What made you join IISER? Were you always inclined towards research or was there any other influence?
People from South India are obsessed with MBBS and engineering. I, being from there, was also pressured to take MBBS. So, as an escape from medical college, I chose this program. Even though the reason was not passion for research, I am loving the path I have taken.
So, you have been at IISER Mohali for 5 years. And a bit of it was online while COVID kicked in. How would you compare your offline years with online ones?
Personally, online classes were more fun than offline classes. I made tons of new friends during the online semester. Because the whole batch was in front of a screen all day, everybody was available anytime for any help. It was also weird because you made friends by just chatting and not meeting them.
About celebrations, all major ones like Ganeshotsav and Onam were conducted online. You can probably find the clips of those on YouTube. It certainly can’t be compared to what we have offline, but we had a lot of fun collaborating from a distance. It was a relief from our loneliness. We also had all IISERs come together to celebrate Onam. We could never do that offline. That was something good coming out of an online celebration (Chuckles).
I don’t want it to return, but it was a pleasant, new experience.
You mentioned you are from South India. How was the transition from South to North India?
There are a lot of things different from South India here. For starters, the food, the climate, the people…., these are not what I grew up with. Going out of the campus is an adventure every time. My Hindi is not the best but every conversation I have with the locals here is fun, especially the ones with the cleaning staff or “didi” as we lovingly call them. It’s a hard task to make them understand what I mean every time we converse (laughs).
Exploring North Indian cuisine is one of my favorite things to do here, especially street food. That would probably be one of the best things I would remember about this place.
Commenting on the weather here, I believe North Indian winters deserve a special mention. I am sure many would disagree but I really love winters here. I believe they are more bearable than summers, at least wearing jackets would ease the cold. A memory I will always remember about winters is the time I saw snow for the first time. It was on a Kedarkantha trip organized by ASC. This is what clubs here have done for me – Open up new opportunities and give wonderful experiences.
I would say I loved this place and the time I had here. I would love to relive those moments if given a chance. This place and its people have definitely made my South to North transition way easier than imagined.
Would you say IISER Mohali changed you and your peers?
I think everyone has undergone some sort of change. We all were so young, naïve and different when we first came here. We all wanted to be adults so badly. Sometimes, I wish I had done things differently in the first year. But I don’t have any regrets. I am actually very grateful for everything that happened because those lessons have shaped my present. So yes, IISER Mohali definitely changed me, but for the better.
What advice would you have wished your seniors had given you when you were trying to survive here? Would you like to share some of your own with us?
I wish somebody had told me more about laboratory work and the importance of doing internships. Those are really important for your career as a researcher, especially in biology. One thing I would wish to pass on to my juniors is to not put too much pressure on yourself. Take your time and never lose hope. Sometimes it is difficult but always remember the best is yet to come and good things take time. Be consistent and sincere with your work, and everything will turn out fine.
So, internships are important. Can you tell us about your internship experiences? How do you think it benefits the students?
I only did one internship outside campus, at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram. It was so different to live and work on a new campus, especially when you are more comfortable in your parent institute. That’s one reason I didn’t want to go out of IISER Mohali. Also, COVID really messed up our first two years, so we didn’t get much exposure in a laboratory.
One thing I learned from internships is to not jump from lab to lab, or subject to subject. Exploring is good and take your time on it, but once you choose a subject, try to focus on it. Try to do some projects on it. At least it will help with your CV (Smiles).
Every BS-MS student finds their last year in college, the thesis year, to be the most important part of their studies. How would you describe your thesis year experience? Did it help you in deciding what to do next?
The thesis year was totally different from the previous four years. I did my thesis under Prof Anand K Bachhawat. Till the 4th year you have a schedule to follow – go to classes on time, finish your work on time etc. But in the final year, you can do your work in your timings, in your way. It’s more relaxed than the other years.
Also, the thing about the thesis year is that, suddenly our thinking changes. We start to think about everything experimentally. We also learn a whole lot of new techniques and procedures in the lab. The exciting part is that you get to interact with other people in your field who are very knowledgeable and are willing to introduce you to new frontiers in your field. We also get to attend seminars, talks and discussions and get to know our field in depth.
Apart from all the interesting things going on in the lab, my best motivation to go there in the summers was the AC though (laughs).
The title of my thesis is “Evaluating a yeast model for 5-Oxoproline toxicity using heterologous expression of a mammalian 5-Oxoproline transporter”. It discusses the impact of 5-oxoproline (5-OP) accumulation in yeast by introducing a mammalian transporter, MCT1, which facilitated 5-OP transport into yeast cells lacking the OXP1 gene. This led to intracellular 5-OP buildup, triggering oxidative stress and growth defects, indicating a potential mechanism underlying the observed toxicity.
Everybody would be asking you just one thing for the next few months. We would like to know too… What are your future plans?
As of now, I am planning to do a PhD in molecular biology, possibly in the United States or Europe. Once you get into the “Lab life”, there is no going back I guess (laughs). Let’s see what is waiting for me out there.
Now that you will be leaving, could you tell us how your college days were? Was it what you expected?
The college life I had was very different from what I expected in the first year. I had a lot of fun of course. Many unexpected things happened too. College dramas, late-night chats with people, trips with friends, academics and stress… nothing could have prepared me for this wild ride. I will always remember these 5 years. And I certainly will miss this place.
Whatever it is that you imagine college is going to be, I can guarantee you that it will always be somewhat different. In the end, though, these experiences, good or bad, are what make you the person you will be later on. So, try and make these years turn you into a better self.
Interviewed by: Anamika SS
Edited by: Amitesh Gupta & Hanisha Vadlakonda
Manthan 