Bhushan Nagar, McGill University

Research

X-Ray Crystallography Innate Immunity Cryoem Host Defence Viral Infection B Cell Lymphoma Carcinogenesis Deubiquitinase

Latest papers

Neuraminidase 1 secondary deficiency contributes to CNS pathology in neurological mucopolysaccharidoses via brain protein hypersialylation.
The Journal of clinical investigation · 2025
Thiophosphate bioisosteres of inositol hexakisphosphate enhance binding affinity and residence time on bacterial virulence factors.
RSC chemical biology · 2025
Structural Analysis of Mammalian Sialic Acid Esterase.
Journal of molecular biology · 2024 · senior author

All 48 publications

Latest funding

Understanding the role of innate immune proteins in viral infection
CIHR · 2025 · Nominated PI
$1,224,000
Chromatin-binding deubiquitinase MYSM1 as a putative drug target for cMYC-driven B cell lymphoma
CIHR · 2023 · Principal investigator
$761,176
Structural characterization of lysosomal enzyme trafficking
CIHR · 2020 · Nominated PI
$688,500

All 10 grants and awards

48 publications.

01

Neuraminidase 1 secondary deficiency contributes to CNS pathology in neurological mucopolysaccharidoses via brain protein hypersialylation.

Xu T, Heon-Roberts R, Moore T, Dubot P, Pan X, Guo T, Cairo CW, Holley RJ, Bigger B, Durcan TM, Levade T, Ausseil J, Amilhon B, Gorelik A, Nagar B, Khan S, Tomatsu S, Sturiale L, Palmigiano A, Röckle I, Thiesler H, Hildebrandt H, Garozzo D, Pshezhetsky AV

The Journal of clinical investigation2025

DOI: 10.1172/jci177430 PMID: 40540388

02

Thiophosphate bioisosteres of inositol hexakisphosphate enhance binding affinity and residence time on bacterial virulence factors.

Cummer R, Bhatt G, Finn LM, Keller BG, Nagar B, Castagner B

RSC chemical biology2025

DOI: 10.1039/d4cb00228h PMID: 40190842

03

Structural Analysis of Mammalian Sialic Acid Esterase.

Ide D, Gorelik A, Illes K, Nagar B

Journal of molecular biology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168801 PMID: 39321866

04

Protein-RNA interactions mediated by silvestrol-insight into a unique molecular clamp.

Naineni SK, Bhatt G, Jiramongkolsiri E, Robert F, Cencic R, Huang S, Nagar B, Pelletier J

Nucleic acids research2024

DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae824 PMID: 39351865

05

PPM1G dephosphorylates eIF4E in control of mRNA translation and cell proliferation.

Wang P, Li Z, Kim SH, Xu H, Huang H, Yang C, Snape A, Choi JH, Bermudez S, Boivin MN, Ferry N, Karamchandani J, Nagar B, Sonenberg N

Life science alliance2024

DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202402755 PMID: 39111820

06

Isolation of short RNAs with homogeneous 3'-ends using quaternary-amine anion exchange chromatography.

Li Z, Bilic M, Nagar B

Biology methods & protocols2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpae033 PMID: 38855193

07

Structure of the immunoregulatory sialidase NEU1.

Gorelik A, Illes K, Mazhab-Jafari MT, Nagar B

Science advances2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf8169 PMID: 37205763

08

Targeting DEAD-box RNA helicases: The emergence of molecular staples.

Naineni SK, Robert F, Nagar B, Pelletier J

Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. RNA2023

DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1738 PMID: 35581936

09

Deubiquitinase catalytic activity of MYSM1 is essential in vivo for hematopoiesis and immune cell development.

Liang Y, Bhatt G, Tung LT, Wang H, Kim JE, Mousa M, Plackoska V, Illes K, Georges AA, Gros P, Henneman L, Huijbers IJ, Nagar B, Nijnik A

Scientific reports2023

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27486-7 PMID: 36611064

10

Structures of the mannose-6-phosphate pathway enzyme, GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase.

