Saswata Sankar Sarkar, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area

I am currently working as a research scientist in the discovery biology team. I am leveraging my experience in muscle biology to develop small molecules for the treatment muscle diseases including heart failure (HFrEF and HFpEF), HCM etc at Cytokinetics. Here are my day-to-day activities - working as a bench scientist to develop and perform biochemical/biophysical assays for target validation and mechanism of action (MOA) studies, reviewing literature for new targets, close interactions and… Show more I am currently working as a research scientist in the discovery biology team. I am leveraging my experience in muscle biology to develop small molecules for the treatment muscle diseases including heart failure (HFrEF and HFpEF), HCM etc at Cytokinetics. Here are my day-to-day activities - working as a bench scientist to develop and perform biochemical/biophysical assays for target validation and mechanism of action (MOA) studies, reviewing literature for new targets, close interactions and collaboration with my colleagues of various departments, supporting protein purification work needed for the team, participate in cross-functional team meetings. Show less

◊ Collaborated with Myokardia Inc – performed in vitro assays and analyzed data to understand the effect of mavacamten on human β-cardiac myosin structure and function.◊ Developed fluorescence assay using a semi-automated instrument and the analysis of data to understand enzyme biochemistry - measured the ATP turnover rate of purified human β-cardiac myosin.◊ Critical-thinking led the design of two-headed human β-cardiac myosin constructs expressed in mouse cells (C2C12) for the… Show more ◊ Collaborated with Myokardia Inc – performed in vitro assays and analyzed data to understand the effect of mavacamten on human β-cardiac myosin structure and function.◊ Developed fluorescence assay using a semi-automated instrument and the analysis of data to understand enzyme biochemistry - measured the ATP turnover rate of purified human β-cardiac myosin.◊ Critical-thinking led the design of two-headed human β-cardiac myosin constructs expressed in mouse cells (C2C12) for the study of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Our lab is using the constructs to understand the mutational effects in HCM. ◊ Learned and implemented the expression of human cardiac myosin using adenoviral vectors in mammalian C2C12 cells.◊ Trouble-shot to reduce the cost of production of a human protein complex in the lab – designed a critical step leading to the expression of the protein in bacterial cells instead of mammalian cells. ◊ Hands-on skill in protein purification using chromatography – used ion exchange, His-tagged purifications using AKTA.◊ Standardized along with a lab mate negative-staining electron microscopy (EM) in the collaborative project of structural biology - imaged different conformations of human β-cardiac myosin. ◊ A collaborative approach in the lab led to the characterization of the protein-protein interactions in between myosin and myosin binding protein-C using microscale thermophoresis (MST) – prepared samples, collected and analyzed data for the determination of the dissociation constant.◊ Implemented fluorescence microscopy (TIRF mode) experience and image analysis to get quantitative biophysical information of two interacting proteins – the velocity of actin filaments driven by myosin.◊ Expertise in biophysical approach implemented to investigate the molecular basis of the hypercontractility of the heart in HCM using reconstituted proteins and single molecule force spectroscopy. ◊ Reviewed many papers as sent by various journals. Show less

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

◊ Experience of collaboration - performed the work of multiple projects in the lab of Prof. Jayant B. Udgaonkar at NCBS-TIFR, Bangaluru, India.◊ Expertise in kinetic measurements –stopped-flow based kinetic experiments monitored by fluorescence and CD signals led to the first experimental proof of long-standing hypothesis in the mechanism of protein folding – sequential population of molten globule intermediates with the different solvent accessibility of the core of protein during its… Show more ◊ Experience of collaboration - performed the work of multiple projects in the lab of Prof. Jayant B. Udgaonkar at NCBS-TIFR, Bangaluru, India.◊ Expertise in kinetic measurements –stopped-flow based kinetic experiments monitored by fluorescence and CD signals led to the first experimental proof of long-standing hypothesis in the mechanism of protein folding – sequential population of molten globule intermediates with the different solvent accessibility of the core of protein during its unfolding.◊ Deep understanding of bacterial cell culture led to the standardization of an unnatural amino acid incorporation into bacterial protein for fluorescence study.◊ Analyzed and interpreted complex kinetic data sets – proposed a complex kinetic model of unfolding and validated the model by fitting multiple data sets using Matlab.◊ Developed fluorescence experiment in the lab – fluorescence quenching based assay for biophysical characterization of protein structure.◊ Protein conjugation skill led to attaching thiol-based fluorophores to proteins for FRET measurements. ◊ Experience in solid-phase peptide synthesis - designed and synthesized small peptides to understand the fluorescence properties of tryptophan and 5-fluorotryptophan. Show less

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Molecular Biophysics

Master'S Degree, Chemistry

– Attended various courses and lab work: physical chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry and biophysics. –.

Bachelor'S Degree, Chemistry

– Attended various courses and lab work: physical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and analytical chemistry.