Research & Publications

My research focuses on the intersection of bioinformatics, RNA biology, and computational methods, with a particular emphasis on understanding RNA structures and their roles in gene regulation.

Research Overview

I am a bioinformatician specializing in computational genomics, RNA biology, and statistical tool development. As a Project Associate-II at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) under Dr. Debojyoti Chakraborty, I lead several research projects focusing on RNA structure analysis, DNA repair mechanisms, and tool development for researchers.

RNA Biology
G-quadruplexes
Triple Helices
Computational Genomics
Single-cell Analysis
Statistical Methods
Machine Learning
DNA Repair
Tool Development
Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Publications

2024 Journal Article

Development of an In Silico Platform (TRIPinRNA) for the Identification of Novel RNA Intramolecular Triple Helices and Their Validation Using Biophysical Techniques

Isha Rakheja*, Vishal Bharti*, Souvik Maiti, and Debojyoti Chakraborty

Biochemistry (2024)

Presented TRIPinRNA, a computational platform for predicting intramolecular RNA triple helix structures and validated the predictions using biophysical techniques. The research revealed that triple helices are more prevalent in the human transcriptome than previously recognized.

2024 Journal Article

IGF2BP1-Mediated Regulation of CCN1 Expression by Specific Binding to G-Quadruplex Structure in its 3´UTR

Rana, P., Rajat, U., Bharti, V., et al.

Biochemistry (2024)

Investigated how G-quadruplex structures regulate CCN1 gene expression through IGF2BP1 binding. Conducted comprehensive computational analyses and analyzed proteomics data to understand the mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation.

2023 Preprint

An Interface of Genetically Engineered Human Forebrain Assembloids and Polymeric Nanofiber Scaffolds for Multiscale Profiling of Interneuron Migration Disorders

Rauthan, R., Bharti, V., et al.

Under revision @ Stem Cell Reports

Conducted comprehensive computational analyses, including RNA-seq, PPI network, and pan-tissue analysis, to elucidate interneuron migration disorders in human forebrain organoids. This research contributes to understanding neurodevelopmental disorders.

2023 Preprint

MLC1 alteration in iPSCs give rise to disease-like cellular vacuolation phenotype in the astrocyte lineage

Sharma, S., Bharti, V., Das, P.K., et al.

bioRxiv

Led RNA-seq data analysis and developed a diagnostic platform to identify the 132dupC MLC1 gene mutation, enhancing understanding of MLC disease and brain development. This work has implications for understanding neurological disorders.

Conference Presentations

Boundary Without Fence

Vishal Bharti, Debojyoti Chakraborty
Poster presentation at the international conference "Frontiers in Genome Engineering 2023," BITS Pilani Goa Campus.

Current Research Projects

TRIPinRNA: RNA Triple Helix Prediction

Developing and refining an in silico platform for predicting intramolecular RNA triple helix structures with applications in understanding X chromosome inactivation and gene regulation mechanisms.

View Project Details

StickForStats Platform Development

Creating an advanced statistical toolkit that bridges complex inference with an intuitive interface, designed for researchers with limited statistical backgrounds. The platform includes modules for confidence intervals, PCA, and statistical quality control.

View Project Details

DNA Repair Mechanisms Analysis

Developing a three-layer computational pipeline to decipher repair factor requirements in staggered versus blunt-end DNA breaks using scRNA-seq data and advanced statistical methods.

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Human Forebrain Assembloids

Conducting computational analyses of RNA-seq data from human forebrain organoids to understand interneuron migration disorders and their implications for neurodevelopmental conditions.

RNA Lab Navigator

AI-powered RAG assistant transforming laboratory knowledge management with intelligent question-answering, enterprise security, and sub-5-second response times. Successfully deployed on institute network for lab-wide use.

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G-Quadruplexes in Gene Regulation

Investigating how G-quadruplex structures influence gene expression through interactions with RNA-binding proteins, with a focus on CCN1 regulation by IGF2BP1.

Research Methodology

Problem Identification

Working closely with experimental biologists to identify computational challenges in their research

Pipeline Development

Creating robust pipelines for processing and analyzing complex biological data

Statistical Rigor

Ensuring all analyses follow sound statistical principles and appropriate statistical tests

Tool Development

Developing user-friendly tools to make complex analyses accessible to non-computational researchers

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Working across disciplines to integrate computational findings with experimental validation

Open Science Practices

Sharing code and methods to promote reproducibility and transparency

Research Journey

2023-Present

Project Associate-II at CSIR-IGIB

Leading multiple computational biology projects, including TRIPinRNA development, DNA repair mechanism analysis, and StickForStats platform development. Working under the supervision of Dr. Debojyoti Chakraborty.

2022

Junior Research Fellow at IIT Guwahati

Led computational analysis for investigating the efficacy of Ashwagandha and Yogaraj Guggulu for osteoarthritis treatment using a hybrid Proteomics-Cheminformatics-Network medicine approach. Worked under the supervision of Dr. Vibin Ramakrishnan.

2021-2022

Master's Thesis at IIT Guwahati

Conducted RNA-seq analysis to classify transcripts susceptible to Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay (NMD) and explored cellular behaviors in the absence of the UPF3B gene. Worked under the supervision of Dr. Kusum K. Singh.

2017-2018

Bachelor's Thesis at IEM Kolkata

Created a platform integrating NCBI BLAST and PDB databases for protein image retrieval and detailed analysis using Jupyter Notebook and API implementation. Worked under the supervision of Prof. Indranil Basu.

Research Collaborations

My research thrives on collaborations with talented scientists across disciplines. I am currently collaborating with researchers from various institutions on projects related to RNA biology, computational genomics, and tool development.

CSIR-IGIB

Collaborating with Dr. Debojyoti Chakraborty and Dr. Souvik Maiti on RNA structure analysis and tool development for predicting triple helices and G-quadruplexes.

University of California, Berkeley

Working with postdoctoral researchers on automating biological data pipelines using R and Python for high-throughput analysis of genomic data.

IIT Guwahati

Continuing collaboration with researchers on computational approaches for analyzing traditional medicine effects using network pharmacology.

I am always open to new collaborative opportunities, especially those that bridge computational approaches with experimental biology. If you're interested in potential collaborations, please get in touch.

Research Inquiries

If you're interested in my research, have questions about specific projects, or would like to discuss potential collaborations, I'd be happy to hear from you.