NISER

Ph.D. (Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics)

Thesis topic: studied the role of bivalent magnesium ions on the mode of action of antitumor antibiotics, Mithramycin and Chromomycin.

PhD: Biophysics

PDF: Biophysics/Molecular Dynamics/Molecular Biology/LASER instrumentation

Scientist @ VIDO: Innate Mucosal Immunity

Faculty @ NISER: 

• Use of nullclines and understanding phase-portrait of metabolome-microbiome dynamics (Biological Mathematics)
• Role of Microbiome-Gut-Adipose-Brain Axis on innate mucosal immunity
• Predicting resident microbiome using host metabolites (CDSCO-approved Gut Function Test→ MicrobioTx Health)
• Precision or hyper-personalized probiotcs

• Jury (3rd year in a row): Aegis Graham Bell Awards: The Largest
  Innovation Awards in India (https://bellaward.com/)
• Director: NISER Homi Bhabha Incubation Foundation (NHBIF)
• Convener: 1st DAE Conclave & Platinum Jubilee Celebration, DAE. Oct
  22-26, 2024, NISER.
• Associate Editor: J of Gerontology and Geriatrics
• Editor-in-Chief:  Microenvironment & Microecology Research
• Guest Editor: Metabolites (spl issue: Role of Microbial Metabolites in the Regulation of Host Immunity and Metabolism)
• Editorial Board Member: Medicine in Microecology (Elsevier)
• Associate Editor: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (section: Microbiome in Health and Disease)
• Global Travel Award: College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, 2019
• Academic Editor: PLoS One
• Badge of Honor: Public Health, Sofia Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria, 2018
• Honorary Diploma: Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria, 2016
• Associate Editor: Current Bioinformatics
• Ramalingaswami Fellow: DBT-India, 2008
• Award of Innovation: University of Saskatchewan Technology (UST Inc.) and Innovation Place, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. 2000
• FEBS Youth (Young Scientist) Grant International School of Biological Magnetic Resonance; Advanced NATO ASI Course on "Dynamics and the Problem of Recognition in BiologicalMolecules", Sicily, Italy, 1995

@ NISER (since July 2009)

Snehanjali Puhan, Smaroki Smruti Rekha, Kartika Sahu, Tanuja Mohanty, Arka Jyoti De, Ankita Das, and Palok Aich. Visiting MASLD through the lens of sex, immunity, and microbial interactions. Discov Med 2, 236 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44337-025-00489-1

Panda, S.S., Pattnaik, T. & Aich, P. Antibiotic Cocktail: An Excellent Tool to Probe Physiology by Perturbing Gut Microbiota: A Mice Model. Curr Microbiol 82, 457 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-025-04409-5

Mukhopadhyay, S., Ulaganathan, N., Dumpuri, P., Aich, P. (2025). Integrative AI-Based Approaches to Connect the Multiome to Use Microbiome-Metabolome Interactive Outcome as Precision Medicine. In: Mandal, S. (eds) Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Cell and Genetic Engineering. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2952. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-4690-8_2.

Patent: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING MICROBIOME FROM HOST METABOLOME USING A MACHINE LEARNING MODEL.
Patent # 552962, Application No: 202341038067, Filing/Priority Date: 02 June 2023. Patentee: 1. MicrobioTx Health Private Limited 2.
National Institute of Science Education and Research. Inventor: Professor Palok Aich
 

CDSCO (DCGI) approval of Gut Function Test (A translation of basic research)

Nayak, Akankshya, Swati S. Panda, Isha Dwivedi, Shivani Meena, and Palok Aich. "Role of Gut Microbial-derived Metabolites and Other Select Agents on Adipocyte Browning." Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 737, (2024): 150518. Accessed August 17, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150518.

Importance of Microbial Diversity on Health: Perhaps the Best Tool to Intervene in Emerging and Continuing Diseases. Sohini Mukhopadhyay, Sunaina Sunaina, Tanuja Mohanty, Ankita Das, Arka Jyoti De, Isha Dwivedi, and Palok Aich. In Microbial Diversity in the Genomic Era: Functional Diversity and Community Analysis. SECOND EDITION (2024). Academic Press, Elsevier. Ed by Surajit Das and Hirak Ranjan Dash.

