Dr. Bajarang Kumbhar

Assistant Professor

Ph.D. (Biochemistry), M.Sc. (Biochemistry) B.Sc. (Chemistry)

Experience (Research/Teaching): 14 years

Areas of Specialization: Molecular Modelling, Bioinformatics

Area of expertise: 3D Protein modelling, Molecular docking, High-throughput Drug Screening, Quantum mechanics, Molecular dynamics simulations

Education

• 2014-2019: Post-Doctoral fellow, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay
• 2007-2013: Ph.D. (Biochemistry), Department of Biochemistry, Shivaji University Kolhapur
• 2005-2007: M.Sc. (Biochemistry), Shivaji University Kolhapur, India
• 2002-2005: B.Sc. (Chemistry), Shivaji University Kolhapur, India

Academic/Research Experience:

• Assistant Professor, Sunandan Divatia School of Science, NMIMS University, Mumbai
• Consultant-Computational Biologist, ImmunoAct.Pvt.Ltd, SINE, IIT Bombay
• Senior Research Fellow, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay
• Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay
• UGC, Research Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, Shivaji University Kolhapur, India
• Teaching Assistant, PG Diploma in Bioinformatics, Shivaji University Kolhapur

Awards/Fellowships

• Research Associate at Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai. Nature of work: Computational study of interaction of Indanocine with drug-resistant tubulin isotypes.
• Institute Post-Doctoral Fellowship (I-PDF), Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Nature of work: Understanding the basis of drug resistance in various carcinomas using molecular modelling approach.
• Best scientific poster award in the International symposium on Computational and experimental studies of microtubules and microtubule-based motor proteins’ organized by Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, on 14^th December 2016.
• Senior Research Fellow, UGC-SAP-DRS at Shivaji University Kolhapur. Nature of Work: Molecular Modeling study of modified nucleic acid bases of tRNA.

Professional Membership: Life member of Indian Biophysical Society of India

Journal Reviewer: BMC Medical Genomics

Reviewer for the International Journal:

1. Frontiers in pharmacology
2. Frontiers in Immunology
3. Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics
4. BMC Medical Genomics
5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India, Section B: Biological Sciences

International Publications:

