Profile
Dr Punam has a PhD in Applied Biology from University of Mumbai, and over fifteen years of research experience. She worked at the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai before joining NCCS in 2014. She manages the functioning and services of NCCS Cell Repository involving the expansion, cryopreservation, distribution and quality control of cell lines. She has worked towards setting up of COVID-19 Biorepository for peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma from SARS-CoV-2 infected and convalescent patients. She has been instrumental in the establishment of Vaccine Testing Facility (NCCS-CDL). She spearheads the establishment of National GMP-compliant mammalian cell line repository under the National Biopharma Mission program of BIRAC. She is associated with National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA), DST, GoI for conducting inspections of GLP certified Contract Research Organizations and Pharma Companies to ensure the OECD Principles of GLP.
Current Focus Areas
Scientific management of NCCS Cell Repository
Establishment of National GMP-compliant mammalian cell line repository
Selected Publications
Utage BG, Patole MS, Nagvenkar PV, Gacche RN. (2023). Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. induces apoptotic-like programmed cell death in Leishmania donovani via over production of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and ATP depletion. J Tradit Complement Med, 13(6):611-622.
Utage BG, Patole MS, Nagvenkar PV, Kamble SS, Gacche RN. (2018). Prosopis juliflora (Sw.), DC induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in triple negative breast cancer cells: in vitro and in vivo investigations. Oncotarget, 9(54):30304-30323.