Panda, S. S., Behera, B., Ghosh, R., Bagh, B., & Aich, P. (2024). Antibiotic-induced adipose tissue browning in C57BL/6 mice: An association with the metabolic profile and the gut microbiota. Life Sciences, 340, 122473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122473

Uday Pandey, Subodh Tambat and Palok Aich. Postnatal 14D is the key window for mice intestinal development- An insight from age-dependent antibiotic-mediated gut microbial dysbiosis study. Advanced Biology 2023 (in press). DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300089

Panda, S.S.; Nayak, A.; Shah, S.; Aich, P. A Systematic Review on the Association between Obesity and Mood Disorders and the Role of Gut Microbiota. Metabolites 2023,13,488. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/metabo13040488

Singh, Dhyanendra, Shalini Pandey, Arindam Ghosh, and Palok Aich. "Effects of Constant Darkness on Behaviour and Physiology of Male and Female Mice." European Journal of Neuroscience 57, no. 9 (2023): 1498-1515. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15972.

Singh, Dhyanendra, Abhilash Preetam Ambati, and Palok Aich. "Sex and Time: Important Variables for Understanding the Impact of Constant Darkness on Behavior, Brain, and Physiology." Neuroscience 519, (2023): 73-89. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.016..

Sohini Mukhopadhyay, Tanya Pattnaik, and Palok Aich. A deeper understanding of the gut microbiota of different human races in search of disease-specific microbial and metabolic biomarkers. Microenvironment & Microecology Research   |   2022, Vol. 4  |   Issue (4): No.18     https://doi.org/10.53388/MMR2022018

Mukhopadhyay, S., Ray, P. and Aich, P. A comparative analysis of gut microbial dysbiosis by select antibiotics and DSS to understand the effects of perturbation on the host immunity and metabolism. Life Sciences (2022), Volume 312, 1 January 2023, 121212  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121212

Chu, L.M., Karunanayake, C., Aich, P. et al. Association between liver enzymes and metabolic syndrome in Canadian adults: results from the Canadian health measures survey - cycles 3 &4. J Diabetes Metab Disord 21, 1699–1708 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-022-01124-x https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-022-01124-x

Mukhopadhyay, S. and Aich, P. (2022). Cost-Effective Method for gDNA Isolation from the Cecal Content and High Yield Procedure for RNA Isolation from the Colonic Tissue of Mice. Bio-protocol 12(15): e4484. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.4484.

Impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors on liver steatosis/fibrosis/inflammation and redox balance in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Francesco Bellanti, Aurelio Lo Buglio, MichaÅ‚ Dobrakowski, Aleksandra Kasperczyk, SÅ‚awomir Kasperczyk, Palok Aich, Shivaram P Singh, Gaetano Serviddio, Gianluigi Vendemiale. World J Gastroenterol 2022 July 14; 28(26): 3243-3257. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i26.3243

Effects of starch-rich or fat-rich diets on metabolism, adiposity, and glycemia in immune-biased, C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Raktim Mukherjee, Shalini Pandey, Arindam Ghosh, and Palok Aich (2022). J Nutritional Biochemistry Volume 108,109086, ISSN 0955-2863, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109086.

Postnatal intestinal mucosa and gut microbial composition develop hand in hand: A mouse study. Uday Pandey and Palok Aich. (in press, Biomedical Journal 2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2022.03.004

Differential colitis susceptibility of Th1- and Th2-biased mice: A multi-omics approach. Sohini Mukhopadhyay, Subha Saha, Subhayan Chakraborty, Punit Prasad, Arindam Ghosh, Palok Aich. PLoS One. Published: March 9, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264400 

Microbiota transplantation from younger to older mice could restore lost immunity to effectively clear salmonella infection in Th2-biased BALB/c mice, Salila Pradhan, Pratikshya Ray,  Palok Aich, Life Sciences 2021, 120201, ISSN 0024-3205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120201. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024320521011887)

Predictive Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease in Adult Canadian Population. Punam Pahwa, Luan Chu, Chandima Karunanayake, Palok Aich, Markus Hecker, Anurag Saxena, Philip Griebel, Soumya Niyogi. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders 2021, 20,1199–1209.

The starch-rich diet causes lipidemia while the fat-rich diet induces visceral adiposity, meta-inflammation, and Insulin resistance differentially in immune-biased mouse strains. Raktim Mukherjee & Palok Aich. Food Biosciences 2021, 42, August 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2021.101136 .

Effects of two potential probiotic Lactobacillus bacteria on adipogenesis in vitro. Dipanjan Guha, Raktim Mukherjee & Palok Aich. Life Sciences 2021, 278, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119538 .  [equal contribution: DG & RM].