• Vrinda Salvi, Purva Khodke, Pruthanka Patil, and Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar*, Identification of a Potential Anti-Viral Drug Targeting allosteric site of Papain-like Protease against Rubella using a molecular modeling approach. Accepted,Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics (IF:2.7)
• Prem Prakash, Purva Khodke, Muthukumar Balasubramaniam, Benem-Orom Davids, Thomas Hollis, Jamaine Davis, Jui Pandhare, Bajarang Kumbhar and Chandravanu Dash. Three Prime Repair Exonuclease 1 preferentially degrades the integration-incompetent HIV-1 DNA through favorable kinetics, thermodynamic, structural, and conformational properties. Journal of Biological Chemistry,  Q1, 300 (7), 107438 (IF: 4.8) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107438
• Purva Khodke and Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar*, Engineered CAR-T Cells: An Immunotherapeutic Approach for Cancer Treatment and Beyond. Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology: Immunology for Engineers. 2024:140:157-198. doi: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2023.12.001, (Q1) (IF: 5.4)
• Pradnya Patil; Pruthanka Patil, Padma Dandge; Prakash Bansode; Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar; Wilson Chandane; Sanket Rathod; Prafulla Choudhari; Suraj Khot; Navanath Valekar; Dattaprasad Pore, Benzylpyrazolyl naphthoquinones as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors: synthesis, anti-cancer evaluation, molecular docking and DFT studies. Journal of Molecular Structure, 1301, 137202, ISSN No: 1872-8014, (IF 3.8) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.137202 (Q2)
• Richa Dwivedi, Prem Prakash, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Muthukumar Balasubramaniam, and Chandravanu Dash, HIV-1 Capsid and Viral DNA Integration. mBio Journal, ISSN No: 2150-7511, (IF: 6.4) https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00212-22 (Q1)
• Anand Keshri, Rimanpreet Kaur, Suraj S Rawat, Naina Arora, Rajan K Pandey, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Amit Mishra, Shweta Tripathi, Designing and development of multi-epitope chimeric vaccine against Helicobacter pylori by exploring its entire immunogenic epitopes: an immunoinformatic approach. BMC Bioinformatics, 2023 Sep 22;24(1):358. ISSN No: 1471-2105, (IF: 3.0), doi:10.1186/s12859-023-054542 (Q1)
• Sukhada Kanse, Mehak Khandelwal, Rajan Kumar Pandey, Manoj Khokar, Neetin Desai and Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar*. Designing a multi-epitope-based vaccine against VP1 major coat protein of JC Polyomavirus using Immunoinformatics and molecular modeling approach. Vaccines, 2023, 11(7), 1182; ISSN No: 2076-393X (IF: 7.8)  https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11071182 (Q1)
• Asiya Rozindar, Virupakshaiah DBM, Bharati Meti, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Ajay Kumar oli, Identification of potential human chymase inhibitors using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation, Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 15(1), 1-8, Mar 19, 2023. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v15i1.3324 (Q4)
• Bipin Raj Shekhar, Karishma Rupani, Shubhangi Raghunath Parkar, Ajita Sunil Nayak, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Satyajeet P Khare, Shyla Menon, Harshavardhan Gawde, Dhanjit Kumar Das, "Identifying novel causal genes involved in glycosylation processes with familial schizophrenia: Prediction of ADAMTS9 gene variant for structural stability", Gene, 872, 1 July 2023, 147443 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2023.147443, (IF: 3.913)  ISSN No: 0300-9564. (Q2)
• Swapnil Doijad, Nicolas Gisch, Renate Frantz, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Jane Falgenhauer, Can Imirzalioglu, Linda Falgenhauer, Alexander Mischnik, Jan Rupp, Michael Behnke, Michael Buhl, Simone Eisenbeis, Petra Gastmeier, Hanna Gölz, Nadja Käding, Winfried V. Kern, Axel Kola, Evelyn Kramme, Silke Peter, Anna M. Rohde, Harald Seifert, Evelina Tacconelli, Maria Vehreschild, Sarah Walker, Janine Zweigner, Dominik Schwudke and Trinad Chakraborty, and R-Net Study Group, Resolving colistin resistance and heteroresistance in Enterobacter species. Nature Communication 14, 140 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35717-0 (IF: 17.69), ISSN No: 2041-1723.
• Satyendra Singh, Priya Chauhan, Vinita Sharma, Abhishek Rao, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Vijay Kumar Prajapati. Identification of multi-targeting natural antiviral peptides to impede SARS-CoV-2 infection. Structural Chemistry, Accepted (IF: 1.795) ISSN No: 1572-9001. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11224-022-02113-9  
