Rakesh Joshi is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB), Savitribai Phule Pune University. In this article, he writes about how he chose a research problem in the field of agriculture, which is an area of major socio-economic concern in India.

Salmonella typhimurium is a pathogenic bacterium that causes food-borne infections in humans. Researchers from the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, find that Salmonella globally alters a post-translational protein modification called Sumoylation in infected cells and manipulates the host cell’s intracellular transport machinery.

The TNQ Distinguished Lectureship Series aims to bring the Indian scientific community in close contact with world-renowned researchers and inspire young minds to choose a scientific path. This year's speaker, Helen H Hobbs from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, will be addressing audiences on Hyderabad, Bengaluru and New Delhi on 11, 13 and 15 Feb respectively.