Vancomycin induced changes in host immunity and behavior: Comparative genomic and metagenomic analysis in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Pratikshya Ray, Uday Pandey, Debasmita Das, and Palok Aich. Digestive Diseases and Sciences 2021, https://rdcu.be/ccWpM

Secretory clusterin promotes oral cancer cell survival via inhibiting apoptosis by activation of autophagy in Akt/mTOR/ULK1 dependent pathway. Prajna P. Naik, PhD; Debasna P. Panigrahi; Kewal K. Mahapatra; Srimanta Patra; Prakash P. Praharaj; Chandra S. Bhol; Sarbari Saha; Aditya K. Panda; Krupasindhu Panda; Subhankar Paul; Palok Aich; Samir K Patra, and Sujit K Bhutia. Life Sciences 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118722

Pratikshya Ray, Uday Pandey and Palok Aich. Comparative analysis of beneficial effects of Vancomycin treatment on Th1- and Th2-biased mice and the role of gut microbiota. J Applied Microbiology 2020,. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.14853

Dipanjan Guha, Raktim Mukherjee and Palok Aich. Macrophage plays important role in cortisol and serotonin-induced adipogenesis in vitro, In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal. 2020; doi:10.1007/s11626-020-00482-1 [equal contribution: DG & RM] [published online ahead of print, 2020 Aug 5]. 

Rinku Pramanick, Niranjan Mayadeo, Himangi Warke, Shahina Begum, Palok Aich, and Clara Aranha. Vaginal microbiota of asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis: Are they different from normal microbiota? Microbial Pathogenesis 2019, 134, 103599.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31212037

Dipanjan Guha, Arka Banerjee, Raktim Mukherjee, Biswaranjan Pradhan, Maria Peneva, Georgi Aleksandrov, Sujit Suklabaidya, Shantibhushan Senapati and Palok Aich. A Probiotic formulation containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus DWT1 inhibits tumor growth by activating pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages. Journal of Functional Foods 2019, 56, 232-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2019.03.030

J. Tomporowski, J.M. Heer, B. Allan, S. Gomis, P. Aich, Carbon nanotubes significantly enhance the biological activity of CpG ODN in chickens, International Journal of Pharmaceutics 2019, 561, 135-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.02.040 

Naik, A., Pandey, U., Mukherjee, R., Mukhopadhyay, S., Chakraborty, S., Ghosh, A., Aich, P. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG reverses mortality in neonatal mice against Salmonella challenge. Toxicology Research (RSC) 2019, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C9TX00006B

Priyadarshini, S., Pradhan, B., Griebel, P., and Aich, P. Cortisol regulates immune and metabolic processes in murine adipocytes and macrophages through HTR2c and HTR5a serotonin receptors. ​Eur. J Cell Biol. 2018, 97(7), 483-492, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejcb.2018.07.004

Priyadarshini, S., Pradhan, B., and Aich, P. Role of Murine macrophage in temporal regulation of cortisol and serotonin induced adipogenesis in pre-adipocytes when grown together. Biol Open 2018, http://bio.biologists.org/content/biolopen/7/8/bio034629.full.pdf?with-ds=yes

Pradhan, B., Guha, D., Naik, A. K., Banerjee, A., Tambat, S., Chawla, S., Senapati, S., and Aich, P. , Probiotics L. acidophilus and B. clausii Modulate Gut Microbiota in Th1- and Th2-Biased Mice to Ameliorate Salmonella Typhimurium-Induced Diarrhea. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins, 2018. DOI:10.1007/s12602-018-9436-5;  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12602-018-9436-5 

Debakanta Mishra, Debakanta Mishra, Kaibalya R. Dash, Preetam Nath, Prasant K. Parida,  Subhendu Panigrahi, Chittaranjan Khatua, Suryakant Parida, Sambit K. Behera, Shivaram P. Singh, Palok Aich. Temporal Trends in the Etiology of Chronic Liver Disease in Coastal Eastern Odisha, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, Volume 7, Supplement 2, 2017, Page S93DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jceh.2017.05.168

Pradhan B, Guha D, Murmu KC, Sur A, Ray P, Das D, Aich P. Comparative efficacy analysis of anti-microbial peptides, LL-37 and indolicidin upon conjugation with CNT, in human monocytes. J Nanobiotechnology 15, 2017, 44 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28606090 

Biswaranjan Pradhan, David A. Datzkiw and Palok Aich (2016). Gut 
microbiota and health: a review with focus on metabolic and immunological disorders and microbial remediation. Biomedical Reviews 27. 2016, 1-17. 
http://journals.mu-varna.bg/index.php/bmr/issue/view/171 

