Biology

Biol 120: Biological Concepts: Cell Metabolism and Genetics

Biol 327: Genetics

Biol 411: Cell Biology

Biol 440: Developmental Genetics

Research in my lab takes advantage of the sophisticated genetic tools available in the model organism Drosophila to better understand and dissect the underlying mechanisms of normal development and disease. We are particularly interested in understanding the contributions of Extracellular Matrix to normal development and tumorigenesis. Development of Drosophila wing is another area of my labs’ interest as this is an excellent model for organogenesis where various events that give rise to an adult structure can be studied.  Several projects spanning the domain of our interest are available for motivated students. I welcome enquiries!

MBA (General Management) 2013: from University of Louisville 

Postdoctoral (Developmental Genetics and Molecular Oncology), 2009: Yale University, New Haven, CT

Ph.D. (Molecular Biology and Genetics), 2003: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Krupa Hegde*, Ajay Srivastava§. Drosophila melanogaster as a tool for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research (In Press at Journal of Developmental Biology) 2022

Powers, N*, Srivastava, A. JAK/STAT signaling is involved in air sac primordium development of Drosophila melanogaster. FEBS Lett. 2019 Mar 10. doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.13355. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 30854626 (Selected for “Editor’s Choice” and featured on the front cover)

Sarkar, A, Gogia N, Glenn N, Singh A, Jones G*, Powers N*, Srivastava A, Kango-Singh M, Singh A. A soy protein Lunasin can ameliorate amyloid-beta 42 mediated neurodegeneration in Drosophila eye. Sci Rep. 2018 Sep 10;8(1):13545. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31787-7. PMID:30202077

Nathan Powers*, Ajay Srivastava§. The Air Sac Primordium of Drosophila: A Model for Invasive Development. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Jul 17;19(7). pii: E2074. doi: 10.3390/ijms19072074.PMID:30018198

Qian Dong*, Breanna Brenneman*, Christopher Fields*, Ajay Srivastava. A Cathepsin-L is required for invasive behavior during Air Sac Primordium development in Drosophila melanogaster. FEBS Lett. 2015 Sep 2. pii: S0014-5793(15)00736-X. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.08.036. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26341534

Srivastava, Ajay. A Novel link between FMR gene and the JNK pathway provides clues to possible role in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. FEBS Open Bio. 2015 Aug 19;5:705-11. doi: 10.1016/j.fob.2015.07.005. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 26425438

Srivastava, Ajayand Qian Dong. Regulation of a serine protease homolog by the JNK pathway during thoracic development of Drosophila melanogaster. FEBS Open Bio, 2015 Feb 7;5:117-23. doi: 10.1016/j.fob.2015.01.008. eCollection 2015

Gillian E. Jones and Ajay Srivastava. Understanding Lunasin's Biology and Potential as a Cancer Therapeutic by utilizing Drosophila Genetics. Experimental Biology and Medicine 2014; 239: 519-528. DOI: 10.1177/1535370214522180.

Srivastava, A.  A Protocol for Genetic Induction and Visualization of Benign and Invasive Tumors in Cephalic Complexes of Drosophila melanogaster. J. Vis. Exp. (79), e50624, doi:10.3791/50624 (2013).

Ajay Srivastava, Jose Carlos Pastor-Pareja, Tatsushi Igaki, Raymond Pagliarini and Tian Xu. Basement membrane remodeling is essential for Drosophila disc eversion and tumor invasion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 2007 Feb 20; 104(8):2721-6. Epub 2007 Feb 14.

 Garg A, Srivastava A, Davis MM, O'Keefe S, Chow L, Bell JB.  Antagonizing Scalloped with a Novel Vestigial Construct Reveals an Important role for Scalloped in Leg, Eye and Optic Lobe Development of Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2007 Feb;175(2):659-69. Epub 2006 Nov 16.

Srivastava A, Simmonds AJ, Garg A, Fossheim L,Campbell SD, Bell JB. Molecular and functional analysis of scalloped lethal alleles in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2004, 166(4):1833-43.

MacKay JO, Soanes KH, Srivastava A, Simmonds AJ, Brook WJ, Bell JB. An in vivo analysis of the vestigial gene in Drosophila melanogaster confirms domains required for VG function. Genetics 2003, 163-4; 1365-73.

Srivastava A, Bell JB. Further developmental roles of the vestigial / scalloped transcription complex during wing development in Drosophila melanogaster. Mechanisms of Development 2003, 120(5); 587-96.

Srivastava A, Heise C, Garg A, Bell JB. The relationship between the dominant Additional vein mutant in Drosophila melanogaster and engrailed. Genome 2002, 45; 1077-1082.

Srivastava A, MacKay JO, Bell JB. A Vestigial:Scalloped TEA domain chimera rescues the wing phenotype of a scalloped mutation in Drosophila melanogaster. Genesis 2002, 33(1); 40-47.