From Science Fiction to Real-World Impact: Jiro Karlo's Inspirational Research

Jiro Karlo is currently pursuing his 2nd year of Ph.D. in Integrated Biophotonics Lab, Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, IIT Dharwad under the supervision of Dr. Surya Pratap Singh with an Institute fellowship (Teaching Assistantship).

Jiro Karlo is from the northeastern part of India, Arunachal Pradesh. He has received his bachelor’s degree in B.Sc. CBZ (Chemistry Botany and Zoology) from H.N.B Garhwal Central University, Uttarakhand. He has done his M.Sc. Life Sciences (Bioinformatics) from the Department of Computational Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda. He has qualified for CSIR NET LS/JRF Life Sciences (2020) and GATE XL-Life Sciences (2020). He has published one research article and one review article. He believes in scientific collaboration and discussion to solve problems. He is currently working on the applications of Raman spectroscopy in understanding microbial metabolomics. In his free hours, he loves to play esports. His areas of interest are Biophotonics, Raman Spectroscopy, Computational biology, Proteomics, and Metabolomics.

What is your area of research and how is it innovative?

I am currently working on a research problem where we are trying to understand the de novo synthesis and turnover dynamics of different metabolites (small biological molecules of importance) using Raman spectroscopy and a Stable isotope probe in a non-destructive, non-invasive, and label-free approach. We are trying to do an in vivo study of these metabolites and related pathways for an efficient comparative metabolomics study. Our approach involves in vivo tracking of global metabolite changes in the cells without the use of any external agents.

What is it about your research area that motivates you?

I’ve always been intrigued by science fiction series and movies. The idea that scientific research shouldn’t be confined to the lab and should instead be implementable in the form of a tool or method that benefits society as a whole serves as my main source of inspiration for my research. I’ve always wanted to conduct research that integrates the biological, chemical, and computational sciences. All of these areas can be studied concurrently in the discipline of bio-photonics. One of my biggest strengths is my parents. My supervisor is a continuous source of motivation for me. He introduced me to the domain of biophotonics and gave me all the support, resources, working space, and exposure I needed.

Under which professor you are currently working. Could you share your experience of working with them?

My Ph.D. supervisor is Dr. Surya Pratap Singh. He is not just a mentor but a true friend. When I joined IIT Dharwad everything was very new to me and as our IIT is still in the developing phase, sometimes I used to feel very low. During those early phases, he helped in every possible way. In this one and half year of my Ph.D., we had already published a Research article and a review article. He has allowed and sent me to join 3 conferences and allowed me to work in collaboration with NISL lab, IIT Delhi. He is always approachable and open to discussion and constructive criticism. In my Ph.D., a supportive supervisor is a boon.

What is your daily routine?

I am an early bird. So I wake up at around 5 am. After morning ablutions, green tea is a must with checking emails and other accounts. I watch the news on Youtube and listen to music which freshens up my mind. I never go for breakfast. Around 8:45 am I move to my lab. I plan my experiments whenever needed. Cleaning our Raman Lab and sitting area is a must as cleaning the plate is necessary for the next meal. Most of the time my work goes on analyzing and interpreting the data. I spend time reading research articles which is a crucial habit to develop in a Ph.D. journey because it keeps you on track and gives you ideas. As I already said, my supervisor is always open to discussion so if necessary I go and discuss with him personally in his cabin or chat with him through Whatsapp/mail. In the meantime I do check my Mail/Twitter/LinkedIn and others for any updates as now the world is fast we need to keep track of every hour. Evening hours I meet with my friends offline and online on chats or online gaming. Social connection is important though I love my own company a lot. I usually sleep between 10 to 11 pm.

Would you like to share any interesting experiences you had with respect to publications, presentations or conferences you participated in as part of your research?

Yes, As I am now in my fourth semester I got my two journal articles published in my 3rd semester. Last year, after completion of my course work in 1st semester, I had to work on a Raman system which we didn’t have in our lab at that point of time. So, my supervisor collaborated with his friend Prof. Soumik at NISL, IIT Delhi where I stayed for 2 months in early 2022. That data we analyzed and published as an article in Dec 2022. Publishing articles is a beautiful journey as first you get the happiness of the result and then you get to learn how to write and draft an article in a scientific paper format. Moreover, you may get rejections from many publishing groups which will make you feel low but you get constructive criticism and feedback from peers which gives you insight about your research. Writing a review article is a different kind of experience as you have to study a lot about previous research to the latest work done on that topic. Clubbing them together and writing is a different approach. Till now I have attended three conferences at IIT Roorkee, IIT Delhi and MAHE. In MAHE I got the second best poster with a cash money award. When you go to conferences and meet people of your own research interest and present your work you feel motivated. This exposure also builds your networking and promote your work, lab and institution.

What suggestions would you like to give for an aspirant who wants to pursue further education and/or research?

Firstly, I would like to suggest any aspirants choose a field of study in which they are really interested. Research is not about doing experiments or going by procedures. It is much more about developing smart solutions, new ideas, and critical thinking. This requires a lot of patience and perseverance. Sometimes things may not go as we planned but the motivation must not leave your side. So it is very important to choose the field wisely. Secondly, if you are going for a Ph.D. your initial goal should never be about making money. Your sincerity should be towards thinking and solving the research problem you are working on and majorly on translatable research.

Tell us about your experience working with us.

I would like to thank all the members of the IIT Dharwad student media group team for inviting me for the interview in this series. I think this series will give insight into the life and research work of Ph.D. students from different fields which will surely motivate me and others as well. It was really interesting to interact with you guys. I really appreciate this concept and am looking forward to working with you guys again.

The views presented above are the guest's own and are not in any manner representative of the views of Drishti or IIT Dharwad in general.