In this episode of the Genetic Education Podcast: Raw & Real, I sat down with Dr. Hemant Kumar, Ramalingaswami Fellow and Professor of Medical Science at CHARUSAT University, Gujarat. With over 30 research papers and decades of work in structural biology, transporters, and antibody engineering, his contributions continue to shape modern medical science.
This conversation primarily focused on how cellular transportation of water, nutrients and waste occurs, the significance of transporters, as well as structural biology.
In addition, Dr. Kumar also explained how tiny molecular gatekeepers control everything inside our cells, how understanding them can help fight cancer, infections and metabolic diseases, and how scientific courage can change a country’s research landscape.
Related story: [Insights] Latest Podcast With Dr. K. Thangaraj On India’s Population Genetics and Recessive Diseases.
Key Topics:
About Dr. Hemant Kumar
Dr. Hemant is a structural biologist whose work focuses on transporters, membrane proteins, drug targets and antibody engineering. He has worked at premier institutes, including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the world’s top medical school, UCSF, alongside Nobel laureates and pioneers of molecular medicine.
He has solved the first eukaryotic membrane transporter structure from India, a milestone in Indian structural biology.
Key Topics Covered in This Insight
Here’s a clear summary of the important points we discussed.
Current Research: Small Molecules and Antibody Engineering
Dr. Hemant’s team works on two major areas:
1. Small Molecule Discovery Against Infectious Diseases
They design or isolate promising molecules and test them against microbes. If a compound works, they take it forward to deep structural and functional analysis. These molecules are usually smaller than 1 kDa, making them ideal drug candidates.
2. Antibody Engineering and Novel Antibody Discovery
As immunotherapy expands beyond cancer into infectious and autoimmune diseases, his team explores new monoclonal antibodies that can serve as either therapeutics or diagnostic tools.
Understanding Transporter Proteins
Transporters are the proteins that control what goes in and out of a cell. Without them, life cannot exist. Dr. Hemant explains this simply:
- Nutrients enter through transporters
- Wastes exit through transporters
- Even water passes through a transporter (aquaporin)
When a transporter mutates, the results can be serious. For instance, CFTR mutation and Aquaporin mutation cause cystic fibrosis and cataract & dry eye disorder, respectively.
Transporters are also excellent drug targets, especially in microbes. He highlights MMPL-3, a transporter essential for Mycobacterium (tuberculosis bacteria). Blocking it kills the bacteria, making it a promising anti-TB target.
Next story: [Insights] Latest Podcast With Dr. Ashwin Dalal On Rare Genetic Diseases in India.
His Research on LacY and Phosphate Transporters
Dr. Hemant has made landmark contributions in transporter and structural biology.
1. LacY (Lactose Permease)
A classic membrane protein from E. coli, responsible for transporting lactose into bacterial cells. This transporter is crucial for infant gut microbiota because early life nutrition depends heavily on lactose digestion.
2. Phosphate Transporters
His lab solved the first eukaryotic phosphate transporter structure, a breakthrough for structural biology in India. He further explained that phosphates are essential not only for ATP, DNA and signaling pathways but also for cancer cells.
Understanding phosphate transporters helps find potential therapeutic targets. He also added that this discovery opened doors for solving many more human membrane protein structures using similar methods.
The UCSF Experience: Learning Among Nobel Laureates
Working at UCSF changed his scientific outlook. Being surrounded by Nobel Prize winners taught him:
• how to think clearly and democratically in science
• how to record everything, even small observations
• how big discoveries often begin with simple questions
He recalls entire floors at the UCSF building filled with scientists who shaped molecular biology. That atmosphere pushed him to take risks, attempt difficult problems, and believe in his work.
Advice for Young Scientists (Real and Timeless)
Dr. Hemant shared five powerful lessons:
1. Believe in yourself
Without self-belief, even small tasks feel impossible.
2. Become a keen observer
Great science starts with noticing small things. He gives the example of Raman’s observation of the red evening sky, which eventually led to the Raman Effect.
3. Ask questions without hesitation
Every major discovery started with a “why?” Edward Jenner asked why cowherds didn’t get smallpox, leading to the world’s first vaccine.
4. Be methodical and record everything
Many discoveries vanish because they were not written down. Note down everything and everything!
5. Don’t let biases block your thinking
“Don’t bias yourself that this can not happen” – Dr Hemant Kumar.
He shares how challenging a long-standing assumption in his own lab helped him solve an important membrane protein structure.
Why This Conversation Matters
Transporter proteins are significant for cells to survive and thrive. Dr. Hemant’s work helps us understand:
• how cells absorb nutrients
• how diseases originate when transport fails
• how new antibiotics can be designed
• how structural biology drives modern drug discovery
His journey, from JNU to UCSF to mentoring young scientists, shows how Indian science grows when researchers ask bold questions and trust their instincts. This episode is more than biology. It is a guide for future scientists on how to think, observe and persevere.
Read more: [Insights] Latest Podcast with Dr. Gaurav Shrimali on IPRs and Patents.
Editor’s Note:
Talking with Dr. Kumar was a reminder of how much of biology remains hidden in plain sight. What struck me most was his clarity and patience in explaining something so technical in a way anyone could follow.
His journey from JNU to UCSF shows what happens when curiosity meets discipline. He represents a generation of Indian scientists who chose difficult problems and stayed with them long enough to solve them.
Conversations like this are exactly why we built Genetic Education. These stories don’t always make the news, but they shape the future of medicine, drug discovery and teaching. I hope this episode encourages students to slow down, observe more and trust the small questions that spark real breakthroughs.
We are thankful to Dr. Kumar for giving us this opportunity and sharing his knowledge.
— Dr. Tushar Chauhan
Watch the Full Podcast: Understanding Cellular Transport With Dr. Hemant Kumar.
![[Insights] Latest Podcast With Dr. Ashwin Dalal On Rare Genetic Diseases in India](https://geneticeducation.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Dr-Ashwin-sir-min-1024x576.png)
![[Insights] Latest Podcast With Dr. K. Thangaraj On India’s Population Genetics and Recessive Diseases](https://geneticeducation.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Dr.-K-Thangaraj-min-1024x576.png)