BeckyK8455 at 18:12, 24 March 2026

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{{Short description|Indian biologist (born 1956)}}
{{use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = B. J. Rao
| image = Basuthkar_Rao.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| birth_name = Basuthkar Jagadeeshwar Rao
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|03|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Andhra Pradesh]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = {{ubl|[[Yale School of Medicine]],|[[Indian Institute of Sciences]],|[[Osmania University]]}}
| website = {{URL|http://www.tifr.res.in/~dbs/faculty/BJ_Rao.html}}
| field = [[Biological science]]
| work_institution = [[University of Hyderabad]], [[IISER Tirupati]], [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]],
}}

'''Basuthkar Jagadeeshwar Rao''' (born 13 March 1956) is an Indian biologist who served as the [[Vice-Chancellor]] of [[University of Hyderabad]], Telangana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iisertirupati.ac.in/people/faculty/|title = IISER Tirupati}}</ref> Prior to this, he was a senior professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at [[IISER Tirupati]] before that he served at [[TIFR]], Mumbai<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tifr.res.in/~dbs/faculty/BJ_Rao.html|title=BJ Rao, Department of Biological Sciences, TIFR, Mumbai|last=Webmaster|website=www.tifr.res.in}}</ref> and the head of Mechanism of Genome Dynamics and Cellular Adaptations Laboratory, TIFR.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tifr.res.in/~dbs/faculty/bjr/|title=TIFR|website=www.tifr.res.in}}</ref> His areas of specialisations are molecular basis of genome dynamics, [[computational biology]] of genomes and protein active sites, cellular physiology and metabolism, to which he made fundamental contributions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://syntalk.wordpress.com/episodes/turn-one/twap/|title=#TWAP|date=11 April 2015|publisher=}}</ref> Apart from his fundamental research in the domain of biology, he is also interested in dissemination of scientific knowledge and outreach activities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/Scientists-to-share-new-discoveries-with-students/articleshow/55843286.cms|title=Scientists to share new discoveries with students - Times of India|website=[[The Times of India]] |date=7 December 2016 |publisher=}}</ref><ref>http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/publications/year-wise-annual-reports/ar-2015-16{{full citation needed|date=September 2018}}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>https://www.ias.ac.in/public/Resources/Other_Publications/Patrika/patrika_57.pdf{{full citation needed|date=September 2018}}</ref>

==Early life==

Rao obtained his BSc from [[Nizam College]] and his MSc from [[Osmania University]], Hyderabad. He then obtained PhD from [[Indian Institute of Sciences]], Bangalore in the domain of [[Biochemistry]]. He then went on to do his post-doctoral work at [[Yale Medical School]] where he served as research scientist for about seven years.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} He then returned to India and started working at TIFR in various capacities, from being a reader to associate professor and a chairperson.Thereafter, in 2018 he became a senior Professor at [[IISER Tirupati]]. Following that, in July 2021 he became Vice- Chancellor at [[University of Hyderabad]] until March 2026.

==Research==

He is primarily interested in:<ref name="tifr.res.in">{{cite web|url=http://www.tifr.res.in/~dbs/faculty/bjr/publications.html|title=TIFR|website=www.tifr.res.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4CaQ3-x3LXMC&q=BJ+Rao+tifr&pg=PA413|title=From Physiology and Chemistry to Biochemistry|first1=D. P.|last1=Burma|first2=Maharani|last2=Chakravorty|date=6 July 2018|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=9788131732205|via=Google Books}}</ref>
* Mechanisms Genome instability-Repairs & Spatial dynamics of Chromosomal Territories vis-à- vis Genome Repair.
* [[Cellular signalling]] & Tissue [[homeostasis]] vis-à- vis Genome repair.
* Biophysics of [[genome repair]].
* [[Computational Biology]]: Computational Genomics of [[organellar genome]]s; Computational analyses of [[protein active site]] geometry, evolution and [[promiscuity]] rules.
* Cell Biology of [[Chlamydomonas reinhardtii]] (a green yeast): cellular adaptive responses, metabolic and [[circadian rhythm]]icity, metabolic plasticity regulation by in cell NMR.

==Collaborations and genome dynamics Lab==

.
.

Rao and his collaborators of Genome Dynamics Lab<ref name="tifr.res.in"/> are interested in mapping and understanding the promiscuity scores of protein active sites with the help of computational approaches. They are also dissecting the biochemical mechanism of regulation of homologous recombination by tumour suppressors such as P53 and BRCA2 proteins.

