Hello and thank you for visiting. This page is used as a linker to information about me.

I also maintain a separate blog. 

I am usually idling on IRC at #biology on the Quakenet [irc.quaknet.org] network.

Research Interests

I am a Ph.D student in the group of Dr.Philippe Bastiaens [Dept. of Cellular Systems Biology] at the Max Planck Inst. for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund

I spend my time studying factors that affect Ras localization in cells , and what implications this has on the activity of Ras throughout the cell.

For the uninitiated, Ras is an ultra-conserved protein in organisms (including humans) that functions as a molecular switch at the biochemical level, though its interactions with other proteins form a complex network in cells leading to effects on possibly every cellular process. The central position Ras and the related Ras-superfamily occupies in biology is highlighted by the correlation of mutations in Ras that are associated with diseases such as cancer (30%) , Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, developmental defects etc.

Click here to see what Ras in a cell is distributed like. This is a typical image I generate and use.

Miscellaneous Egocentrism

I am generally referred to as 'Nash' by friends and colleagues. I am a (now) self-confessed nerd - the ability and willingness to spend 16 hours a day in front of a computer reading, perhaps was a sign.

I follow cyberculture vehemently - the flow of ideas, good or otherwise around the WWW fascinates me, as does technology. I sincerely wish though, that users followed some etiquette on the Web.

I support the Open-Source Movement on the as long as there is no compromise on efficiency and ability.

I try to not be judgmental about anything. However, using ignorance as an excuse and the often seen confusion between fact and opinion , perpetuated by the Ignorant, is something that irks me. This confusion I see in several trends of our times - the confusion of feminism with modernism, or socialism with egalitarianism, fascism with evil (-ism?) - well you get the picture.

Contact

To email me, write to  nachiketvartak||@||gmail|.|com .

I use Twitter and Orkut. Feel free to contact me through these modes.