Front cover: Change in healthy microbial composition leads to dysbiosis (red arrows) and is associated with obesity, diabetes, colorectal cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Clostridium difficile infections (CDI). Prebiotics, probiotics and fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) remediate microbial symbiosis (green arrows) and return the microbial composition to a healthy state. From the Review of Pradhan et al, Biomedical Reviews 27. 2016, 1-17. 
 http://journals.mu-varna.bg/index.php/bmr/issue/view/171

Biswaranjan Pradhan, Dipanjan Guha, Pratikshya Ray, Debashmita Das, and Palok Aich. Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Two Probiotic Bacterial Strains on Metabolism and Innate Immunity in the RAW 264.7 Murine Macrophage Cell Line. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2016: 1-12. 10.1007/s12602-016-9211-4 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12602-016-9211-4

Sushri Priyadarshini and Palok Aich. Understanding effects of Psychological Stress on physiology and disease through human stressome - An integral algorithm. Current Bioinformatics 2016, 11(2), 277- 290 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cbio/2016/00000011/00000002/art00017 

Shivaram Singh, Ayaskanta Singh, Debasis Misra, Bijay Misra, Girish Pati, Sanjib Kar, Manas Panigrahi, Pallavi Bhuyan, Kaumudi Pattnaik, Chudamani Meher, Omprakash Agrawal, Niranjan Rout, Palok Aich. Risk factors associated with the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Indians: A case-control study. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology 2015, 5(4), 295-302 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26900270 

Abhinav Sur, Biswaranjan Pradhan, Arka Banerjee & Palok Aich. (2015) Immune activation efficacy of indolicidin is enhanced upon conjugation with carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles. PLoS One 10 e0123905. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4398554/

P. Sood, S. Priyadarshini & P. Aich. Estimation of Psychological Stress in Humans: A Combination of Theory and Practice. PLoS ONE 2013, 8, e63044.). http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0063044

S. Priyadarshini and P. Aich. Effects of psychological stress on innate immunity and metabolism in humans: a systematic analysis. PLoS One 2012, 7: e43232 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3446986/

Paul D Hodgson, Palok Aich, Joseph Stookey, Yurij Popowych, Andrew Potter, Lorne Babiuk, and Philip J Griebel. Stress significantly increases mortality following a secondary bacterial respiratory infection. Veterinary Research 2012, 43, 21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3348069/

P. Sood P, S. Priyadarshini, P. Aich. Psychological stressors as interventions: Good out of the evil. Front Biosci (Schol Ed) 2012, 4: 43-60. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22202042

B. Kumar, A. Manuja, P. Aich. Stress and its impact on farm animals.Front Biosci (Elite Ed) 2012, 4: 1759-1767. https://www.bioscience.org/2012/v4e/af/496/fulltext.htm

A. Dwivedy and P. Aich. Importance of Innate Mucosal Immunity and promises it holds. International Journal of General Medicine 2011. 4, pp:299-311 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3085239/

Alison Thompson, Elaine Van Moorlehem, and P. Aich. Probiotic-Induced Priming of Innate Immunity to Protect Against Rotaviral Infection. Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins 2010: Volume 2, Issue 2, Page 90 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12602-009-9032-9

For complete publications, please click here

Palok Aich on ResearchGate (Click here)

Prof. Palok Aich is widely regarded for his innovative work at the intersection of biophysics, immunology, and microbiome science, contributing significantly to both fundamental research and its practical applications in health and disease management. With a foundational background in biophysics and molecular biology, he integrates multi-omics technologies, AI/ML-based analytics, and animal models to understand how the gut microbiome influences host metabolism, inflammation, and neuro-immunological health.

Introduction and Research Overview

Introduction

Prof. Palok Aich currently serves as the Dean of Research & Development at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), India, and is the Director of both the NISER Homi Bhabha Foundation and MicrobioTx Health. Prof. Aich holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics and has extensive international experience, having held research and leadership positions in Canada before joining NISER in 2009.

Research Overview

Areas of Focus

Prof. Aich’s multidisciplinary research centers on understanding the profound relationship between the gut microbiome, host metabolism, immunity, and brain health. His work integrates multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) analytics, animal models, and human studies to:

• Decipher the gut–adipose–liver–brain axis and its role in health and disease.
• Identify microbial and host-derived metabolites regulating systemic immunity and metabolic balance.
• Investigate complex diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and neurodegenerative disorders.