Other activities include:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tifr.res.in/~dbs/faculty/bjr/research.html|title=TIFR|website=www.tifr.res.in}}</ref>
* Chromosome territory movements associated with DNA damage response events in mammalian cells; Circadian control of UV-sensitivity in Chlamydomonas reinhardii
* Cell biology and metabolism in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during adaptive stress responses.
The Lab is also involved in collaborative projects with chemists and physicists at TIFR to seek answers, for instance how “soft electrons” (≈10eV) intersect and change biomolecules etc., along with many other interdisciplinary research proposals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tifr.res.in/~dcs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92:basuthkar-j-rao&catid=2|title=TIFR|website=www.tifr.res.in}}</ref>

==Recognition and outreach==

He is a Fellow of all three National Academies in India, and is also the Sir JC Bose Fellow of Department of Science & Technology, India. He is also serving as a chief member and an advisor for various committees and has won many awards and fellowships.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/IISc.-TIFR-scientists-receive-Thathachari-Award/article16014173.ece|title=IISc., TIFR scientists receive Thathachari Award|newspaper=The Hindu|date=4 April 2010|publisher=|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>

He worked as a DST-inspire teacher by articulating the current excitements of basic biology to a large number of undergraduate students across India. He perceives biology as a complex manifestation of physics-chemistry of a dynamically evolving system and emphasise on design principles in Biology. He has given numerous technical as well as public lectures<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQAzrD5uBGM|title=BJ Rao|last=CarciKNOW|date=4 April 2013|publisher=|via=YouTube}}</ref> for varied audiences at conferences as well as at research centers.

==Selected publications==

*{{cite journal |doi=10.1021/bi015743r |pmid=11888282 |title=ATP Hydrolysis Induces Expansion of MutS Contacts on Heteroduplex: A Case for MutS Treadmilling? |journal=Biochemistry |volume=41 |issue=11 |pages=3654–66 |year=2002 |last1=Joshi |first1=Amita |last2=Rao |first2=Basuthkar J }}
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.jmb.2007.08.065 |pmid=17919654 |title=Altered Dynamics of DNA Bases Adjacent to a Mismatch: A Cue for Mismatch Recognition by MutS |journal=Journal of Molecular Biology |volume=374 |issue=1 |pages=39–53 |year=2007 |last1=Nag |first1=Nabanita |last2=Rao |first2=B.J |last3=Krishnamoorthy |first3=G }}
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1186/1471-2164-10-237 |pmid=19457260 |pmc=2695485 |title=A comparative approach to elucidate chloroplast genome replication |journal=BMC Genomics |volume=10 |pages=237 |year=2009 |last1=Krishnan |first1=Neeraja M |last2=Rao |first2=Basuthkar J |doi-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1186/gb-2013-14-12-r135 |pmid=24330859 |pmc=4062845 |title=Chromosome territories reposition during DNA damage-repair response |journal=Genome Biology |volume=14 |issue=12 |pages=R135 |year=2013 |last1=Mehta |first1=Ishita S |last2=Kulashreshtha |first2=Mugdha |last3=Chakraborty |first3=Sandeep |last4=Kolthur-Seetharam |first4=Ullas |last5=Rao |first5=Basuthkar J |doi-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/s11103-014-0183-z |pmid=24590314 |title=Regulation of CCM genes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii during conditions of light–dark cycles in synchronous cultures |journal=Plant Molecular Biology |volume=85 |issue=3 |pages=277–86 |year=2014 |last1=Tirumani |first1=Srikanth |last2=Kokkanti |first2=Mallikarjuna |last3=Chaudhari |first3=Vishal |last4=Shukla |first4=Manish |last5=Rao |first5=Basuthkar J |bibcode=2014PMolB..85..277T |s2cid=8316514 }}
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1093/nar/gkw573 |pmid=27365048 |pmc=5041470 |title=Chromosome territory relocation during DNA repair requires nuclear myosin 1 recruitment to chromatin mediated by ϒ-H2AX signaling |journal=Nucleic Acids Research |volume=44 |issue=17 |pages=8272–91 |year=2016 |last1=Kulashreshtha |first1=Mugdha |last2=Mehta |first2=Ishita S |last3=Kumar |first3=Pradeep |last4=Rao |first4=Basuthkar J }}
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.algal.2016.05.028 |title=Regulation of starch, lipids and amino acids upon nitrogen sensing in ''Chlamydomonas reinhardtii'' |journal=Algal Research |volume=18 |pages=33–44 |year=2016 |last1=Himanshu |first1=Singh |last2=Manish |first2=R. Shukla |last3=Basuthkar |first3=J. Rao |last4=Kandala |first4=V.R. Chary |bibcode=2016AlgRe..18...33H }}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, B. J.}}
[[Category:Fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, India]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Osmania University alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Institute of Science alumni]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Hyderabad]]
[[Category:Scientists from Andhra Pradesh]]

B. J. Rao - Revision history

BeckyK8455 at 18:12, 24 March 2026