Download Project Proposal: Genetic Code Reassignments

Project Proposal: Genetic Code Reassignments
In the event of my selection I would like to start working on Genetic code
reassignments. After the elucidation of the genetic code, it was proposed as
universal, a common genetic language to all organisms and the fundamental
importance of its function suggests that, the code was non-evolvable and even
frozen. In this era, genome and protein sequencing/analysis have helped in
identifying many new codon reassignments and it is increasing day by day. The
increase in the number of codon reassignments in nuclear and mitochondrial
genomes of specific organisms argues that the genetic code is evolving and not
frozen.
From Escherichia coli to humans use the universal genetic code which has been
frozen for billions of years and it has been argued that the codon reassignment
causes mistranslation of the genetic information and must be lethal. The codon
reassignments would show a significant negative impact on the survival of an
organism by major alterations in the proteome, leading to both the synthesis of
aberrant, non-functional polypeptides and misfolded proteins. It is quite
interesting to study how the organisms are flexible with the codon
reassignments and also it will provide important new insights on how the
translational machinery is controlled.
This study will help us to know the intricacies of genetic code evolution and it
will throw more light on the ability of the organism to maintain the flexibility
with the codon reassignments and translational fidelity. This study might also
pave way for further understanding about protein evolution. The emerging
various codon reassignments have several serious implications in the
forthcoming era. In the process of drug designing careful consideration has to
be taken during modelling and confirming the target because any codon
reassignment in the product or the target would interfere with the activity and
also in the production of recombinant proteins or antibody. A detailed study on
codon reassignments would prove worthy in the drug designing, recombinant
protein/antibody production and also in finding the evolution of the genetic
code. This study would also help us in understanding the basic mechanisms of
the organism like maintaining the flexibility, controlling the translational error
rate etc. The positive and negative impact on codon reassignment with relation
to antibiotics will also be studied in detail.
Areas of Research Interest:
Genetic Code Reassignments
Genetic regulation of Mutagenesis in Escherichia coli.
Genetic Regulation of Proteases
Molecular and Genetic Analysis of Suppression
Genetics of Incompatibility suppressors
Finding out the Molecular and Genetic nature of resistance of clinically
important antibiotics
Development of Industrially / Agriculturally important microorganisms
Transposon and their events
Metagenomics
Microbial Bioremediation.