Innovations and Impact

• Precision Probiotics & Diagnostics: Developed the world’s first non-invasive Gut Function Test (GFT) that predicts gut microbiome composition through blood metabolites, bypassing stool diagnostics. This innovation is patented, approved by CDSCO (India), and spun-off as MicrobioTx Health, which also offers personalized probiotics.
• AI/ML-based Methodologies: Harnesses regression-based data science, uni- and multivariate statistics, clustering, and network-based modeling to map microbiome-metabolome correlations, using lab-generated data from diverse fields such as metabolism, immunology, and neuroscience.
• Translational Public Health: Prof. Aich’s research bridges basic science and practical applications, impacting personalized medicine and public health. His lab has attracted both academic and industry collaborations, fostering entrepreneurship among young researchers.

Selected Achievements

• Discovery and patenting of M-DNA, a DNA form conductive when doped with transition metal ions.
• Significant publications and patents in fields ranging from gut-brain axis science, innate mucosal immunity, to bio-imaging and systems biology.
• Extensive contributions to training, teaching, and science communication, designing courses in biophysics, systems biology, and chemical biology.

Research Interests

Prof. Palok Aich’s innovative, integrative approach positions him as a pioneer in translating foundational science to real-world health solutions. His leadership at NISER continues to advance the frontiers of life sciences in India and beyond.

Research Focus and Main Contributions

Research Focus

Prof. Palok Aich is recognized for his pioneering interdisciplinary work bridging biophysics and microbiome studies. His research centers on:

• Gut Microbiome and Host Interactions: Deciphering how gut microbes influence host metabolism, immunity, and brain health.
• Multi-omics Integration: Combining metabolomics, genomics, and proteomics to understand the gut–adipose–liver–brain axis and its role in health and disease.
• Artificial Intelligence & Data Science: Applying AI/ML methods to map complex correlations between microbiome compositions and host biomarker profiles, with a focus on disease prediction and personalized interventions.

Main Contributions

• Development of Non-Invasive Diagnostics: Invented and patented the world’s first non-invasive Gut Function Test (GFT), which predicts gut microbiome states via blood metabolites rather than stool samples. This approach, now used by MicrobioTx Health, has streamlined microbiome diagnostics and facilitated the creation of precision probiotic solutions.
• Discovery of M-DNA: Identified and patented a conductive form of DNA (M-DNA) that incorporates transition metal ions, advancing the field of molecular electronics and expanding Bio-Physics applications.
• Translational Public Health Approaches: Designed methodologies for translating basic microbiome and biophysics findings into practical solutions. His focus on the gut–adipose–liver–brain axis addresses complex diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and neurodegenerative disorders.
• Innovative Use of AI/ML in Microbiome Science: Developed new regression-based and network modeling tools to unravel relationships within the microbiome-metabolome network, integrating insights from immunology, system biology, and neuroscience.
• Education and Science Communication: Has played a significant role in training future researchers, designing academic courses in biophysics, systems biology, and chemical biology, and promoting entrepreneurial initiatives at the intersection of academia and industry.

Summary Table

Prof. Palok Aich’s unique integration of biophysics and microbiome research has led to breakthroughs with practical impact in diagnostics, therapeutics, and personalized medicine, marking him as a leader in his field.

Key Findings from Palok Aich's Research on Microbiome Influence in Metabolic Diseases

1. Gut Microbiota Shapes Systemic Metabolism

• Adipose Tissue Browning: Aich’s studies show that metabolites derived from specific gut microbiota can induce the browning of adipose tissue (“beige fat”) in mice. Treatment of adipocyte cells with these microbial metabolites led to increased lipid metabolism and the upregulation of genes characteristic of metabolically active beige fat. These effects were comparable or superior to those from known browning agents, highlighting the potency of gut microbial metabolites in regulating energy balance and metabolic activity 1,2.
• Potential for Metabolic Disease Therapy: These findings indicate the possibility of targeting the gut microbiome or its metabolites to combat obesity and metabolic syndrome by enhancing energy expenditure and improving lipid metabolism in the host 1,2.

2. Microbiome Composition and Dysbiosis

• Diet, Antibiotics, and Microbiome Shifts: Aich’s research establishes that both diet and antibiotic interventions can significantly alter gut microbiota composition. For example, treatment with certain antibiotics caused marked shifts in the abundance of bacterial phyla such as Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Proteobacteria. These compositional changes directly impacted metabolic and immune responses in the host, driving or ameliorating metabolic outcomes 3,4.
• Diet-Induced Microbial Modulation: High-starch diets increased beneficial microbial diversity and populations (notably Verrucomicrobia), which correlated with improved adiposity, glycemic control, and a reversal of harmful metabolic parameters. In contrast, fat-rich diets promoted an abundance of Proteobacteria and a reduction of Bacteroidetes, which worsened metabolic health outcomes 5.