• Ratan W. Jadhav, Sopan M. Wagalgave, Bajarang V. kumbhar, Rushikesh M. Khadake, Ambadas B. Rode, Sidhanath V. Bhosaleb, and Sheshanath V. Bhosale Aminoglycoside Antibiotic Kanamycin Functionalized Tetraphenylethylene Molecular Probe for Highly Selective Detection of Bovine Serum Albumin Protein. Nature: Scientific Reports, 12, 11526, 2022. (IF: 4.996) ISSN No: 2045-2322. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15890-4
• Khushnandan Rai, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Dulal Panda, Ambarish Kunwar. Computational study of interaction of anti-cancer drug eribulin with human tubulin isotypes. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2022, 24, 16694-16700 (IF: 3.676) ISSN No:1463-9076. https://doi.10.1039/D1CP04454K
• Harshad Lade, Sung Hee Chung, Yeonhee Lee, Jung-Min Kim, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Hwang Soo Joo, Yun-Gon Kim, Yung-Hun Yange and Jae-Seok Kim. Thymol reduces agr-mediated virulence factor phenol-soluble modulin production in Staphylococcus aureus. Biomed Research International, Volume 2022 |Article ID 8221622, (IF: 3.246) ISSN No: 2314-6141. https://doi.10.1155/2022/8221622
• Anandsinha Patil, Vijay Patil, Dipak Jaiswal, Sandip Palakhe, Sandip Patil, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar*. Investigating the novel acetonitrile derivatives as potential SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor using molecular modeling approach. 2022 Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, Apr 6; 1-13. (IF: 5.235) ISSN No:1538-0254. https://doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2022.2059568
• Rajan Kumar Pandey; Rupal Ojha; Moodu Devender; Prince Sebastian; Madhulika Namdeo; Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar; Shyam Sundar; Radheshyam Maurya, Vijay Prajapati, Febrifugine dihydrochloride as a new oral chemotherapeutic agent against visceral leishmaniasis infection, Experimental Parasitology, 236–237, May–June 2022, 108250, https://doi.10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108250. (IF: 2.132) ISSN No:0014-4894.
• Somnath D. Bhinge, Namdeo R. Jadhav, Dheeraj S. Randive, Mangesh B. Bhutkar, Rohankumar chavan, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Isolation and identification of Hair growth potential Fraction from Active Plant Extract of Blumea eriantha DC Grown in Western Ghat of India: In Silico Study, Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 13 (2) 2022, 100542. https://doi.10.1016/j.jaim.2022.100542, ISSN No: 0975-9476.
• Jitesh Kumar, Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Dilip Kumar Das, Auroshikha Mohanty, Kumari Rajani, Namaste Kumari, Vinod Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar and Tushar Ranjan. Knockdown of capsid protein encoding novel ATPase domain inhibits genome packaging in potato leafroll virus. 3Biotech, 2022 Mar;12(3):66. http://doi.10.1007/s13205-021-03085-z, (IF: 3.303) ISSN No: 2190-5738.
• Prasanna S Patil, Vijay R Salunkhe, Somnath D Bhinge, Sandeep B Patil, Bajarang V Kumbhar. Formulation optimization and evaluation of Glycyrrhetinic Acid Loaded PLARosome using Factorial design: In-vitro anti-ulcer activity and in silico PASS Prediction. Journal of the Indian Chemical Society. 98, 11, November 2021, 100199. (IF: 0.284), ISSN No: 0019-4522. https://doi.10.1016/j.jics.2021.100199
• Alka Dwivedi, Atharva Karulkar, Sarbari Ghosh, Srisathya Srinivasan, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Ankesh Kumar Jaiswal, Atish Kizhakeyil, Sweety Asija, Afrin Rafiq, Sushant Kumar, Albeena Nisar, Deepali Pandit, Minal Poojary, Hasmukh Jain, Shripad D. Banavali, Steven L. Highfill, David F. Stroncek, Nirali N. Shah, Terry J. Fry, Gaurav Narula, Rahul Purwar. "Robust anti-tumor activity and low cytokine production by novel humanized CD19 CART-cells”. American Association for Cancer Research, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. 2021 May; 20(5):846-858. (Impact Factor (IF): 6.261) **First publication from India on CAR-T Cancer Immunotherapy **
• Shipra Sharma, Vibha Kumari, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Amrita Mukherjee, Ruchika Pandey, and Kiran Kondabagil. Immunoinformatics approach for a novel multi-epitope subunit vaccine design against various subtypes of Influenza A virus. Immunobiology, 226, 2, 152053, 2021. (IF: 3.144)
