Ananya Krishnan

Indian Institute of Science / Protein Biochemistry

Advisor: Prof. Jayant Kumar

Ananya Krishnan is resolving the stepwise assembly pathway of the human mitochondrial ribosome large subunit at near-atomic resolution using single-particle cryo-EM, supervised by Prof. Jayant Kumar at IISc Bangalore. Mitoribosome biogenesis is disrupted in numerous inherited oxidative phosphorylation disorders, yet the intermediate complexes that assemble on the mitoribosomal tunnel exit — where nascent proteins emerge for membrane insertion — have never been visualised. Ananya has purified six assembly intermediates by introducing SILAC-based crosslinking mass spectrometry to map transient protein contacts, then captured each stage by cryo-EM at the IISc national facility. She has determined three structures at resolutions between 2.9 Å and 3.4 Å, revealing how the assembly factors RBFA and mTERF4-NSUN4 coordinate large-subunit maturation. Her structures have direct implications for drug design: the assembly interface is distinct enough from bacterial ribosomes to offer selectivity handles for mitochondria-targeted antibiotics. Her collaboration with the Bangalore structural genomics initiative and expressed interest in CRO structural biology roles position her firmly on an industry trajectory.