3. Impact on Metabolic Disease: Obesity, Diabetes, NAFLD

• Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes Ratio: Aich's work confirms that shifts in the relative abundance of major bacterial phyla (Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes) are linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome. An increased Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio correlates with obesity, while the reverse is found in some inflammatory or metabolic disorders. These changes also impact key metabolites such as TMAO, implicated in metabolic risk 6,5.
• Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Dysbiosis: Disruption of the microbiome reduced production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), altering host metabolism and immune status, thereby contributing to the onset or progression of metabolic diseases (such as type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and obesity) 3,5.

4. Translational Innovation

• Precision Probiotics for Therapy: Aich pioneered the use of tailored probiotic formulations that specifically target dysbiosis to induce favorable metabolic outcomes. For example, probiotic therapy led to significant weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity in metabolic syndrome models, indicating real-world translational potential for chronic disease management 7.
• Non-Invasive Diagnostics: He developed and patented a blood-based "Gut Function Test" that predicts microbiome health via metabolite profiling, bypassing traditional stool-based diagnostics. This enables more accessible screening for at-risk metabolic states and personalized interventions 5.

5. Critical Developmental Windows

• Neonatal Mice Studies: His lab found that mice experience a critical postnatal window (around day 14) where gut microbial shifts coincide with rapid changes in intestinal barrier function and immune development, influencing susceptibility to metabolic disturbances later in life58.

6. Integration of Multi-Omics and AI

• Systems Biology Approach: By merging multi-omics (metabolomics, genomics) with advanced analytics, Aich’s work maps complex microbe-host-metabolite interactions—uncovering systemic links between microbiota and host metabolism that underlie individual susceptibility to obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease 5.

Summary Table: Major Research Findings

Palok Aich’s research demonstrates a strong, causative relationship between the gut microbiome, its metabolites, and the risk and regulation of metabolic diseases, positioning microbiome-targeted therapies as a promising frontier in personalized medicine and chronic disease management1,3,5.

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39142136/
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006291X24010544
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36414091/
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024320522009122
5. https://www.niser.ac.in/profile/palok.aich
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10144251/
7. https://www.onlymyhealth.com/how-does-microbiome-impact-health-and-chronic-disease-management-1728968861
8. https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/785740/publications
9. https://www.tmrjournals.com/public/articlePDF/20221222/de1238b090d15c837176fc07363516e3.pdf
10. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IiFpDcQAAAAJ
11. https://www.imsc.res.in/~rsidd/aogcr2025/Palok_Aich.html
12. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4927-7812
13. https://rem.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/rem/2023/1/REM-23-0016.xml
14. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/metabolites/special_issues/8BZMTX69H3
15. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/43366/gut-microbiota-composition-and-dietary-interventions-implications-in-cardiometabolic-disorders-diabetes-and-atherosclerosis-risk-factors/magazine
16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38290571
17. https://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/pii/S2755158X23000143

Our work is being widely cited by the media. A few to mention are BioVoiceNews, OnlyMyHealth, BioSpectrum, Nuffoodsspectrum, DBT-ILS, Nextedge, ANI, NEWSVOIR.

Pre-NISER Career Highlights

Academic Training and Early Research

• Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, India. His doctoral research investigated the interactions between select antitumor antibiotics (Mithramycin and Chromomycin) and DNA, exploring the critical role of magnesium ions in modulating these interactions1.
• Postdoctoral Research in Sweden: At Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet, he focused on higher-order DNA structures using advanced biophysical techniques such as 2D NMR and circular dichroism. During this period, he was introduced to and contributed to the development of Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) in the ultraviolet region—an innovative application for studying DNA base pair dynamics at the single-molecule level1.

Research in Canada

• University of Saskatchewan, Canada: Chose a postdoctoral position there over offers from prestigious institutes, including the Pasteur Institute and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. His research focused on higher-order DNA structures in vivo, especially using c-myc and c-src oncogenes.
• Discovery of M-DNA: Alongside collaborators, discovered and patented M-DNA, a novel, conductive DNA form created by doping DNA with transition metal ions. This breakthrough helped establish the concept of molecular wires in nanoelectronics and led to the founding of the company ADNAVANCE12.
• Industry and Academic Roles: Briefly led a bioimaging group in a Canadian biopharmaceutical company before returning to academic science as part of the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Center, University of Saskatchewan.