• Amit Bhatti, Sangeeta Ravat, Karan Desai, Bipin Raj Shekhar, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Ambarish Kunwar, Neeraj Jain, Dhanjit Kumar Das, ‘Spectrum of Clinical Variability with SEPT9 gene Mutation in Hereditary Neuralgic Amyotrophy: Understanding the Pathogenesis using Molecular Dynamics Simulation study.’ Neurology India, (IF: 2.708)
• Sneha Arya, Ankita Tiwari, Anurag Lila, Vijaya Sarathi, Vishwambhar Vishnu Bhandare, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Khushnandan Rai, Ambarish Kunwar, Hemangini Thakkar, Kunal Thakkar, Saba Samad Memon, Swati Ramteke-Jadhav, Nalini S Shah, Tushar Bandgar. "Homozygous p.Val89Leu plays an important pathogenic role in 5α-reductase type 2 deficiency patients with homozygous p.Arg246Gln in SRD5A2”. European Journal of Endocrinology, 2020 Jun 1; EJE-19-1050.R2 (IF: 6.664)
• Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar and Vishwambhar Vishnu Bhandare. ‘Exploring the interaction of peloruside-A with drug resistant αβII and αβIII tubulin isotypes present in human ovarian carcinoma using molecular modeling approach.’ Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, 2020, Apr 3; 1-13 (IF: 3.549)
• Vishwambhar V Bhandare, Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar and Ambarish Kunwar, Differential binding affinity of tau repeat region R2 with neuronal-specific β-tubulin isotypes, Nature: Scientific Reports, July 25, 9 (1–12):10795, 2019 (IF: 4.525)
• Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Vishwambhar Vishnu bhandare, Dulal Panda, Ambarish Kunwar, Delineating the Interaction of Combretastatin A-4 with αβ tubulin Isotypes present in Drug Resistant Human Lung Carcinoma using a Molecular Modeling Approach. Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, 2019, Mar 4:1-13 (IF: 3.549)
• Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Dulal Panda and Ambarish Kunwar. Interaction of microtubule depolymerizing agent indanocine with different human αβ tubulin isotypes. PLoS One Mar 27, 2018, 13(3): e0194934 (IF: 3.240)
• Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar, Anubhaw Borogaon, Dulal Panda, Ambarish Kunwar. "Exploring the Origin of Differential Binding Affinities of Human Tubulin Isotypes αβII, αβIII and αβIV for DAMA-Colchicine using Homology Modeling, Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulations” PLoS One, May 26, 2016 ;11(5): e0156048. (IF: 3.240)
• Bajarang V. Kumbhar, Asmita D. Kamble, Kailas D. Sonawane. "Conformational Preferences of Modified Nucleoside N(4)-Acetylcytidine, ac4C Occur at ‘‘Wobble’’ 34th Position in the Anticodon Loop of tRNA”. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2013, 66; 797-816, (IF: 2.350) **Citation in the Cell, Nature, ACS, RNA etc.**
• Navanath M. Kumbhar, Bajarang V. Kumbhar and Kailas D. Sonawane Structural significance of hypermodified nucleic acid base hydroxywybutine (OHyW) which occur at 37th position in the anticodon loop of yeast tRNAPhe. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modeling, 2012, 38; 174-185 (IF: 2.518)
• Bajarang V Kumbhar, Navanath M. Kumbhar and Kailas D. Sonawane, "Conformational preferences and MD simulation studies of the hypermodified nucleic acid base, mS2hn6Ade present at 3'-adjacent (37th) position in the anticodon loop of hyperthermophilic tRNAs. Internet Electronic Journal of Molecular Design, 2012, 11; 33-48.
• Rohit S. Bavi, Asmita D. Kamble, Navanath M. Kumbhar, Bajarang V. Kumbhar and Kailas D. Sonawane, "Conformational preferences of modified nucleoside N2-methylguanosine (m2G) and its derivative N2, N2-methylguanosine (m²2G) occur at 26th position (hinge region) in tRNA”. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, 2011, 61; 507-521, (IF: 2.350)
• Bajarang V Kumbhar and Kailas D Sonawane, Molecular modeling study of hypermodified nucleic acid base 3-hydroxynorvalylcarbamoyl adenine, hn⁶Ade present at 3’-adjacent position in anticodon loop of hyperthermophilic tRNAs” IRSAPS Bulletin 2012, 3; 8-15
• Kailas D. Sonawane, Bajarang V. Kumbhar, Navanath M. Kumbhar, Susmit B. Sambhare and Asmita D. Kamble. "Quantum chemical study to investigate the effects of 5′-3′ diphosphate backbone on the conformation of hypermodified nucleotide lysidine (K2C) occurs at wobble (34th) position in the anticodon loop of tRNAIle”. International Journal of Bioinformatics Research, 2011, 3; 148-160.
• Navanath M. Kumbhar, Bajarang V. Kumbhar, and Kailas D. Sonawane. Molecular modeling studies of hypermodified nucleosides present in Anticodon loop of tRNA. Journal of Natural Science, Biology, and Medicines, 2011, 2; 3:42. (Impact score: 0.67)

