CUSAT

Dr. Ajith Vengellur
Assistant Professor

Department of Biotechnology

Email: vengellur@gmail.com
Phone:

CUSAT IQAC Profile
https://iqac.cusat.ac.in/Web/profile_view/121/Dr.AJITHVENGELLUR

Dr. Vengellur received his BSc. in Agriculture from Kerala Agricultural University in 1997, his MSc. from GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in 2000, and earned his Ph.D. in Genetics from Michigan State University in 2007. He did his doctoral and postdoctoral training under Dr. John Lapres at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Michigan State University. At CUSAT he is also affiliated with the Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM) and Inter University Centre for Nanomaterials and Devices (IUCND).

His research interests include elucidation of molecular signaling pathways in development and disease, such as cancer, ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases; and effect of environmental contaminants such as metals, PCBs, and other toxicants on these pathways. He is also interested in the development of therapeutics and diagnostic tools for various medical health problems such as sepsis, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases

Publications

1. Hwang HJ, Lynn SG, Vengellur A, Saini Y, Grier EA, Ferguson-Miller SM, LaPres JJ. Hypoxia Inducible Factors Modulate Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption and Transcriptional Regulation of Nuclear-Encoded Electron Transport Chain Genes. Biochemistry. 2015 Jun 23; 54(24):3739-48.

2. Tappenden, D.M., Lynn, S.G., Crawford, R.B., Lee, K., Vengellur, A., Kaminski, N.E., Thomas, R.S., and LaPres, J.J., 2011. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacts with ATP5a1, a subunit of the ATP synthase complex, and modulates mitochondrial function. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 254(3): 299-310.

3. Vengellur, A., Grier, E., and LaPres, J.J., 2011. The loss of HIF1a leads to increased susceptibility to cadmium chloride-induced toxicity in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. J. Toxicol. 2011; 2011:391074.

4. Vengellur, A., Phillips, J.M., Hogenesch, J., and LaPres, J.J., 2005. Gene expression profiling of the hypoxia signaling in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Physiol. Genomics. 11; 22(3):308-18.

5. Vengellur, A., and LaPres, J.J., 2004. The role of hypoxia inducible factor 1a in cobalt chloride induced cell death in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Toxicol. Sci. 82, 638-46.

6. Vengellur, A., Woods, B.G., Ryan, H.E., Johnson, R.S., and LaPres, J.J., 2003. Gene expression profiling of the hypoxia signaling pathway in hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha null mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Gene Expr. 11(3-4):181-97.

For More Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=vengellur

Research Team

Badarul Jamal P

DIVYA MENON

SAIPRIYA P.P.

SREELAKSHMI SADANANDAN

View Faculties

Dr. Sayuj Koyyappurath

Dr. Sreekanth P M

Dr. Rajesh P P

Dr. Bhavya Balan Chandrika

Dr. Sreeja Narayanan

Dr. Sarita G Bhat

Dr. M. Chandrasekaran

Dr. Ajith Vengellur

Dr. Baby Chakrapani P. S.

featured courses

MSC BIOTECHNOLOGY

4 Semester | Full time | Qualification: CAT

M.Sc Biotechnology course is designed to cover the comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge to equip graduates with the necessary proficiency to become the next generation of bioscientists to lead new innovations in academia, industry and healthcare. This Masters course includes subjects such as cellular and molecular biology, rDNA technology, genetic engineering, immunology, bioprocess technology, enzymology and bioinformatics. In addition there are elective subjects which the students can choose based on their interests such as environmental biotechnology, animal biotechnology, nano biotechnology, medical and industrial Biotechnology. Students usually do their Masters project work (Semester 4) either in CUSAT or in other prestigious institutes such as IIT, IISc, NIIST and IISER. Career opportunities available for Biotechnology post-graduates includes positions in research institutes, biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical & nutraceutical sectors, pharmacovigilance, fermentation industries, food and dairy industries and bioenergy sector. The department has a team of highly efficient and well qualified teaching faculty with a good experience in teaching and research. There is a breadth of research expertise among the faculty members, with each of them specializing in different thrust areas.
Eligibility: B.Sc Life science Subjects/ Biotechnology from recognised University/Institution.

Syllabus

Mentor-Mentee

PO-PSO

MSC MICROBIOLOGY

4 Semester | Full time | Qualification: CAT

Microbiology, a classical discipline in Biological Sciences, is an extremely diverse field. The Masters course includes basic and application level subjects such as cell and molecular biology, microbial biotechnology, genetic engineering, immunology, bioprocess technology, rDNA technology and marine microbiology. Students usually do their Masters project work (Semester 4) either in CUSAT or in other prestigious institutes such as IIT, IISc, NIIST and IISER. Ample career opportunities are available for Microbiology post-graduates in diverse areas including research institutes, pharmaceutical & nutraceutical sectors, hospitals, analytical laboratories, fermentation industries, food and dairy industries, catering industries, bioenergy sector and in biotechnology companies/start-ups. The department has a team of highly efficient and well qualified teaching faculty with a good experience in teaching and research. There is a breadth of research expertise among the faculty members, with each of them specializing in different thrust areas.
Eligibility: B.Sc Life science Subjects/ Microbiology from recognised University/Institution.

Syllabus

Mentor-Mentee

PO-PSO

PhD in Biotechnology

Full time | Qualification: DAT

PhD degree provides the research fellow advanced and specialized training in a particular area of research. The research areas a PhD student can focus include microbiology, cell & molecular Biology, neurobiology and cancer biology. The choice of research area will depend on the project/faculty that he/she joins. The student has to complete course works (in relevant subjects) during their PhD tenure. Students get an opportunity to participate in national/international conferences and internships during the tenure of PhD program.
Eligibility: Post graduation in Life Science Subjects from a recognised college/ university or M. Phil. Degree in the relevant discipline.

Syllabus

Integrated M.Sc in Biological Sciences

10 Semester | Full time | Qualification: CAT

The Department of Biotechnology offers a five-year Integrated MSc in Biological Sciences. Eligible candidates must have a minimum of 50% in their qualifying examination, with Biology, Physics, and Chemistry as subjects.This interdisciplinary program is designed to immerse students in a research-intensive environment, combining rigorous theoretical coursework with extensive hands-on laboratory training in fields like Genomics, Proteomics, and Molecular Biology. Beyond the classroom, the curriculum emphasizes industry readiness through mandatory internships and a terminal research project, facilitating a direct transition into global PhD programs or high-level roles in the biotech industry.

Syllabus

Mentor-Mentee

PO-PSO

Internship and Dissertation

Both internships and dissertations offer incredible opportunities to deepen your academic knowledge, develop practical skills, and explore potential career paths. If you're interested in undertaking an internship or dissertation, please reach out to a faculty member whose expertise matches your area of interest.