Nainy Goel – Curriculum Vitae

Summary

A dedicated researcher committed to uncovering biological insights and advancing scientific progress beyond boundaries. I leverage analytical rigor, collaborative drive, and a focused problem-solving mindset to address complex biological challenges. I am passionate about driving research that yields tangible innovation and delivers real-world solutions.

Education

2016-2023
Ph.D. in Molecular Parasitology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.

2013-2015
M.Sc. in Biotechnology, Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi, India.

2010-2013
B.Sc. Botany(Hons.), South Campus, Delhi University, New Delhi, India.

Professional Experience

2023-2025
Research Associate (26/9/2023-26/03/2025)
Project Title: “Regulation of Plasmodium Cell Cycle and Cell Division by Protein Phosphorylation” funded by DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance.
Advisor: Dr. Pushkar Sharma, National Institute of Immunology, India.

Studying the regulation of Cell division in Plasmodium falciparum by elucidating the function of Cyclins through CRISPR/Cas9 and SLI. Also, looking on epigenetic regulation of gene expression by Histone H3 and how its modifications are relevant to chromatin remodeling and ultimately parasite development. Deciphering the regulatory mechanisms by identifying its interacting partners through Immunoprecipitation, Mass-Spectrometry, and FACS analysis.

2016-2023
PhD (29/7/2016 – 29/12/2022)
Thesis Title: “Elucidating the molecular signals involved in trafficking of the avirulence effectors in a plant pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora infestans”
Advisor: Dr. Souvik Bhattacharjee, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India.

My primary research was to study the unique protein trafficking pathways in the Late Blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans. The secretion of the effectors/pathogenicity factors inside the host cell is governed by the molecular signatures/motifs present in them. Therefore, the presence of a signature motif delineates a certain class of effectors to an alternate route of secretion shown by various molecular and biochemical approaches. I have also worked on the Kelch13 protein (Marker for ART resistance) and PI3-Kinase protein of Plasmodium falciparum. To elucidate its role in Artemisinin resistance, we have identified the structural assembly of the PfK13 protein using SAXS analysis.

2013-2015
Dissertation Title: “Isolation and Cloning of miRNA319g from Stevia rebaudiana”
Advisor: Prof. M.Z. Abdin, Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.

Publication

Goel N, Dhiman K, Kalidas N, Mukhopadhyay A, Fnu Ashish, Bhattacharjee S. Plasmodium falciparum Kelch13 and its Artemisinin-resistant mutants assemble as hexamers in solution: a SAXS data-driven modeling study. FEBS J. 2022 Jan 28. doi: 10.1111/febs.16378. PMID: 35092154.

Technical Skills

• Keywords: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, Proteomics, Cell Culture, Microscopy, Bioinformatics, Gene cloning, PCR, SDS-PAGE, Protein expression and purification, Mass-Spectrometry, CRISPR, Immunoprecipitation, ELISA, Fluorescence Microscopy, ImageJ, and more.

Academic Achievements

• Attended Radiation Safety Orientation Course by Dr. Aneeshkumar AG (Radiological Safety Officer) held on 28th August, 2024 at BRIC-National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi.
• Awarded with the first prize in the oral talk at the International conference on Pharmaceutical Technology, Phytopharmaceuticals, and Biologicals: Trends (PTPPBT) on 17-18th March, 2023 held at Amity University, Noida, India.
• Awarded with Dr. Prafulla K. Pani Merit Scholarship in March 2023.
• Presented a poster at the EMBO Lecture Course, Malaria molecular epidemiology, population genetics, and evolution: Principles to practices from 17th-23rd November, 2022 at New-Delhi-NCR, India.
• Awarded with CSIR-National Eligibility Test Junior and Senior Research Fellowship (2017-2021) by the Government of India.
• Held position as Student Representative in the Special Committee at SCMM, JNU for the year 2017 and 2018.
• All India Rank-2 in Jawaharlal Nehru University (SCMM) Entrance Exam 2016.

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Cover Letter:

Dear Sir/Ma’am,
I am writing to express my interest in the Mol Bio Scientist position at D-NOME biosciences. Until March 2025, I was working as a Research Associate at the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India, where I investigated cell cycle regulation and chromatin remodeling in _Plasmodium falciparum_. My work involved using reverse genetics approaches such as CRISPR/Cas9 and Single-Linked Integration to generate conditional knockouts/knockdowns of cyclins and to study their interactions with partner kinases using pull-downs, immunoprecipitation, radioactive kinase assays, and LC-MS/MS. I also explored how histone modifications regulate gene expression across different developmental stages of the parasite, focusing on chromatin accessibility and transcriptional control using FACS and parasite-specific assays.
During my Ph.D. at the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, I investigated host-pathogen interactions in _Phytophthora infestans_, focusing on the unconventional secretion of RxLR-dEER effector proteins. I demonstrated that these effectors exploit phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PI3P), which is enriched in the _P. infestans_ endoplasmic reticulum (ER), to bypass the conventional secretory pathway. The RxLR-dEER motif binds specifically to PI3P, enabling selective sorting into non-endosomal vesicles distinct from those used in classical secretion—resembling the PEXEL-mediated trafficking observed in _Plasmodium falciparum_. This work underscored an evolutionary convergence in effector trafficking mechanisms across parasitic organisms.
Additionally, I functionally characterized one of the five PI3 kinases (PI3Ks) implicated in _P. infestans_ virulence, which likely contributes to PI3P biosynthesis and effector trafficking. My experimental approach included generating double transgenic strains, vesicle isolation through density gradient ultracentrifugation, live-cell imaging, lipid-binding and kinase activity assays, and western blotting.
Additionally, I worked on the structural and functional characterization of PfKelch13, a protein central to artemisinin resistance in _P. falciparum_. Using Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), we deduced the in-solution structure of PfK13 and its resistance-associated mutations. This work, published in _The FEBS Journal_ (DOI: 10.1111/febs.16378), provided important insights into the structural basis of drug resistance.
I am well-versed in molecular and cell biology techniques ranging from Gene Cloning to Protein purification. With an extensive research experience in cell and molecular biology, I am confident in my ability to contribute effectively to a broad range of scientific investigations.
Sincerely,
**Nainy Goel, Ph.D.**