Prof. Naresh Babu V. Sepuri from the Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad (UoH), has been awarded the prestigious JC Bose Grant by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Government of India. The grant will support his ambitious research proposal titled “Defining the Functional Heterogeneity of Mitochondria in Modulating Metabolic Plasticity and Disease States” over a sustained period of five years.

The JC Bose Grant, launched by the ANRF in 2025 as the successor to the former JC Bose National Fellowship, is one of India’s highest individual research honors for senior scientists. It recognizes researchers with an outstanding track record of achievement and provides substantial, flexible funding to pursue high-risk, high-reward research directions.

Advancing Mitochondrial Research

Prof. Sepuri’s laboratory has a long-standing research foundation in mitochondrial quality-control pathways—including mitophagy, mitochondrial dynamics, and redox homeostasis—utilizing both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mammalian model systems.

Building on this foundation, the JC Bose-funded project will explore:

  • How distinct mitochondrial subpopulations are generated and maintained.
  • How these subpopulations communicate with the cell nucleus and other organelles via retrograde signaling.
  • How disruptions in functional heterogeneity contribute to metabolic diseases, aging, and other pathological conditions.

Leveraging the laboratory’s established expertise in autophagy, mitophagy regulation, protein quality control, and organelle dynamics, the program will venture into new territory by investigating cell-to-cell and mitochondrion-to-mitochondrion variability.

Reflections & Recognition

Reflecting on the honour, Prof. Sepuri attributed the recognition to the sustained dedication of his students and collaborators over the years. He expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities this flexible funding provides to explore fundamental questions in mitochondrial biology with direct implications for human health and disease.

The University of Hyderabad warmly congratulates Prof. Sepuri on receiving this distinguished recognition and looks forward to the groundbreaking scientific discoveries that will emerge from this five-year research program.