India's No: 1 Ranked Institute, IIT Madras & Danish University Study reveals Genetic 'Switches' that can transform Disease Research

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CHENNAI, India, Oct. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- India's No:1 Ranked Institute, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and Danish researchers have shown how interactions between genetic variants can act like 'switches' to unlock hidden cellular pathways.

The findings of this research, undertaken jointly with the Technical University of Denmark, were published in a research paper in the prestigious, internationally-renowned Nature Communications journal (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63306-4), an open-access journal also published by Springer Nature.

In this study, the researchers, using systems-level multi-omic approaches, showed how genetic variants in yeast work together to activate previously dormant metabolic pathways. By revealing how these gene–gene interactions dynamically rewire metabolism, the study provides a powerful framework for decoding how multiple genes combine to modify and improve complex phenotypes.

The research was led by Mr. Srijith Sasikumar, a PhD student, and Prof. Himanshu Sinha, from the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, in collaboration with Dr. Shannara Taylor Parkins and Dr. Suresh Sudarsan from the Technical University of Denmark.

Elaborating on the importance of this research, Prof. Himanshu Sinha, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, said, "The implications of this discovery extend well beyond yeast. Many complex human diseases—including cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders—arise from the interplay of multiple genes rather than single mutations. The IIT Madras study provides a mechanistic framework for studying these interactions systematically."

Further, Mr. Srijith Sasikumar, PhD student, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, added, "It is like flipping two switches at once suddenly, a hidden backup circuit turns on, and the whole system behaves differently. This shows us that genes don't just act alone, but their interaction can create new outcomes that we would never see otherwise."

The practical applications of this research include the development of biomarkers and the identification of drug targets that capture the combined effects of genetic variants, enabling more accurate disease diagnosis, prognosis, and the design of personalized treatment strategies tailored to an individual's unique genetic background. Beyond medicine, the framework may also find applications in industrial biotechnology, where rewiring metabolic pathways in microorganisms can be used to optimise biofuel production, and in enhancing agricultural research, to improve crop and animal yields.

Together, these applications highlight how a discovery in a simple organism like yeast can translate into far-reaching benefits for human health, industry, and society.

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