Dr. Deepak Balaji Thimiri Govindaraj
About me
Dr. Deepak Balaji Thimiri Govindaraj is a Centre Manager of CSIR Synthetic Biology and Precision Medicine Centre at CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa. Deepak Balaji is a Bioengineer by training with experience in nanobiotechnology, synthetic biology and drug sensitivity screening for cancer precision medicine. During his PhD in KU Leuven Belgium, Deepak established Nanobiotechnology methods for cell surface proteomics. Deepak then went to EMBL for a Marie Curie Fellow where he designed synthetic baculovirus genome for versatile applications. The work is patent and sold in the market as a product by Geneva Biotech, Switzerland. As a Senior Scientist at Oslo University hospital and NCMM-EMBL, Oslo Norway, Deepak established the drug sensitivity screening platform for blood cancer precision medicine. As a Centre Manager at CSIR Pretoria, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), ICGEB Early Career Grant, NRF Competitive Grant and SAMRC Self-initiated Grant (SIR) funded Deepak to establish Synthetic Biology and Precision Medicine programs. Deepak has published several research papers (including publications in high-impact journals like Leukaemia (IF: 11.5), Blood (IF: 25.5), Molecular Systems Biology (12.7), Cancer Research (IF: 11.2), Molecular Oncology (IF: 6.6) and Nanoconvergence (IF:11.7).
I am the Centre Manager for the Synthetic Biology and Precision Medicine Centre at CSIR South Africa. I established an emerging area on the Synthetic Nanobiotechnology Laboratory at the Synthetic Biology and Precision Medicine Centre.
During my PhD program at the Flanders institute for Biotechnology, Belgium (VIB), I have worked on designing and developing a nanobiotechnology tool for mammalian cell membrane isolation for Omics analysis. (International patent).
1. Raj DBTG, Ghesquiere B, Tharkeshwar AK, Coen K, Derua R, Vanderschaeghe D, Rysman E, Bagadi M, Baatsen P, De Strooper B, E. Waelkens, G.Borghs, Gevaert K, & Annaert W A novel strategy for the comprehensive analysis of the biomolecular composition of isolated plasma membranes. Molecular Systems Biology (2011); 7:541. IF: 12.7
2. Thimiri Govinda Raj DB#, Khan NA., Surface functionalization dependent subcellular localization of Superparamagnetic Nanoparticle in plasma membrane and endosome Nano convergence 2018 5:4 29492374. IF: 11.7
As an EMBL-EIPOD Postdoc, I developed the in vitro construction of semi-synthetic baculovirus, which is implemented in an optimized, highly versatile format for gene therapy. Geneva Biotech Ltd. has patented and commercialized my work.
1. Crocker H, Gorda B, Pelosse M, Thimiri Govinda Raj DB, Berger I, SynBac: Enhanced Baculovirus Genomes by Iterative Recombineering. Methods in Molecular Biology 2021. 10.1007/978-1-0716-1406-8_7
2. Vijayachandran LS*, Raj DBTG*, Edelweiss E, Gupta K, Maier J, Gordeliy V, Fitzgerald DJ, Berger I. Gene gymnastics: Synthetic biology for baculovirus expression vector system engineering. Bioengineered 2013 4:5. IF: 4.9
As an NCMM Senior Scientist, I established an Ex Vivo culture-setting for blood cancer using Norwegian patient samples. I also implemented the precision medicine platform to repurpose drugs for Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma patients.
1. Giliberto M, Raj DBTG, Cremaschi A, Skånland SS, Gade A, Tjønnfjord G, Schjesvold F, Munthe LA, Tasken K. Ex vivo DSS in MM identifies drug combinations that act synergistically. Molecular Oncology. 2022 (IF: 6.6)
2. Santana LM, Raj DBTG, Giliberto M, Cremaschi A, Skånland SS, Gade A, Tjønnfjord G, Munthe LA, Tasken K. Analysis of ex vivo response to single drugs and drug combinations in CLL patient samples. Hemasphere 2023;7(S3)
Currently at CSIR South Africa, I am worked on synthetic biology ideas such as: a) the Directed evolution process currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL6) with Technology demonstration awarded at CSIR, South Africa and b) the generation of the synthetic bacterial genome for effective application is currently at TRL2-3 (Manuscript in preparation).
1. Thimiri Govinda Raj DB#, Musasria N, Takundwa MM., DirectedCHO: a new miniaturized directed evolution
Processes for phenotype stability trial of CHO cells. SLAS Technology 2024
2. Mugwanda K, Takundwa M, Dicks LMT, and Thimiri Govinda Raj DB. Development of a computational whole model of L. casei. Gene Reports 2025 Accepted.
and c) establishing a drug sensitivity screening platform for cancer precision medicine for the South African Cohort is currently at TRL5 with 3 Technology demonstrations awarded at CSIR, South Africa. (Manuscript unpublished).
1. Takundwa MM, Kenmogne VL, Monchusi B, Dube P, Nweke EE, Maher H, Toit JD, Philip-Cherian V, Fru PF, Thimiri Govinda Raj DB., The first-in-Africa ex vivo drug sensitivity testing platform identifies novel drug combinations for South African leukaemia patient cohort. Scientific Reports 2025 Accepted
2. Takundwa MM, Visser C, Dreyer G, Raj DBTG, OvCa-DSS: Ex vivo Drug sensitivity test on South African Ovarian Cancer patient samples identifies unique drug combinations with synergistic effects. Manuscript in submission
I led and contributed to the South African Synthetic Biology Roadmap (SASB) and Implementation Plan together with members from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), Universities, and private sector (https://www.dsti.gov.za/index.php/documents/strategies-and-reports/298-…). I also contributed to Robinson, D. and D. Nadal (2025), “Synthetic biology in focus: Policy issues and opportunities in engineering life”, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1787/3e6510cf-en.) I led the establishment of the first CSIR-NRF Innovation Chair in Synthetic Biology (African Cell Initiative and Bio-foundry).
Degrees:
I have published in Leukaemia (IF: 11.5), Molecular Systems Biology (12.7), Scientific Reports (IF: 3.8), SLAS Technology (2.8), Molecular Oncology (IF: 6.6), and Nano convergence (13.4).
2025 Mugwanda K, Takundwa M, Dicks LMT, Raj DBTG. Development of a computational whole model of L. casei. Gene Reports Accepted 10.1016/j.genrep.2025.102335.
2025 Kenmogne VL, Takundwa MM, Monchusi B, Dube P, Nweke EE, Maher H, Toit JD, Philip-Cherian V, Fru PF, Raj DBTG. The first-in-Africa ex vivo drug sensitivity testing platform identifies novel drug combinations for the South African leukaemia patient cohort. Scientific Reports 10.1038/s41598-025-93634-w.
2024 Raj DBTG, Musasira N, Takundwa MM, DirectedCHO: a new miniaturized directed evolution process for phenotype stability trial test of CHO cells before bioreactor scale-up. SLAS Technology 30:100130.