Utpal Banerjee, PhD

Dr. Uptal Banerjee's research is focused on how hematopoietic stem cells are maintained within a microenvironment, specifically where signals from a niche are vital for the maintenance of quiescence within a precursor population but the lack of such a niche-derived signal will cause loss of ÒstemnessÓ resulting in increased proliferation and eventual differentiation. His team studies this phenomenon using genetic technologies available in the Drosophila hematopoietic organ, and seeks to further Drosophila blood development as an appropriate genetic model for vertebrate hematopoiesis.

Banerjee's lab currently utilizes myeloid blood cells to study the role hypoxia-related factors and reactive oxygen species play in stress response and overall hematopoietic development. Utilizing genetic analysis, they are investigating how basic developmental mechanisms are co-opted for stress, injury and inflammatory responses by the myeloid hematopoietic system, and the interrelationship between these important biological phenomena and their relevance to diseases and disorders in humans.

His team is also studying the effect of signal transduction pathways on the control of cellular metabolism and how imbalance between cellular growth and metabolism drives cancer. Current studies include exploring metabolic pathways and mitochondrial activity and biogenesis during development, using early embryonic stem cells in mouse models.

Shim J, Mukherjee T, Banerjee U. Direct sensing of systemic and nutritional signals by haematopoietic progenitors in Drosophila. Nat Cell Biol. 2012 Apr;14(4):394-400.

Mondal BC, Mukherjee T, Mandal L, Evans CJ, Sinenko SA, Martinez-Agosto JA, Banerjee U. Interaction between differentiating cell- and niche-derived signals in hematopoietic progenitor maintenance. Cell. 2011 Dec 23;147(7):1589-600.

Mukherjee T, Kim WS, Mandal L, Banerjee U. Interaction between Notch and Hif-alpha in development and survival of Drosophila blood cells. Science. 2011 Jun 3;332(6034):1210-3.

Sinenko SA, Hung T, Moroz T, Tran QM, Sidhu S, Cheney MD, Speck NA, Banerjee U. Genetic manipulation of AML1-ETO-induced expansion of hematopoietic precursors in a Drosophila model. Blood. 2010 Nov 25;116(22):4612-20. Epub 2010 Aug 5

Owusu-Ansah E, Banerjee U. Reactive oxygen species prime Drosophila haematopoietic progenitors for differentiation. Nature. 2009 Sep 24;461(7263):537-41. Epub 2009 Sep 2