existed for this specific variant — so we built one using CRISPR/Cas9 in Xenopus tropicalis.
My guide RNA (sgRNA42) successfully edited the gene — confirmed by T7E1 cleavage and Sanger sequencing. Crispant embryos showed microcephaly and body axis defects.
The key finding: a second guide RNA (sgRNA27) showed the same abnormalities despite 0% detectable editing — suggesting even tiny undetectable edits early in development can affect the whole embryo.
| Feature | L55P — Pathogenic | T119M — Protective |
|---|---|---|
| Protein Stability | Low — Highly Unstable | High — Kinetically Stabilised |
| Misfolding Speed | Fast — rapid dissociation | Slow — suppressed |
| Effect on Body | Organ Damage | Healthy Function |
* Expected results based on experimental design — data collection in progress · Supervisor: Dr Steve Wood
PCR products were re-annealed then digested with T7E1 (NEB, 37°C, 15 min). Fragments resolved on 1–2% agarose gel with SYBR Safe.
sgRNA42: Clear cleavage bands at ~520 bp and ~160 bp across all four crispant lanes — confirming CRISPR-induced indels.
sgRNA27: Only the 680 bp uncut band — no cleavage. Yet crispant tadpoles still showed abnormal development, pointing to sub-threshold mosaic editing.