Principal Investigator at VIDO (Canada)

• VIDO (now VIDO-InterVac): Served as a Scientist and Principal Investigator (PI) at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, focusing on innate mucosal immunity. Aich developed programs to investigate how psychological stress affects host-pathogen interactions using bovine and chicken models, while also exploring nanotechnology-based immune stimulators.
• Collaborative and Teaching Roles: As adjunct and associate faculty at the University of Saskatchewan, he designed and taught courses in systems biology, physiological genomics, and bioinformatics to senior undergraduates1.
• Project Leadership: Led multiple projects funded by Canadian agencies, which spanned basic immunology through applied translational research to enhance animal health.

Recognition and Legacy

• Palok Aich’s pre-NISER career is distinguished by pioneering interdisciplinary discoveries—from DNA nanotechnology to translational immunology—with substantial impact in molecular biophysics, biotechnology, and animal health research. His inventive spirit is underscored by his patents, innovations in instrumentation, and leadership roles bridging academia and industry123.

References:

 

1. https://www.niser.ac.in/profile/palok.aich
2. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IiFpDcQAAAAJ
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1_MXtKzqCw
4. https://niser.irins.org/profile/235251
5. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4927-7812
6. https://www.biotecnika.org/2023/02/niser-bioinformatician-recruitment-msc-candidates-can-apply/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23690978/
8. https://www.biotecnika.org/2024/10/biological-sciences-project-niser-attend-walk/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20360883/
10. https://www.niser.ac.in/events/IDMPH/
11. https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/785740
12. https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/785740/bio
13. https://www.helpbiotech.co.in/2025/04/niser-bbsr-postdoc-openings-2025-in.html
14. https://www.niser.ac.in/events/sel2023/
15. http://idr.niser.ac.in:8080/jspui/simple-search?filterquery=Aich%2C+Palok&filtername=author&filtertype=equals
16. https://shilabiotech.com/senior-project-associate-vacancy-at-niser-bhubaneswar/

In 2009, we returned to India. When I left VIDO, I had seven ongoing projects funded by various Canadian Funding Agencies. I could not bring these funds, for obvious reasons, to India. I then transferred those projects to other faculty members at VIDO.

In 2009, I joined NISER as an Associate Professor and started understanding the effects of psychological stress on humans to develop programs on innate mucosal immunity

Current members

• Post-doctorate fellow
  • Dr. Anil K Baidya [2025-]
• Ph.D.
  • Tanuja Mohanty (2022-) [Working to establish etiology of NASH and relation to gut microbiome in mice model]
  • ArkaJyoti De (2022-) [Working to establish the role of circadian rhythm and wnt pathway in NAFLD in mice model]
  • Ankita Das (2022-) [Working to understand the etiology of Parkinson's Disease (PD) in mice model]
• iPhD
  • Snehanjali Puhan (Jan 2024-) [Differential spatio-temporal role of gut microbiome in maintaining health]
• iMSc
  • Aug 2024-May 2026
    • Dishari Pal [tagged with Tanuja Mohanty, Working on the differential role of the microbiota of various segments of the intestine on PD]
    • Kartika Sahoo [Microbes and immunity connecting various dots]
    • Rabmit Das [Understanding gender bias on disease etiology and the role of gut microbiome]
  • Aug 2023-May 2025
    • Anshuman Chauhan [tagged with Tanuja Mohanty, NASH etiology]
    • Arjoyeeta Das [tagged with Ankita Das, PD etiology] 
    • Bibek Upadhyay [tagged with Arkajyoti De, NAFLD etiology]
• Project Assistant
  • Rajlaxmi Dey [2024-]

