Anita Venkiteswaran

ANITA VENKITESWARAN

Female, 21

Years

ACADEMIC PROFILE 2006(Expected): B. Tech (Hons.) in Biotechnology & Biochemical Engineering I.I.T. Kharagpur CGPA: 9.58/10.00 2002: Higher Secondary Examination (WB Board), South Point High School, Calcutta Percentage: 94.00 2000: Secondary Examination (WB Board), Carmel High School, Calcutta Percentage: 92.75

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS Scholarshi  Recipient of the Dr. Meghnad Saha Scholarship under the Jagadis Bose National ps National and State Level Examinatio ns

Science Talent Search Scheme (JBNSTS), 2002-03

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Others

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9th rank in Higher Secondary Examination, 2002 out of 200,000+ candidates 2nd rank in WBJEE Engineering Entrance Examination, 2002 out of 60,000+ candidates 24th rank in WBJEE Medical Entrance Examination, 2002 out of 20,000+ candidates 20th rank in Secondary Examination, 2000 out of 600,000+ candidates considered for National Scholarship on the basis of the same The Guidance Award for Academic Excellence by a Student awarded by The Telegraph School Awards for Excellence, 2002 Among 30 participants selected for the CSIR Programme on Youth for Leadership in Science, 2000

PUBLICATIONS 

Co-authoring a paper on the association of glutamate receptor genes (GluR1, GluR2, GluR3, GluR4, GluR5, GluR6, GluR7, KA1 and KA2) with cognitive impairments in epileptic patients on topiramate, with Dr. Anna Need, Dr. Rinki Singh, Dr. Sanjay Sisodiya and Prof. David B. Goldstein, which is in preparation and expected to be submitted by the end of December 2005.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES 

Among 40 international participants selected to be a part of the Fourth Borsellino College on Neurophysics conducted at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy from 27th September - 8th October 2004. Participated in a series of lectures and discussions with eminent scientists in the field of neuroscience.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Room No H-307, I.G. Hall of Residence, E-MAIL – [email protected] I.I.T. Kharagpur-721302. +91-9434369072

PHONE NO:

ANITA VENKITESWARAN

Female, 21

Years

UNIVERSITY Project & Guide Project Synopsis

COLLEGE

LONDON,

U.K.

A study of the association between GluR6 and KA1 gene polymorphisms and cognitive impairments in epileptic patients on topiramate  Prof. David B. Goldstein, Duke Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, U.S.A. 

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Identified tagging SNPs (using TagIT program) in candidate genes, GluR6 and KA1 coding for kainate receptors and subsequently genotyped them using TaqMan-based allelic discrimination assays in a cohort of epileptic patients  Analyzed the data using a case-control approach, for individual tags (chi-squared test) and haplotypes (haplo.score Achievem package) associated with the cognitive response of epileptic patients to topiramate ents  Recommended for PhD in Genetics and Genomics at Duke University by guide  On invitation, presented study findings at Duke University, and co-authoring paper on the same

(May - July 2005) S.I.S.S.A, TRIESTE, ITALY 2004) Project & Guide

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 Key Learnings

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(December

Neuronal basis of tactile perception by whiskers in rats Prof. Mathew Diamond, Professor, S.I.S.S.A, Italy Learnt electrophysiological recording techniques to measure frequency and patterns of neuronal firing, in active and anaesthetized rats exposed to texture of various levels of roughness Learnt to devise experimental procedures for training rats to distinguish rough and smooth surfaces using their whiskers, and to analyze the neuronal data and interpret the results

N.C.B.S, T.I.F.R, BANGALORE (May - July, 2004)  A functional ablation approach to identify the neural circuitry underlying Project & different aspects of larval Guide locomotion in Drosophila melanogaster using the binary enhancer trap P [GAL4] system Project  Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Director, N.C.B.S, Bangalore Synopsis  Characterized the expression of 64 Japanese GAL4 lines in Drosophila by crossing them with UAS-Tau-GFP lines and identified those GAL4 lines with expression regions in the CNS and PNS  Crossed the identified GAL4 lines with UAS-TNT H/G (Tetanus Toxin) lines and recorded hatching and Achievem locomotion patterns to determine putative regions in the CNS responsible for peristalsis ents in Drosophila larvae

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Recommended for the Fourth Borsellino College on Neurophysics conducted at I.C.T.P. Trieste, Italy by guide

PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN AT I.I.T. KHARAGPUR RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY 2003 onwards)

Room No H-307, I.G. Hall of Residence, E-MAIL – [email protected] I.I.T. Kharagpur-721302. +91-9434369072

(January

PHONE NO:

ANITA VENKITESWARAN

Female, 21

Years

Project & Guide

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Partial amplification, cloning and sequencing of Beta Actin and GAPDH genes in Antheraea mylitta Prof. A. K. Ghosh, Professor, Department of Biotechnology

Designed primers for Beta Actin and GAPDH (housekeeping genes) based on conservation patterns observed in human, mouse and Drosophila  Isolated total RNA from silk gland tissue of Antheraea mylitta larva, converted the mRNA to cDNA and then partially amplified it using the designed primers. Cloned the PCR product into a suitable vector followed by transformation, selection of recombinant colonies, plasmid extraction, digestion and subsequent sequencing to generate the required gene probes 

