PI
Shaeri Mukherjee
I grew up in Calcutta, India. I started my career in Chemistry (Calcutta University), then did Biochemistry (Calcutta University), Cell Biology (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY) and finally Microbiology (Yale University, New Haven). Currently, I am interested in understanding host-pathogen interactions. My favorite bug is Legionella, it is a great model: easy to do genetics, easy to infect and study host processes. Most importantly, it manipulates several host cell processes, thus making it a really good tool to study basic cell biology. My other interest in life is photography: I especially like taking landscape shots. I am a big fan of Ansel Adams. I love working at UCSF, it is a truly great place to do science. San Francisco as a city has a great deal to offer, including its proximity to Yosemite National Park. I am currently looking to expand my laboratory. If you are interested in joining us, send me an email with your CV.
Email:Shaeri.Mukherjee@ucsf.edu
Graduate Students
TOM MOSS
7th year Tetrad PhD Student
I was born in Los Angeles, and lived there until I was 15, and then moved to Virginia Beach. My interest in science began with a fascination with jellyfish and other marine animals, but shifted towards molecular and cellular biology when I started college. I did my undergraduate work at the University of Virginia, where I worked in Eyleen O'Rourke's lab to better understand how lysosomes respond to stress. After graduating, I spent a gap year at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. There, I worked in Tzachi Pilpel's lab, where I tried to differentiate and compare mischarging vs mispairing errors in translation by manipulating the tRNA pool in E. coli, as well as understand why certain tRNA species are evolutionarily 'disallowed'. Here in the Mukherjee lab, I am a bit of a black sheep in that my research is a step removed from Legionella. A former student discovered that a Legionella kinase phosphorylates the chaperone Hsc70 at a specific, conserved residue, and that this globally decreases translation. I have discovered that this also occurs in human cells independently from Legionella infection as part of a DNA damage response. I am attempting to understand the pathway that leads to this phosphorylation, its role in cell biology, and also the biochemical effects this phosphorylation has on Hsc70. Outside of science, I enjoy cooking and baking, hiking, scuba diving, learning languages, reading, and aggressively binge-watching TV.
Email: Tom.Moss@ucsf.edu
Postdoctoral Scholars
Anjali Tripathi, PhD
I was born and raised in Chittaranjan, a small town in West Bengal, India. Inspired by the works of Darwin and Mendel during high school, I became captivated by biology and its potential to unlock the mysteries of life. Encouraged by my father, I began my journey in research by obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), one of India’s most prestigious institutions. The scientific trainings obtained at BHU inspired me to continue my study from there and pursue a Master's degree with a specialization in Biochemistry. My Master’s research project, which explored the effects of Scopolamine on Activity-Regulated Cytoskeletal Associated Protein (Arc) expression and dendritic spine density, gave me a deep appreciation for the time and dedication required to conduct meaningful scientific research. Further, for my Ph.D., I joined the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) in Pune, India, where I expanded my research in virology and cell biology. My doctoral work focused on understanding the role of the Endoplasmic Reticulum- Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) in HIV-1 infection. We demonstrated for the first time that HIV-1 infection leads to optimal UPR activation, revealing that induction or suppression of UPR beyond a threshold restricts viral replication. This study illuminated the complexity of host-pathogen interactions and deepened my interest in the flexibility of cellular processes. To continue my research interest in cell biology, I joined the Mukherjee Lab at UCSF as a postdoctoral research scholar where my goal is to uncover how Legionella pneumophila subverts ATF6 activation and explore the broader dynamics of UPR beyond its canonical pathways. This research will enable me to deepen my understanding of cell biology while leveraging my background in stress responses and virology to explore how pathogens hijack host cellular mechanisms. Outside of research, I am a passionate foodie who enjoys exploring different food joints and experimenting with recipes. I also love long walks, hiking, and exploring new trails around the city while listening to old Bollywood melodies. I often cherish moments of solitude by binge-watching movies or series with snacks. I am always open to spontaneous plans and enjoy connecting with others over shared experiences and interests.
ADY STEINBACH, PhD
I was born and raised in St. Louis, and studied biochemistry as an undergrad at the University of Chicago. During my time at U of C, I developed fascination with the molecular mechanisms of immune recognition, and pursued this interest as an researcher in Professor Erin Adams’ lab, studying the biophysics of non-canonical MHC-like molecules and their interaction partners. After graduation and a stint as a technician, I pulled up my Midwestern roots and joined the horde of Bay Area transplants to start grad school at UCSF in the Tetrad program. As a Mukherjee lab member, I have enthusiastically come over to the Dark Side and now view human cell biology from the perspective of a clever pathogen. For my thesis work, I am attempting to untangle how Legionella modulates the host endosomal system and cargo sorting to dodge death-by-acid in the lysosome. In my free time, I also spend a lot of time untangling, in this case mostly yarn that I’ve spun, dyed with various bits of plants I find outside or in the kitchen, and/or knit into an elaborate household item. I also enjoy sewing with fabric that I find at post-consumer art supply warehouses or reclaim from worn out thrifted clothing, and growing (with moderate success) vegetables and (you guessed it) fiber producing plants on my back deck.
