Vibha Gupta, joined Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology as an Assistant Professor in June 2011. She has extensive research experience obtained by working in reputed organizations abroad as well as in India. Prior to joining JIIT, she was at University of Delhi South Campus where she determined 3D structures of novel candidate targets from Mycobacterium tuberculosis by X-ray crystallography method. Vibha’s doctoral dissertation was conducted under the joint direction of Dr. Dinakar M. Salunke at National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi and Dr. Lode Wyns at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. It focused on investigating the structure of Ribonuclease A from rat pancreases using X-ray crystallography, molecular biology and computational approaches. Vibha is a structural biologist with expertise in the field of macromolecular X-ray crystallography and interdisciplinary areas of protein chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics and bioinformatics. She is dedicated to facilitate and proliferate research that enhances understanding of biomacromolecules. Her research interest involves deciphering the structure-function of a biological molecule in a cell with a broader intent of understanding how a cell functions as a living unit, respond to external cues, communicate with other cells, and contribute to the virulence processes in pathogenic systems. She has initiated research efforts for early-stage rational drug discovery for a novel antimicrobial agent(s) with the help of DBT and ICMR funding wherein X-ray crystal structures of a potential drug target from human pathogens will be elucidated. The availability of the 3D - structural information of a drug target from pathogenic organisms will enable the possibility of rational structure-based design and development of pathogen-specific drug molecule. Vibha has publications in high impact international journals and has attended several national and International conferences. She was a recipient of European Economic Community (EEC) fellowship during her Masters studies in Molecular Biology at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.

 Molecular and cell biology