Complete list of publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OM3KlFYAAAAJ&hl=en

On the cover image of journals:

• Design and development of humanized CD19 CAR-T cells for cancer Immunotherapy, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, May 2021, https://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/20/5/846
• Structural role of modified nucleoside, hn⁶Ade in the anticodon loop of tRNA of thermophilic bacteria. IRSAPS Bulletin, https://cupdf.com/document/irsaps-bulletin-vol-1-issue-3.html

Invited Speaker at conference/training/webinar

1. Invited speaker, National level webinar "Molecular modeling in Biological sciences” organized by Maharogi Sewa Samiti, Anand Niketan College, Anandwan, Warora, Feb 2021.
2. Invited speaker on the occasion of ‘World Cancer Day-2021’, "Anticancer Drug Resistance: Recent Advances and future potential” Feb 4, 2021, at Sanjay Ghodwat University, Kolhapur.
3. Expert talk on "Anti-mitotic drugs in cancer treatment: Challenges and opportunity in the drug development” organized by Institute of Biological science, SAGE University, Indore. 29^th Jan 2021.
4. Invited speaker for a webinar on "Molecular modeling in Biological Sciences” at the Vidya pratishthan’s science college, Baramati, Pune on 25th January 2021.
5. Resource person for the short-term training program (STTP) on "Recent Trends in advanced Material for engineering and Technology” organized by Department of Chemistry and Physics, Government College of Engineering, Karad under the Technical Educational Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP-Phase III) on November 15, 2019.
6. Keynote speaker for the National Conference on ‘New Imperative in Drug Design and Discovery” organized by Uka Tarsadia University, Bardoli, Surat on Nov. 22-23, 2019.
7. Keynote speaker for the Conference cum workshop on Nanotsav at Sandip University, Nashik, on the topic "Biomolecules as Nanomachine inside Us” from October 11-12, 2019.
8. Invited as a resource person for the two days’ workshop on "Basics of Bioinformatics” organized by the Department of Biotechnology, Yashavantrao Chavan Institute of Science, Satara from 28 & 29, September 2019.

Oral presentation:

1. International Conference on Natural and Artificial Molecular Machines, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, India on December 18-20, 2018.
2. Discussion meeting on "Collective Dynamics of-, on- and around Filaments in Living Cells: Motors, MAPs, TIPs and Tracks” organized by International Centre for Theoretical Science (ICTS), Bangalore, India, on 28th October 27, 2017, to 2nd November 2017.
3. Symposium on "Accelerating Biology-2012” organized by Centre for development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Pune February 15-17, 2012.

 

Scientific workshop attended

1. Workshop on "Bio-molecular Interactions” organized by National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore dated 25th-28th November 2015

Extra-curriculum activity

2. Participation in the science outreach program for school kids "Introduction to Modern Biology” supported by American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) COMPASS outreach grant held at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, on December 17th, 2016 India.
3. Teaching Assistant for Quality Improvement Program (QIP) ‘Biology for Engineers’ at IIT Bombay, India.

Official Email Id: bajarang.kumbhar@nmims.edu Official Phone No. 022-4235 5963