Gorelik A, Illes K, Bui KH, Nagar B

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203518119 PMID: 35939698

Understanding the role of innate immune proteins in viral infection

Nominated PICIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Nagar, Bhushan

Keywords: Cryoem; Host Defence; Innate Immunity; Viral Infection; X-Ray Crystallography

$1,224,000

Chromatin-binding deubiquitinase MYSM1 as a putative drug target for cMYC-driven B cell lymphoma

Principal investigatorCIHR2023Project Grant

Principal investigators: Nijnik, Anastasia; Nagar, Bhushan

Keywords: B Cell Lymphoma; Carcinogenesis; Deubiquitinase; Epigenetic Regulation; Gene Expression; High-Throughput Screening; Myc; Protein Structure; Transcriptional Regulation; X-Ray Crystallography

$761,176

Structural characterization of lysosomal enzyme trafficking

Nominated PICIHR2020Project Grant

Principal investigators: Nagar, Bhushan

Keywords: Cryoem; Enzymology; Gnpt; Lysosomal Storage Diseases; Mannose-6-Phosphate; X-Ray Crystallography

$688,500

Structural biology of innate immune proteins

Nominated PICIHR2018Project Grant

Principal investigators: Nagar, Bhushan

Keywords: Bacterial Effectors; Electron Microscopy; Ifits; Innate Immunity; Saxs; X-Ray Crystallography; Yopj Acetyltransferases

$1,040,400

Structural biology of innate immune proteins

Nominated PICIHR2013Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Nagar, Bhushan

Keywords: Host-Pathogen Interactions; Ifit; Innate Immunity; Nod; Signalling; Structural Biology

$951,600

Structural analysis of small RNA recognition by Argonaute proteins

Nominated PICIHR2011Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Nagar, Bhushan

Keywords: Argonaute Proteins; Mid Domain; Mirna; Post-Transcriptional Regulation; Rna Silencing; Structural Biology

$873,355

CANADA RESEARCH CHAIRHOLDER / TITULAIRE DE CHAIRE DE RECHERCHE DU CANADA

Nominated PICIHR2010Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 2

Principal investigators: Nagar, Bhushan

Keywords: Crc

$500,000

Structural Study of the Juxtamembrane Region and Kinase Domain of the c-Met Receptor Tyrosine Kinase

SupervisorCIHR2010Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Gorelik, Alexei

Keywords: C-Met; High-Throughput Screening; Juxtamembrane; Kinase Inhibitors; Nuclear Megnetic Resonnance; Protein-Protein Interaction; Receptor Activity Regulation; Receptor Tyrosine Kinase; Signal Transduction; X-Ray Crystallography

$17,500

CIHR Strategic Training Program in Chemical Biology

Co-investigatorCIHR2008Training Grant

Principal investigators: Thomas, David Y

Keywords: Asthma; Biochemistry; Bioinformatics; Biopharmaceutical; Chemical; Chemical Biology; Chemistry; Cystic Fibrosis; Genetics; Infectious Diseases; Pharmacology; Structural Biology

$1,538,350

Consortium for operation of a protein crystallographic synchrotron beamline

Co-investigatorNSERC2006Major Facilities Access Grants

Principal investigators: Sygusch, Jurgen

$348,750

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Biochemistry
Physiology
Chemistry
Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research
Neurology and Neurosurgery
Pediatrics
Other

Co-authors at McGill University, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Nahum Sonenberg

Biochemistry

10 shared papers, latest 2024

Jerry Pelletier

Biochemistry

5 shared papers, latest 2024

Kalle Gehring

Biochemistry

2 shared papers, latest 2013

Maya Saleh

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2014

Ivan Topisirovic

Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research

1 shared papers, latest 2020

Anne Marinier

Chemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2019

Jason Karamchandani

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Jason Karamchandani

Neurology and Neurosurgery

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Bastien Castagner

Pharmacology and Therapeutics

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Martin Holcik

Pediatrics

1 shared papers, latest 2015

Anastasia Nijnik

Physiology

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Sidong Huang

Biochemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2024

Philippe Gros

Biochemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Mathieu Blanchette

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2018

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2025

Subject: Prospective PhD student: X-Ray Crystallography Dear Professor Nagar, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Neuraminidase 1 secondary deficiency contributes to CNS pathology in neurological mucopolysaccharidoses via brain protein hypersialylation." (2025), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Understanding the role of innate immune proteins in viral infection" (2025), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]