Debosmita has joined Bert Poolman’s group at the beginning of the month as part of the DC11 project within our MSCA Doctoral Network.
Her research focuses on designing and constructing membraneless compartments inside synthetic cells by integrating vesicle systems with biomolecular condensates, aiming to enhance cellular functionality. She will also work on engineering reaction networks for the synthesis of cellular building blocks and processes such as engulfment, membrane rupture, and fission.
Debosmita holds an Integrated BS-MS degree in Natural Sciences from IISER Kolkata, India, with a major in Chemical Sciences. For her Master’s thesis, she drew inspiration from the survival strategy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to develop a broad-spectrum antiviral using lipo-peptides inspired by the Coronin-1 protein, which inhibits membrane fusion. It was during this research that her interest in artificial cells and their wide-ranging applications began to take shape.