About PI

Dr. Arunkumar Krishnan is a computational biologist broadly working within the theme of comparative and evolutionary genomics. Dr. Krishnan obtained his Ph.D. in evolutionary genomics in September 2015 from Uppsala University, Sweden, under the supervision of Professor Helgi Schiöth. Since completing his Ph.D., he relocated twice to gain research experience from two outstanding evolutionary biology research labs: once from Uppsala to Brisbane to join Dr. Bernard Degnan’s group at the University of Queensland (UQ) and then from Brisbane to NCBI, NIH, US to join Dr. L Aravind’s group after acquiring the prestigious NIH postdoctoral fellowship. Currently, Dr. Krishnan has started his own research group at IISER Berhampur.

Dr. Krishnan’s major scientific achievements include

Establishment of deep events in the evolution of the ABC superfamily of P-loop NTPases and their functional radiation in RNA editing, translation, metabolism, DNA repair, and biological conflicts.
Identification of multiple novel ABC ATPase-dependent counter-invader systems.
Establishment of key events in the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) replication apparatus and the origin of the unusual plasmid-like features of kDNA.
Unravelling the origin of the DNA binding domains (BHDs) involved in the unique DNA lesion recognition of Nucleotide Excision Repair.
Establishing the massive diversity of AID/APOBECs (for the first time outside of vertebrates) and their DNA/RNA editing roles as one of the basis of immune defense in various metazoan lineages including urochordates, echinoderms, nematodes, arthropods, lophotrochozoans, cnidarians, and Porifera.
Identification of multiple novel clades including highly divergent and secreted versions of AID-APOBECs in vertebrates.
Establishing the genomic overview and core functions of Jumbo Phages.
Elucidating the olfactory component in the genome of the Kiwi (fly-less bird) and Crown of Thorns Star-Fish (COTS: An Echinoderm).
Elucidating the early emergence of Eph-ephrin-based cell-cell communication and its role in the evolution of metazoan multicellularity.
Reconstructing the early origins and diversification of the G-protein coupled receptor signaling system.