Faculty

Research Interest/Area

Exopolysaccharides & natural biomolecules, Quorum sensing in bacteria and microbiome research

Research

1. Biofilm dynamics in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Our group is focusing on the drug resistance, virulence expression and dynamics of biofilm forming mechanism in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. We are studying the response of bacteria to different spectrum of antibiotics so as to develop better strategies to deal the ‘unavoidable’ opportunistic pathogens.
2. Microbiome and human diseases: We aim to characterize and profile the human associated microbiome to health prospects like: (i) Impact of indigenous Lactobacillus strains on hyperoxaluria condition, (ii) Urinary tract microbiome and its impact on the kidney stone disease, (iii) Oral microbiome and its association with oral health, and (iv) Genomic and metabolic potentials of bacterial isolates from kidney stone nidus.
3. Quorum sensing modulation in bacteria: Bacterial cell-to-cell signaling mechanism (quorum sensing) plays a major role in its pathogenesis. We are working in to understand QS modulation at molecular level using inhibitors in selected gram-negative pathogenic bacteria to develop suitable adjuvant with conventional therapy to reduce the selection pressure for the emergence of drug resistance.
4. Exopolysaccharides: We are focusing on characterizing the exopolysaccharides of bacterial origin and studying the role of these compounds on the tissue repair processes using in vitro and in vivo animal models. The mechanisms of action of these compounds are also being studied.
5. Tissue engineering: Bacterial exopolysaccharides are known to exhibit wound healing property. Our aim is to combine exopolysaccharide with growth factors and study its wound healing activity invitro and in vivo and further to develop scaffolds using bioprinting technology.
6. Chronic wound healing: Chronic wounds like Diabetic Foot Ulcers are common in low- and middle-income countries. The treatment available are expensive, imparting a huge burden on patient families. We aim at developing a polymer-based carrier system for the sustained delivery of bioactive molecules into wound site for achieving faster wound closure.

Publications                                                                                                                                            Full list:

1. Manzoor MAP Rekha PD*. Morphological characteristics and microstructure of kidney stones using synchrotron radiation μCT reveals the mechanism of crystal growth and aggregation in mixed stones. PLoS ONE 2019 Mar 22;14(3):e0214003. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214003.
2. Manzoor MAP, Singh B, Agrawal AK, Arun AB, Mujeeburahiman M, Rekha PD*. Morphological Morphological and micro-tomographic study on evolution of struvite in synthetic urine infected with bacteria and investigation of its pathological biomineralization PLoS ONE. 2018; 13(8):e0202306. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0202306
3. Sahana TG, Rekha PD*. A bioactive exopolysaccharide from marine bacteria Alteromonas Intl J Biol Macromolecules 2019; Jun: 131; 10–18 doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.03.048.
4. Vipin C, Mujeeburahiman M, Arun AB, Ashwini P, Mangesh SV, Rekha PD*. Adaptation and diversification in virulence factors among urinary catheter-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates J Appl Microbiol. 2019 Feb; 126(2):641-650.
5. Vasavi HS, Arun AB, Rekha PD*. Anti-quorum sensing activity of flavonoid-rich fraction from Centella asiatica L. against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. J Microbiol, Immunol  Infection. 2016, 49(1): 8-15.

Books/book chapter

1. Priyanka P, Arun AB, Rekha PD* (2014). Emerging therapeutic applications of bacterial exopolysaccharides. In: Biomaterial Applications-Micro to Nano Scales (Ed. Thomas S., Kalarikkal N., Weimin Y., Babu SS). Apple Academic Press Inc., USA.
2. Khalid P, Hussain MA, Rekha PD, Suman VB, Arun AB (2012). Modification of Carbon Nanotubes for Bio-applications and Toxicity Evaluation. In: Nano Biomaterials. Rajendran P, Prabu, P and Geckeler, KE (Eds). Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd. 155-160.
3. Rekha PD, Arun AB, Young CC. (2008). Sensor Bacteria–Recent Developments. In: Biotechnology: Concepts and Applications Rai RV and Bhat R. (Eds.) Narosa Publishing House New Delhi, India
4. Rekha, PD, Arun, AB., and Young, C. C. 2009. Whole cell biosensors for detection of quorum sensing signal molecules in Gram negative bacteria. In. Biotechnology: Concepts

PI

1. DBT Grant: Development of wound healing material from the biopolymers isolated from two novel bacterial strains isolated from West coast of India.
2. DST-SERB Grant: A novel strategy for enhancing the efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) in diabetic wound care.

Co-PI

1. DBT Grant: Fibrinolytic system and miR 200a in EMT and pulmonary fibrosis.
2. DST-SERB Grant:Precise and accurate examination of bacterial lithogenic urine biomarkers (BaLUB) for kidney stone disease.

1. Rekha P.D., Sahana T.G. (2019). Process for extracting exopolysaccharide from marine bacteria and composition thereof. (Patent#: 201941020938)
2. Rekha P.D., Arun A.B., Priyanka P. (2017). Process for extraction of exopolysaccharides and Carotenoids from a single fermentation. Patent#: Temp/E-1/2422/2017-CHE
3. Riaz Abdulla, Anwar Asif, Hafiz Johan, Sneha Pinto, Yeshwanth S, Rekha P.D., Arun A. B., Farhaad Y. (2017). Biomarker for diagnosing Oral cancer. Patent#: TEMP/E- 1/16080/2017-CHE
4. Rekha P.D., Arun A.B., Priyanka P. (2016). Process for enhancing bioactivity of exopolysacchari de produced by labrenzia sp. Prim 30 and its uses. Patent#: 201641003579
5. Young C.C., Rekha P.D., Lai W.A. (2009). Novel species of Azospirillum rugosum and use thereof as biofertilizer (in Chinese). Patent#: TW200946477
6. Young C.C., Rekha P.D., Lai W.A. (2007). Calcium alginate beads with humic acid for encapsulating bacteria (In chineese). Patent#: TW200735957