Email: Ady.Steinbach@ucsf.edu
Puspangana Singh, PHD
I was born in Guwahati (India) and I grew up in Varanasi (India). I grew up in a family full of English lit. professors, and as a kid, I was fascinated with Wordsworth’s and Shelley’s poetry. My interest in science began because of the scientific imagery used in Shelley’s poems. Much to the disappointment of my family, I decided to break the family tradition of pursuing English literature and decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in Microbiology in Gargi College, University of Delhi. I then moved to pursue my masters in Banaras Hindu University (BHU). During my master’s dissertation, I contributed to unravelling the puzzle of why higher eukaryotes (animalia) require an addition deacylase along with D-aminoacyl tRNA deacylase (DTD) in order to maintain translational fidelity. I pursued my PhD in Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur), where I worked on elucidating the entry and fusion dynamics of the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. In Mukherjee lab, I am attempting to explore the local protein synthesis machinery of the Legionella-containing vacuoles (LCVs). I have varied interests outside of the lab, and I am always up for a good hike or a long walk. I love to design and make new clothes. I also like to read a lot of Victorian-era literature. I have recently developed new-found interests in watching anime, wine tasting, and cooking.
SARADINDU SAHA, Phd
My hometown is Asansol, the ‘Industrial city’ of West Bengal, India, where I completed my school life at Asansol Ramakrishna Mission High School and then moved to Visva-Bharati University to study B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Zoology. As a true disciple of ‘Gurudev’ Rabindranath Tagore, the great poet and the founder of Visva-Bharati, I wish to carry forward his eternal philosophy in a way that is best described in his own words-
“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free…”
My M.Sc. dissertation on dissecting signaling pathways in cancer cells motivated me further to do a Ph.D. on understanding the modulation of the host signaling pathway by Mycobacterium tuberculosis at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Briefly, I showed that M.tb-secreted virulent kinase-mediated phosphorylation of host factors hinders macrophage altruistic cell death. My thirst to dive deeper into the fascinating world of host-pathogen interaction took me further to the Mukherjee lab at UCSF as a post-doctoral fellow where my goal is to unravel the complex host-pathogen (Legionella) interaction-associated signaling pathways.
I find solace in driving a long way which sheds off the stress and fatigue within me. I am a cheerful person who befriends new folks displacing geographical barriers!
Hit me anytime if you feel I can be of help.
Email: Saradindu.Saha@ucsf.edu
Koustav Bhakta, Phd
I am a proud Bengali from West Bengal, India, deeply connected to my roots and driven by an enduring passion for biological sciences. This passion ignited in high school when I discovered the fascinating world of microbes. This curiosity led me to pursue a B.Sc. in Microbiology from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belurmath. I then joined the Integrated M.Sc.-Ph.D. program in Life Sciences at Bose Institute, a pivotal phase of my academic journey. My M.Sc. specialization was in Molecular and Cellular Biology, where I developed a strong interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms of microbial resistance. My M.Sc. thesis focused on characterizing the antibiotic resistance properties of an error-prone polymerase from Mycobacteria. For my Ph.D., I transitioned into the interdisciplinary fields of Biochemistry and Biophysics, with a particular focus on protein folding mechanisms. My research revolved around studying heat shock proteins—specifically, small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) and Group II chaperonins—in extremophilic archaea. In my Ph.D. research, we were the first to demonstrate a novel substrate-shuttling pathway in archaea and revealed the mosaic nature of archaea at the molecular level. My curiosity and passion for protein folding mechanisms and heat shock proteins led me to join the Mukherjee Lab at UCSF. Here, I am exploring the dynamic field of host-pathogen interactions. My current research focuses on the molecular interplay between host Hsp70 and a kinase from Legionella pneumophila. This kinase phosphorylates Hsp70, effectively stalling translation and potentially altering the host cellular environment to the pathogen’s advantage. I hope this experience will allow me to expand my expertise into cell biology, while integrating my background in protein folding and biochemistry into the study of pathogen-driven host manipulation. Outside the lab, I am deeply passionate about creative pursuits. I enjoy designing scientific illustrations, indulging in digital and acrylic painting, experimenting with cooking, immersing myself in books, and venturing into the great outdoors for trekking adventures. These activities allow me to strike a balance between my scientific endeavors and personal interests. I am always eager to connect and collaborate with fellow scientists and enthusiasts.
