Dr Nisha N Kannan

Assistant Professor
School of Biology
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram
India

Biography

2008- 2012-Ph. D. in Chronobiology Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India 2001- 2003 - M. Sc. in Bio-technology Kannur University, Kerala, India 1998-2001 -B. Sc. in Zoology Kannur University, Kerala, India

Research Intrest

The daily rhythms in various physiological processes are generated by endogenous circadian clock and the circadian machinery is proposed to contain transcription–translational feedback loops involving period, timeless, clock and cycle genes. In Drosophila, circadian clocks regulate a myriad of behavioral and physiological processes such as sleep, adult emergence, learning, memory and metabolism. Among the clock controlled behaviors, sleep is most mysterious and less understood phenomena exhibited by organisms. My work focuses on the neurotransmitters and neuropeptides involved in the temperature mediated and metabolic signal mediated sleep in Drosophila melanogaster. Studies on sleep genetics and circuitry provide important contributions to our understanding on genetic basis of sleep disorders. Apart from this, I am also probing microRNA mediated post-transcriptional regulation of circadian clock gene expression and its impact on behavioral rhythms. To this end, I use comprehensive genetic, neurobiological and molecular approaches in Drosophila melanogaster.

List of Publications
Varma V, Kannan NN and Sharma VK, Selection for narrow gate of emergence results in correlated sex-specific changes in life history of Drosophila melanogaster. Biology open 3(7): 606-613 (2014). Varma V, Mukherjee N, Kannan NN and Sharma VK, Strong (type-0) phase-resetting of activity/rest rhythm in fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster at low temperature. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 28(6): 380-9 (2013). Kannan NN, Varma V, De J and Sharma VK, Stability of adult emergence and activity/rest rhythms in fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster under semi-natural condition. PLoS ONE, 7(11) (2012). Kannan NN, Vaze KM and Sharma VK, Clock accuracy and precision evolve as a consequence of selection for adult emergence in a narrow window of time in fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster, Journal of Experimental Biology , 215: 3527 – 3534 (2012). Kannan NN, Mukherjee N and Sharma VK, Robustness of circadian timing systems evolves in fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster as a correlated response to selection for adult emergence in a narrow window of time, Chronobiology International, 29(10): 1312-28 (2012). Kannan NN, Reveendran R, Hari Dass S, Manjunatha T and Sharma VK, Temperature can entrain egg laying rhythm of Drosophila but may not be a stronger zeitgeber than light. Journal of Insect Physiology, 58: 245 - 255 (2012). Mukherjee N, Kannan NN, Yadav P and Sharma VK, A model based on oscillatory threshold and build-up of a developmental substance can explain gating of adult emergence in fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Experimental Biology, 215: 2960 - 2968 (2012). Vaze KM, Kannan NN, Abhilash L and Sharma VK, Chronotype differences in Drosophila are enhanced by semi-natural conditions. Naturwissenschaften, 11: 967- 971 (2012).