Robin Roychaudhuri, PhD

Robin Roychaudhuri and Solomon Snyder. Mammalian D-cysteine regulating neural progenitor cell proliferation. BioEssays. 2022; Vol 44; Issue 7. [Invited review].

Robin Roychaudhuri. Serine Racemase: A Tale of Two Stereoisomers D-Cysteine and D-Serine. ASEAN J. Psychiatry. 2022; Vol. 23 (S2); July; Pg 1-4.

Robin Roychaudhuri. Mammalian D-Cysteine: A new addition to the growing family of biologically relevant D-amino acids. Chirality 2023; Mar 8; doi:10.1002/chir.23555.

Chiral molecules are a marvel of nature. Two molecules with identical structure but not superimposable on each other like a right and left hand have different distribution and function. It is not known how function originates in the two molecules.

Chiral stereoisomers of amino acids are now being identified in mammals which is contrary to the dogma of their existence in only invertebrates. The D-amino acids identified so far have displayed potent functions in mammals ranging from high affinity agonists at the NMDA receptor to functioning in endocrine organs and the brain.

Our work recently identified the D-stereoisomer of cysteine which is the fastest racemizing (conversion between L and D isoforms) amino acid. D-cysteine is enriched in the embryonic mammalian brain at day E9.5 and decreases progressively with development. It controls the proliferation of neural progenitor cells in the brain. D-cysteine is also present in human brain white matter and cerebrospinal fluid. D-cysteine is also present in the islets of the pancreas in humans and mice where it controls insulin secretion. The identification of endogenous D-cysteine has potential implications for therapeutic interventions in neurodevelopment disorders and in type 1 diabetes.

The goal of our lab is to elucidate the function of these novel molecules in the context of human biology and dissect their translational potential. We are open to forging productive collaborations with groups and researchers around the world in achieving our aims.

1997     University Grants Commission-Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (UGC-CSIR) Junior Research Fellowship by Govt. of India (Science and Technology).

 1997      95^th percentile in Graduate Aptitude Test in Chemistry (GATE)-All India.

1998. U.K Cambridge Commonwealth Scholarship at University of Cambridge U.K.
1999. Milton E. Mohr Graduate Fellowship at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (excellence in teaching).

2011. Second Prize in UCLA Dept of Neurology Annual Science Day Poster presentation.
2012. Third Prize at Seaborg Symposium Poster Presentation.
2013. UCLA Department of Neurology Service Award.
2014. Dean’s Prize finalist at UCLA Science Poster Day.
2015. Curriculum Development and Educational Leadership at UCLA School of Medicine.

2024.     Maryland Stem Cell Foundation Launch Award.

Active Grants 

1/2/2025                                            (PI)

Role of lipid metabolic signatures in human iPSC dervide neurons from AD patients.

Maryland Stem Cell Research Launch Award

Total Direct Costs : $350,000 (two years)

Pending Grants 

6/15/24                                          (PI)

Role of D-cysteine in Neural Progenitor Cell Dynamics in the Developing Brain.

R21MH130832 (scored; pending resubmission); NIMH/NINDS

Total Direct Costs: $450,313 (two years).

https://metabolomicscentre.ca/novel-neurotransmitters-and-global-lipidomics-a-tmic-success-story/

2009    Journal of Immunology Ad hoc reviewer

2010    Biochemistry Ad hoc reviewer

2012    Journal of American Chemical Society Ad hoc reviewer

2013    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Ad hoc reviewer

2013    Journal of Medicinal and Bioorganic Chemistry Ad hoc reviewer

2016    Science Ad hoc reviewer

2024    Bentham Press

 [Reviewed original manuscripts from the journals listed above.]

2024-present: Editorial Board member: Journal of Molecular Biology

Member, Society for Neuroscience (SfN)

American Heart Association (AHA)

Neuronal Stem Cell Isolation and Culture

Neutrophil and macrophage isolation and culture (human and mice)

Mass spectrometry (ESI, MALDI)

Ion Mobility Spectroscopy

Mouse islet Isolation and culture

Biochemistry (Enzyme kinetics, Purification, Organelle isolation, Chromatography)

Molecular Biology (Cloning, library preparation)

Biophysical Techniques (Circular dichroism, EPR spectroscopy, fluorescence, UV-visible spectroscopy)

Microscopy (Confocal, live cell imaging, Fluorescence, super resolution, Atomic Force)

https://www.d-aminoacids.com/newsletter-03-2022-edited-by-loredano-pollegioni/

https://www.mscrf.org/awardees

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1002/(ISSN)1520-636X.ISC2022