Kasturi has developed synthetic DNA probes that can be used to explore a range of different biological systems. Her work has included examining how organelles work at scales below the single cell, and how organelle composition affects cell physiology.

Kasturi trained at Delhi University and the University of Pune before completing her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Chicago. During her Fellowship, Kasturi integrated novel chemical tools, developed using the knowledge gained during her PhD, into studying immunological systems. Specifically, she is interested in investigating microbe interactions in the gut, with the goal of understanding how changes in microbe populations can affect an individual’s immune system.

Kasturi is now a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT.

Kasturi believes that with a greater understanding of how gut microbes interact with our own cells, we can be better positioned to develop diagnostic tools and therapeutics. Her goal is to establish her own laboratory and group one day, with a focus on interdisciplinary science and the mentoring of next generation science leaders.