Debraj Manna

The Fungal Genetics and Genomics Series, published in the GSA Journals, brings together work that spans molecular mechanisms, evolutionary insights, quantitative genetics, and applied genomics across the fungal kingdom. As the community prepares for the upcoming 33rd Fungal Genetics Conference, this collection offers a timely reminder of how fungal systems continue to illuminate fundamental biology while driving translational innovation.

Two recent papers in the collection, one in GENETICS and one in G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, underscore that breadth.

The word “essential” carries weight in genetics: lose the gene, lose the function. Luke Arnce, Jaclyn Bubnell, and Charles Aquadro challenge this intuition in a recent focused comparative study of germline stem-cell (GSC) biology across Drosophila species in G3:Genes|Genomes|Genetics. They tested the famed bag-of-marbles (bam) gene for its conserved function as a switch for daughter cell differentiation into gamete precursors. They then surveyed 366 genes deemed essential for GSC regulation in D. melanogaster. The conclusions are precise and provocative for anyone who uses model species...

In this episode of Genetics in Your World, GSA Early Career Scientist Multimedia Subcommittee member Debraj Manna interviews Dr. Matt Rockman of New York University about inbreeding depression in Caenorhabditis elegans. Read Dr. Rockman's paper titled, “Variation in inbreeding depression within and among Caenorhabditis species,” published in the December 2025 issue of G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics: https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkaf200.
Special thanks to the Production Team for this episode,...

One of the final steps in the transfer of information from DNA to RNA in eukaryotes is polyadenylation—the addition of a poly(A) tail to the 3′ end of an mRNA. This modification, which happens after the recognition of one of the multiple poly(A) signals on the unprocessed mRNA, is critical for stabilizing the otherwise easily degraded message. The location of the poly(A) tail (or the distance between the translation termination codon and the poly(A) tail) in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) can vary across mRNAs from different genes.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a game changer across fields in recent times. Scientific research is no exception. From software that incorporates machine learning capabilities to decipher protein structures to ones that generate figures for research publications, AI can do wonders and help researchers save time in their research. However, AI's most widely used feature is in drafting manuscripts, where AI plays the role of an experienced proofreader, enhances brevity, and removes gramma...

Every multicellular organism starts life as a single-celled zygote that must grow and divide into the various tissues and organs present in the adult. Pluripotent stem cells differentiate into specialized cell types, and tracking the lineage of each cell in the embryo is an important aspect of studying development. The physical transparency and fixed number of adult cells of C. elegans have made the nematode a preferred system for lineage tracing; indeed, the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine recognized John Sulston’s work in mapping the fate of each cell in the worm.

The Lodha Genius Programme (LGP) at Ashoka University, Haryana, offers high school students a unique opportunity to engage in real-world science and mathematics. Through hands-on experiences in fields like ecological sciences, students are encouraged to ask big questions, participate in fieldwork, and explore their scientific interests.
The Lodha Genius Programme (LGP) at Ashoka University, Haryana, provides students in their high school years with a taste of real-world science and mathematic...

The Lodha Genius Programme at Ashoka University, Haryana, started in May 2023 with the vision for nurturing bright students during their high school years. In this article, K VijayRaghavan, former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and the Chair of the Science Advisory Council at Ashoka University, discusses the programme in a conversation with Debraj Manna.
1.How did the Lodha Genius Programme start?
Two vital threads became intertwined. For some years, the government ha...

Challenges with, and interventions to better support, PhD experiences in the life sciences in India

Writing and Interviews of PhD researchers: Debraj Manna and Lekha Bandopadhyay

Book Review: Treewilding: Our Past, Present and Future Relationship with Forests by Jake Robinson. Pelagic (2024)

Trees first appeared around 400 million years ago. They survived the mass-extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs some 66 million years ago and lived through several glacial periods during which ice covered up to one-quarter of Earth’s land. Now, they face another threat: humans.

Since the birth of agriculture, people have been clearing forests to make space for crops and livestock. Over the...

We’ve all suffered a cut from a blade, some broken glass, or even a sheet of paper. The smallest of wounds can cause infections and become detrimental if they don’t heal, so luckily for most of us, our immune system steps in to do the job. Just as the immune system kicks off a cascade of events to heal a cut, an individual cell kicks off a cascade of signals to manage disruption to its cell membrane. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie cellular wound healing are quite complex, and we don’t have a complete picture of the phenomenon. In a recent study published in the August issue...

Since OpenAI launched its AI Chatbot, ChatGPT, for the public, there has been an uproar about all things generative AI. But how do these AI models vary across the globe? Are there any requirements for having country-specific AI alternatives? This article delves into the current scenario of regional AI alternatives and how they are changing the world.

Chatbots like ChatGPT are powered by large language models (LLMs) that work by learning from available data—in this case, textual data. LLMs are...

One Health Bengaluru Initiative, led by the Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster (BeST), aims to minimise the spread of infectious diseases and benefit the environment by collaborating across several organisations. This multi-sectoral approach will help policymakers make informed decisions to control the spread of diseases and tackle environmental challenges. This article explores how the One Health approach paves the way for a healthier future.

As major parts of India experience a tropic...

Scientific research thrives on collaboration, bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds. However, language barriers can impede the participation of researchers from non-English-speaking backgrounds. English dominates scientific publications, often creating a hurdle for those less proficient in the language. Recognizing this challenge is the first step toward fostering a lab culture that promotes constructive collaboration, openness, and inclusivity.

In her TED talk, Amber Cabral,...

The total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, emitted by direct or indirect actions of an individual or an organization constitutes their carbon footprint. Depending on their area of work, researchers can have a high carbon footprint, not just through the use of the materials, equipment, infrastructure, and processes involved in their research but also through actions like traveling for academic purposes.
This article takes a look at some examples of how research...