Past members

• Post-doctorate fellow
  • Dr. Sangeeta Mitra (2023-24)
  • Dr. Dipanjan Guha (2014-17)
• Ph.D.
  • Dr. Sushri Priyadarshini (2010-2016)
  • Dr. Biswaranjan Pradhan (2011-2017)
  • Dr. Pratikshya Ray (2014-2021)
  • Dr. Raktim Mukherjee (2016-2022)
  • Dr. Sohini Mukhopadhyay (2016-2023)
  • Dr. Uday Pandey (2017-2024)
  • Dr. Dhyanendra Singh (2018-2024)
  • Swati Sagarika Panda (2019-2025)
• iMSc
  • Akankshya Nayak, Srishti Shah and Sunaina B (Aug 2022- May 2024)
  • Debopriya Saha, Shivani Meena and Isha Dwivedi (Aug 2021-May 2023)
  • Tanya Patnaik and Biplab Behera (Aug 2020-May 2022)
  • Abhilas Ambati and Payal Priyadarsani (Aug 2019-May 2021)
  • Nilanjan Sahoo (MSc project student, Aug 2018-May 2020)
  • Aindrila Saha & Salila Pradhan (MSc project students, Aug 2017-May 2019)
  • Aman Naik (MSc project student, Aug 2016-May 2018)
  • Arka Banerjee (MSc project student, Aug 2015-May 2017)
  • Ruchisree Konhar and Krushna Chandra Murmu (MSc project students, Aug 2013-May 2015)
  • Abhinav Sur (MSc project student, Aug 2012-May 2014)
  • Parul Sood & Abhishek Dwivedy (Project Students: Jan 2010-April 2012)
• Other Short-term project students:
  • In India
    • DIbysasa Padhi (CBES Mumbai), Vani Vivek, Sanat K Behera,  & Smaroki Smruti Rekha (NISER) [2025]
    • G Rakesh & Sukirtee (IIT-B), Sirsa Debnath (IISER-M), Soumya Sahoo, Smriti Mohanty, and Priyanshu Panda (BJB college, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India) [2023]
    • Ashlesh Pattnaik, Ashapoorna Swain, Madhusmita Subudhi, Shreya Mukherjee, and Shubhodeep Bose (Summer Project Students, 2019)
    • B.S. Arpita and Pushpalata Sahoo, Siksha-O-Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India (2018-19)
    • Swati Sudipta Behera & Insha Sadaf, MITS School of Biotechnology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India (2018)
    • Livanjali Pradhan, Umalisa Ojha, Ananya Naik, Ankita Pati (Short term project Students from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology-OUAT, 2017)
    • Ananya Sen (Short term project student, 2016)
    • David Datzkiw (Short term Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Fellow, Canada)
    • Soumya Mishra (Summer project student, 2015)
    • Manaswini Kar, Aman Naik, and David Datzkiw (Summer project students, 2014)
    • Aniket Bhattacharya (Summer Project Student, June-July 2012)
    • Sudhansu Gautam (Summer Project Student, June-July 2012)
    • Sarmistha Nanda (JRF, DST, since March 2012)
    • Bhakti Patel (Laboratory Technician: Aug 2010-Sep 2011
    • Manoj Kumar (Laboratory Technician: Sep 2011-2012)
    • Urvashi Jha (Summer project student: May-July 2011)
    • Ishani Das & Saptaparna Sikdar (Project Students: Jan-June 2011)
  • In Canada
    • Alison Thompson (Honors student: Sep 2008-April 2009)
    • Alison Thomson (Summer project student: May-August, 2008)
    • Nirosha Hoover and Chinh Ly (4^th year Honors student, 2007-2008)
    • Michelle Scott (4^th year Honors student, 2007-2008)
    • Jason Tamporowski (Graduate Student, 2007-2009)
    • Jamille Heer (Technician, 2007-2009)
    • Katie Herzog (Graduate student, 2003-2007)
    • Shakiba Jalal (Summer student/Bioinformatician, 2002-2005)
    • Ashley Begg (Co-op Student, 2002)
    • Heather Wilson (Post-doctorate fellow, 2002-2005)
    • RadheyShyam Kaushik (Research Associate, 2002-2004, Co-supervised)
    • Carly Czuba (Honors student, 2005-06)
    • Siew Hong Ng (Honors student, 2006)
    • Burke Barlow (Honors student, 2006)

At NISER:

Systems Biology (BE1), Biophysics & Biostatistics (B203),

Science of Life (I & II) (B101 & 102)

Quantitative & Systems Biology (B407 (now), earlier B558/B758, the course was planned and designed by me) and laboratory courses

Chemical Biology (B457/B657, the course was planned and designed by me)

At UofS

Basic Techniques in Life Science

Bioinformatics

Physiological Genomics

Systems Biology

At Karolinska Institutet

Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)

Currently the Dean (Research & Development), NISER

Director, a) NISER Homi Bhabha Foundation and b) MicrobioTx Health.

Besides my regular academic (teaching and research) activities, I executed various administrative responsibilities as follows

1. 1^st Chairperson of the School of Biological Sciences, NISER
2. 1^st Chair of the UGCI, NISER
3. 1^st Dean/Faculty-in-charge of

• International Affairs and Resource Planning
• Institute Works Dept

  4. Second Chairman

• The Central Library, NISER