Manish paul, phd
I was born and raised in a town called Naihati in India. I completed my BS and MS in Zoology from University of Calcutta and West Bengal State University. I pursued Ph.D. in Biotechnology under the supervision of Prof. Hrudayanath Thatoi from MSCB University, Odisha, India. During my Ph.D., I investigated the role of lignocellulolytic microorganisms in the bioethanol production and also worked to improve their efficiency in bioethanol production using different sustainable approaches. During this time, I acquired techniques in advanced microbiology, molecular biology, enzymology, and computational biology. I joined Mukherjee lab in October 2023 as a Postdoctoral research scholar, where my research focus is to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which the bacterium Legionella pneumophila modify host cell biology. I am very fond of visiting new places, listening to music, and enjoying delicious food.
Email: Manish.Paul@ucsf.edu
Techs and Undergraduates
Matt Cronin
Junior specialist
(He/Him)
I grew up just outside Boston and then moved to Colorado to study biochemistry at Colorado College. There, I worked on multiple projects in the Grover lab and began a project using Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to observe RNA’s secondary and tertiary structures. During my undergraduate studies, I was a summer research assistant at the Steckleberg lab at Columbia University. There, I helped Jenine Gezelle use X-ray Crystallography to study RNA structures that resist exonuclease degradation or xrRNA’s. Here in the Mukherjee Lab, I’m excited to polish my microbiology knowledge by helping Tom Moss study how phosphorylation of Hsc70 at a specific residue, a post-translational modification discovered in the context of Legionella infection, contributes to the DNA damage response. Outside of the lab, I run a freelance graphic design business, design furniture that I’ll never build, and love making art. My favorite hobbies are camping, surfing, backcountry skiing, and anything else that gets me outside.
Email: Matt.cronin@ucsf.edu
Chetan mokkapati
Junior specialist
I grew up in Cupertino California, which is about an hour south of San Francisco, so I have lived in the Bay Area my whole life! As an undergraduate, I attended The University of California Santa Barbara, where I received a bachelor of sciences degree in microbiology. At UCSB, I spent 5 months at the De Tomasso Lab, studying the whole-body regeneration process of Botrylloides digensis as it goes from a dormant state to an active state. I graduated from UCSB in June 2023, and my goal is to apply to medical school in the spring of 2024. I am excited to spend my gap years before med school working at The Mukherjee lab, where I can put my micro degree to use by studying ubiquitination patterns that occur when eukaryotic cells are infected with Legionella. Hopefully, these discoveries can help provide more insight into the complex processes that occur inside our cells! Outside of the lab, I'm usually lazy at home watching YouTube or whatever's on Netflix, but when I am feeling more active I like to spend my time weightlifting, backpacking and playing whatever sports my friends and I feel like playing that day, which is usually basketball.
Email: Chetan.Mokkapati@ucsf.edu
Alumni
ATTINDER CHADHA - Post Doctoral Fellow
ALEX WOOLDRIDGE - Junior specialist (2022-2024)
VARUN BHADKAMKAR- Tetrad Ph.D student (Graduated 2023)
ADVAIT SUBRAMANIAN - Post Doctoral Fellow (2018-2023)
ALLISON PASCHACK- Undergraduate researcher (2023-2023)
KATIE FANG- Undergraduate researcher (2022-2023)
TORI TRAN- 1st-year BMS rotation student (Fall 2021)
ARMANDO MARTINEZ- 1st-year Tetrad rotation student (Spring 2021)
CJ SAN FELIPE - 1st-year Tetrad rotation student (Spring 2021)
BRIAN WANG - 1st-year CCB rotation student (Winter 2020)
CJ SARABIA - 1st-year Tetrad rotation student (Fall 2020)
HANA KIMURA - Post-Doctoral Fellow (2018-2020)
JULIA NOACK - Post-Doctoral Fellow (2017-2020)
NNEJIUWA IBE - Tetrad PhD student (Graduated 2020)
ELIAS TAYLOR-CORNEJO - Post-Doctoral Fellow (2016-2020)
STEVEN MOSS - CCB PhD student - joint with Kevan Shokat (Graduated 2019)
RHOGERRY DESHYCKA - 1st year BMS rotation student (Winter 2018)
LILI KIM - 1st Year Tetrad Rotation Student (Fall 2018)
TANYA KUMAR - Summer Research Training Program Student (Summer 2018)
NATALIE WHITIS - 1st year Tetrad Rotation Student (Spring 2018)
HALEY GAUSE - Junior Lab Specialist (August 2017 - July 2018)
RAMIRO PATINO - 1st Year BMS Rotation Student (Winter 2016)
PHILIPP SCHLAERMANN - Post-Doctoral Fellow (2016-2017)
VERONICA ESCALANTE - 1st Year Tetrad Rotation Student (Summer 2016)
REBECCA LEVIN (AKA BECCA) - CCB PhD student - joint with Kevan Shokat (Graduated 2016)