Project Synopsis

PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY LABORATORY (September 2003 – May 2004) Project &  Growing hairy roots in Nicotia tabacum and Cucumus sativus as an indicator of expression of Guide recombinant FGF8b in those plants  Prof. S. Dey, Head, Department of Biotechnology Project  Prepared electro-competent cells of Agrobacterium rhizogenes and electroporated Synopsis suitable binary vector containing FGF-8 into the cells  Aseptically produced tobacco and cucumber seedlings and transformed them with Agrobacterium rhizogenes to Achievem establish hairy root lines ents

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Project adjudged the “Best JBNSTS (Jagadis Bose National Science Talent Search) Project” in 2004

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Room No H-307, I.G. Hall of Residence, E-MAIL – [email protected] I.I.T. Kharagpur-721302. +91-9434369072

PHONE NO:

ANITA VENKITESWARAN

Female, 21

Years

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Steering Committee Member, Kshitij 2006, the annual I.I.T. Kharagpur technomanagement festival. Leading a team of 50 peers and juniors responsible for sponsorship, publicity and Positions overall management of the festival. of Responsib  Head, Publicity Team, Kshitij 2005. Led a team of 36 peers and juniors responsible for revamping and ility restructuring the events. Achieved a participation of 1500 out-station college students, as compared to the previous best of 300. Achieved international participation for the first time ever.  Governor, English Technology Dramatics Society, I.I.T. Kharagpur 2004-2005. Responsible for directing Dramatics the Freshers’ Production and familiarizing newcomers with the finer nuances of dramatics.  School Pupil Leader, Carmel High School, 1999-2000. As the first nominated school pupil leader in the history of the school, was responsible for bringing in novel concepts in school events, especially the Christmas production and conceptualizing the inter-school festival Debating

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Best Actress, Open I.I.T. English Dramatics Competition, 2003-04 Played lead role in the play “And then there were none” written by Agatha Christie, which was adjudged the 2nd Best Play in the Open I.I.T. English Dramatics competition, 2003-04

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Winner, Open I.I.T. Debate, 2003-04 Best Speaker, Debate Competition, 2001 organized by Yuva Parishad Manch and Right Now Winner, National Debate Competition, 2000 organized by N.C.E.R.T, India and UNFPA

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Bronze Medal, Inter-School Regatta (Rowing Competition), 1999 organized by the Lake Club, Kolkata Conferred the Senior Diploma in Bharat Natyam by Bharatha Natya Kalalaya and Sarba Bharatiya Sangeet-O-Sanskriti Parishad, 1997-98 Silver Medal, West Bengal State Dance Talent Search Competition, 1995

REFERENCES 1. Prof. David B. Goldstein, Head, Centre for Population Genomics and Pharmacogenetics, Duke Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, Duke University, U.S.A. Email: [email protected] 2. Prof. S. Dey, Head, Department of Biotechnology, I.I.T. Kharagpur, India Email: [email protected] 3. Prof. A.K.Ghosh, Professor, Department of Biotechnology, I.I.T. Kharagpur, India Email: [email protected] 4. Prof. Mathew Diamond, Professor, S.I.S.S.A, Trieste, Italy Email: [email protected]

LIST OF COURSES UNDERTAKEN

Room No H-307, I.G. Hall of Residence, E-MAIL – [email protected] I.I.T. Kharagpur-721302. +91-9434369072

PHONE NO:

ANITA VENKITESWARAN

Female, 21

Years

Biosciences Chemical Engineerin g Mathemati cs Physics & Chemistry Engineerin g Subjects IT Humanitie s Manageme nt

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Biochemistry, Microbiology, Thermodynamics & Biochemical Reaction Engineering, Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Industrial Microbiology and Enzyme Technology, Drug Design and Development, Plant Cell and Tissue Culture, Protein Engineering, Bioinformatics, Bio-mechanics

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Transport Processes, Phase Equilibrium Thermodynamics Estimation, Fundamentals of Food Engineering

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Transform Calculus, Numerical Solutions of Ordinary & Partial Differential Equations, Vector Analysis, Complex Analysis, Probability Theory and Statistics, Partial Differential Equations

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Physics, Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry

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Engineering Drawing and Graphics, Electrical Technology, Basic Electronics, Mechanics, Introduction to Manufacturing Processes

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Programming in C and Data Structures, Introduction to Internet

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English for Communication, Economics

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Marketing Management

and

Property

LIST OF COURSES BEING UNDERTAKEN Biosciences Engineerin g Subjects Humanities

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Bioreactor Analysis and Design

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Biomedical Instrumentation

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German

LIST OF COURSES TO BE UNDERTAKEN Biosciences

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Immunology, Downstream Processing, Metabolic Engineering

Room No H-307, I.G. Hall of Residence, E-MAIL – [email protected] I.I.T. Kharagpur-721302. +91-9434369072

PHONE NO:

ANITA VENKITESWARAN

Female, 21

Years

Room No H-307, I.G. Hall of Residence, E-MAIL – [email protected] I.I.T. Kharagpur-721302. +91-9434369072

PHONE NO: