Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
स्वास्थ्य अनुसंधान विभाग, स्वास्थ्य और परिवार कल्याण मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार
WHO Collaborating Centre For Research and Training On Diarrhoeal Diseases
Dr. B. L. Sarkar joined in National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in May 01, 1979 as a Junior Research Fellow. After completion of Ph. D. degree in 1984, he joined as an Assistant Research Officer in 1985. Presently, Dr. Sarkar is the Deputy Director at Vibrio Phage Reference Laboratory in this institute and is engaged in research on cholera phages. He is the Guest Lecturer and External Examiner of several universities.
Name | Dr. B. L. Sarkar |
---|---|
Educational Qualification | M.Sc., Ph.D. |
Designation | Scientist F |
Division | Bacteriology |
Specialization | Microbiology (Cholera bacteriophage) |
Date of joining ICMR | 1st May 1979 |
Email : | bl_sarkar@hotmail.com |
Dr. Sarkar joined as a Research Fellow in 1979 and his Ph.D. work was mainly concerned on the seasonal distribution of V. parahaemolyticus - a diarrheagenic halophile in the freshwater environs in relation to hospitalized patients in Calcutta. Dr. Sarkar and his group successfully developed a phage typing scheme for V. Cholerae O1 biotype Eltor in 1993. Subsequently, he developed the phage typing scheme for V. cholerae O139 after the emergence of newly toxigenic serogroup. Presently, he is engaged in research on phage typing, molecular characterization and animal experiment of bacteriophages of V. cholerae O1 biotype ElTor and O139. He is the Guest Lecturer and External Examiner of several universities. Dr. Sarkar was a post- doctoral Research Associate in USA during 1990- 91, Vising Scientist in Brazil, South America during 1996 - 97, visited Japan JICA/NICED project during 2001 - 02, Korea and Vienna, Austria in 2009. Dr. Sarkar has published 43 research papers and is presently engaged in research on cholera phages.
As a Research Associate, engaged in studies on molecular mechanism of tetracycline resistance gene interferes with E.coli growth particularly interacts with ATP synthase complex -the research work done in USA in 1990-1991.
Invited to deliver lecture at the 1st. World Congress of Pediatric Infectious Diseases held on December 4-7, 1996 in Acapulco, Mexico.
As a Visiting Scientist, engaged in research on cholera and diarrhoeal diseases problems in Brazil, South America in 1996-1997.
As a Visiting Scientist under Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) engaged in studies on molecular characterization of cholera bacteriophage in Japan in 2001-2002.
Participated in the training on Vibriocidal Assays in connection with cholera vaccine study in Seoul, Korea in 2005.
As a Visiting Scientist, joined in a collaborative research study organized in Vienna, Austria in 2009.
Participated in a joint collaborative research study organized by National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo, Japan in 2013.
As a Visiting Scientist, invited the inaugural seminar to launch the Indo- UKIERI, UKcollaborative project organized at the University of Nottingham from May 25-31, 2014.
Dr. Sarkar and his group successfully developed a phage typing scheme for V. Cholerae 01 biotype ElTor in 1993. Subsequently, he developed the phage typing scheme for Vibrio cholerae O139. Division of vibriophage operates as a Reference Laboratory and receives 1000 to 1500 strains per year from 30-40 institutions in India and abroad for biotyping, serotyping and phage typing and is serving the nation by sending the results from time to time. Additionally, Dr. Sarkar is engaged in research on cloning and sequencing of phage DNA, phage therapy in animal model and surveillance studies in aquatic environs.
We are interested to compare new phage typing scheme with Basu & Mukerjee scheme for phage typing study of V.cholerae O1 and O139 strains. Also, to correlate the current status of phage types in the country. A study is ongoing to determine whether V. cholerae strains with similar phage types are also genetically homogeneous or heterogeneous by molecular typing methods like PFGE, RAPD- PCR etc. employed in this study. Also, to find out the most important and convenient molecular typing tool, which will be fruitful for rapid and extensive epidemiological analysis of cholera outbreaks. To understand host-virus interaction it is mandatory to study the phages specially their genomic make up at the molecular level. We wanted to characterize cloning and sequencing of phage DNA. Our interest is to observe the host lysis activity with the vibriophages, which have the broad-spectrum host lysis activity in animal model. The goal of our present study is to explore the therapeutic potential of phages in cholera.
Dr. Sarkar has published 60 research papers in various national and international journals of repute.