Cell adhesion & Signaling lab

Welcome!

We utilize state-of-the-art computational tools including deep learning-based methods for protein structure prediction and molecular dynamics simulations to design and understand proteins for therapeutic applications and drug discovery, specifically targeting infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer metastasis.

Research in our laboratory is funded through CHLS/HBKU internal fund, HBKU Innovation Center, Office of the Vice President of Research, and the Qatar National Research Foundation (QNRF).

In the news:

Grants

• 1st November 2023 - Dr. Biswas (LPI; with Dr. Mustapha Aouida/CHLS, Dr. Prasanna Kolatkar/QBRI, and Dr. Hebah Al-Khatib/Qatar University) receives major funding (Academic Research Grant - Cycle 01) from Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI)/Qatar National Research Foundation (QNRF)! 

• Dr. Biswas received funding from the HBKU Innovation Center (Industrial Innovation Fund - Cycle 06) for developing a cGMP biosensor with an extended dynamic range of detection!

• 15th December 2022 - Biswas lab, in collaboration with Dr. Prasanna Kolatkar and Dr. Henning Horn, received the HBKU Thematic Grant Cycle 02 fund! We will be utilizing state-of-the-art deep learning-based computational tools, in conjunction with bioluminescence-based biosensors and other biophysical and cell-based assays to design and characterize synthetic peptide-based PROTACS that bind and cause degradation of alpha-catenin for potential application in abrogating metastasis of breast cancer cells that utilize cadherin adhesion for homing to new organs. 

• Happy to announce that we have received the HBKU IC Industrial Innovation Fund 2022

• Delighted to announce we have been awarded the Rapid Response Call (RRC) Covid-19: Lessons Learned and Road to Recovery grant with Dr. Tanvir Alam/CSE (LPI)!

• Glad to announce that we have received the HBKU IC Industrial Innovation Fund 2021

• Glad to have successfully partnered with Dr. Bo Wang/CSE/HBKU, in the HBKU Thematic Grant application 2021

Awards/Prizes

• 21st November 2024 - Asma was awarded the Best Flash Talk award at the 2nd International Colloquium on Bioinformatics Learning, Education, and Training (iCOBLET2024) held at the University of Doha for Science & Technology, Doha, Qatar!

• 17th October 2023 - Angelin & team was awarded the first position in the Young Investigator Awards at the 4th International Computational Science and Engineering Conference (ICSEC23)!

• 21st March 2023 - Ph.D. student in the lab, Angelin M Philip, received the HBKU Student Life Awards Honor Community Service and Leadership conferred by the HBKU Office of Student Affairs

• 23rd Feb 2023 - Angelin received the Student Research Achievement Award in the Theory and Computation section at the 67th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, California, USA!

• 26th Sept 2022 - Dr. Anu received the Best Poster Award at the Precision Medicine & Functional Genomics conference organized by Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar!

Other Achievements

• 2nd April 2023 - First PhD student, Wesam S Ahmed, successfully defended his thesis!

• Publication of the review article cell-cell adhesion assembly and maintenance

• Publication of the review article on E-cadherin adhesion

• While we think we understand the cell, it never ceases to surprise us