dr. K. Govindaraj MSc (Kannan)

Researcher
TNW-BET-DBE
Horst Complex ZH147
k.govindaraj@utwente.nl
+31534894775
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I'm a molecular cell biologist, currently (May, 2019 - present) investigating the effect of macromolecular crowding in health and disease. In my doctoral research (2014 - 2019), I developed a tool "Transcription Factor - Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (TF-FRAP)" to quantify transcription factor dynamics and activity. I also worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, India. Where, I investigated trailing edge vesicles in osteoblast cells. I hold a master's degree in Molecular Biosciences from Bishop Heber College (Bharathidasan University), Trichy, India.

Expertise

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

    • SOX9
    • Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching
    • Transcription Factor
    • RUNX2

  • Material Science

    • Osteoblast
    • Polyethylene Glycol

  • Chemistry

    • Oxide
    • Poly(ethylene)

Organisations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a cartilage degenerative disease and millions are suffering worldwide. Cartilage degeneration is the result of imbalance between anabolic and catabolic processes. In addition to that, increased expression of proteolytic enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases and aggrecanases also play an important role in the onset of the disease. Treating OA is limited to symptomatic treatments as drugs curing OA is not yet developed as our current understanding about molecular mechanisms involved in this disease progression is not yet fully explored.

Understanding the switching mechanism between hypertrophic cartilage and permanent cartilage will give new insights in to therapeutic possibilities in the cartilage disease. SOX9 and RUNX2 are the master transcription factors for the cartilage and bone development respectively and and their dysfunction is often detected in osteoarthritis (OA). My reasearch is focus on the differential regulation of these transcription factors during chondrocyte development, homeostasis and cartilage disease. To study their activity, we apply biophysical techniques, such as Transcription Factor - Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (TF-FRAP), and measure the dynamics of these transcription factors in human primary chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells. To further understand the role of SOX9 in OA pathophysiology, we study their activity in response to extracellular stimuli. 

Publications

2024
Osmolarity-Induced Altered Intracellular Molecular Crowding Drives Osteoarthritis Pathology, Article 2306722. Govindaraj, K., Meteling, M., van Rooij, J., Becker, M., van Wijnen, A. J., van den Beucken, J. J. J. P., Ramos, Y. F. M., van Meurs, J., Post, J. N. & Leijten, J.https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202306722
2023
Altered intracellular molecular crowding plays a key role in osteoarthritis pathology. Govindaraj, K., Meteling, M. A. W. & Leijten, J.Mapping RUNX2 transcriptional dynamics during multi-lineage differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. bioRxiv. Govindaraj, K., Kannan, S., Karperien, M. & Post, J. N.https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.30.534618
2022
Biomedical applications of polysaccharide nanoparticles for chronic inflammatory disorders: Focus on rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and organ fibrosis, Article 118923. Allawadhi, P., Singh, V., Govindaraj, K., Khurana, I., Sarode, L. P., Navik, U., Banothu, A. K., Weiskirchen, R., Bharani, K. K. & Khurana, A.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118923Osmolarity-Induced altered intracellular molecular crowding drives osteoarthritis pathology, S24-S25. Govindaraj, K., Meteling, M., Becker, M., Post, J. & Leijten, J.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2022.02.021
2021
Mapping SOX9 transcriptional dynamics during multi-lineage differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. bioRxiv. Govindaraj, K., Khurana, S., Karperien, M. & Post, J. N.https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.29.470107Using FRAP to quantify changes in transcription factor dynamics after cell stimulation: Cell culture, FRAP, data analysis, and visualizationIn Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (pp. 109-139). Humana Press. Govindaraj, K. & Post, J. N.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0989-7_9
2020
Quantifying Transcriptional Dynamics by TF-FRAP. University of Twente. Govindaraj, K.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036550765ECHO, the executable CHOndrocyte: A computational model to study articular chondrocytes in health and disease, Article 109471. Schivo, S., Khurana, S., Govindaraj, K., Scholma, J., Kerkhofs, J., Zhong, L., Huang, X., Pol, J. v. d., Langerak, R., Wijnen, A. J. v., Geris, L., Karperien, M. & Post, J. N.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cellsig.2019.109471Single cell SOX9 dynamics reveals differential DNA binding in subpopulations of hPCs, S86-S87. Govindaraj, K., Karperien, M. & Post, J. N.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2020.02.131

Research profiles

Address

University of Twente

Horst Complex (building no. 20), room ZH147
De Horst 2
7522 LW Enschede
Netherlands

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