Scientist
Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute
Email: sjawaid@brni-jhu.org
Phone: 301-294-7175 (Office) / 301-294-7259 (Lab)
Fax: 301-294-7007
Education:
Ph.D. (Biosciences) Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University, Govt. of India) and Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB-CSIR), Delhi, India.
Research Interests and Goals:
Dr. Safdar Jawaid brings extensive academic and industrial expertise in molecular biology and biochemistry, and its application to biotherapeutics, potential targets for drug discovery, and diagnostic development. Goals of his ongoing research are to decipher the molecular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease and identification of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and their development for clinical diagnosis and disease containment. His current research includes finding and validating novel molecular diagnostic targets for patients like those with Alzheimer’s disease to minimize their suffering and improve their quality of life. Fibroblasts cultured from the skin of Alzheimer’s disease patients are compared with those obtained from normal subjects. The differential signal transduction responses of highly specific molecules participating in mitogen-activiated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are the foundations for these research activities. The accuracy and early sensitivity of these methods are projected to aid in developing drugs and managing disease, particularly for drugs and disease that depend upon alterations of PKC and associated pathways.
Areas of Expertise:
Alzheimer’s disease; neurodegenerative diseases; signal transduction; molecular biology; biochemistry; biotherapeutics and drug development.
Publications and Presentation:
Jawaid S, Seidle H, Zhou W, Abdirahman H, Abadeer M, Hix JH, van Hoek ML, Couch RD: “Kinetic characterization and phosphoregulation of the Francisella tularensis 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (MEP synthase)”. PLoS One (2009) 4(12):e8288.
Sharma RD, Goswami N, Lynn AM, Rajnee, Sharma PK, Jawaid S: “A modeled structure for amidase-03 from Bacillus anthracis”. Bioinformation (2009) 4(6): 242-244
Sharma RD, Lynn AM, Sharma PK, Rajnee, Jawaid S: “High temperature unfolding of Bacillus anthracis amidase-03 by molecular dynamics simulations”. Bioinformation. (2009) 3(10): 430–434
Choudhary ML, Jawaid S, Ahuja MK, Shiva NK, Gupta P, Bhuyan AK, Khatri GS: “Open reading frame yjbI of Bacillus subtilis codes for truncated hemoglobin”. Protein Expression and Purification (2005) 41 (2) : 363-372
Ghadi SC, Murlidharan UD, Jawaid S. : “Screening for agarolytic bacteria and development of a novel method for in situ detection of Agarase”. J Marine Biotechnology (1997) 5:194-200
Contributions to Technology Development and transfer to Industry:
Synthesis of h-EGF gene and its expression in E.coli
Synthesis of human Pro-insulin gene and its expression in E.coli
Recombinant Staphylokinase – A plasminogen activator
Recombinant Lysostaphin - Novel therapy for drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Laboratory scale technologies evolved for production of bioactive recombinant molecules, which were transferred to industry.
Awards:
2006 - National Award from Technology Development Board, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India jointly to Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR) and the biotech industry for the Research and Development of h-EGF leading to the successful commercialization of indigenous technology.
1995-2000 - Junior Research Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and University Grants commission (UGC), Govt. of India, India
1993-1995 - DBT-Studentship of Dept. of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, India
1993-1995 - Hamdard National Talent Search Scholarship
1992-1993 - Central Merit Scholarship, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University, Govt. of India), New Delhi, India