Professor

Director (R and D)

ramavaidyanathan@drmgrdu.ac.in

Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria, Drug Discovery, Biodiversity and Genomics

Dr. Rama Vaidyanathan is a Biotechnologist and an Entrepreneurship Educator with over 25 years of experience in teaching, research and mentoring.She did her Ph.D. in Biotechnology at SPIC, Chennai with a CSIR fellowship and has post doctoral research experience at the University of California, San Diego, USA.

She has 18 international publications, 543 total citations and h-index Of 8.

Dr. Rama is recognized as a Mentor of Change by Atal Innovation Mission, Govt. of India.

Scopus Author link: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7004585620

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Ø  Molecular Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance in bacteria

ØNext Generation Sequencing of Microorganisms

ØIdentification and development of antimicrobial drugs

ØBiodiversity of mosquitoes

 

FINANCIAL SUPPORT RECEIVED

Ongoing Projects

1.Granting Agency : STARS, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Name of the Project:Mosquito biodiversity and insecticide resistance documentation using phenotypic, barcoding and metabarcoding methods

Project Period: 2019-2022

Amount: Rs. 50 Lakhs

2.Granting Agency: Dept. of Science and Technology, Govt. of India

Name of the Project: NewGen IEDC

Project Period : Aug 2017 – July 2022

Amount: Rs. 2.875 Crores

Completed Projects

3.Granting Agency:Dept. of Biotechnology, Govt. of India

Name of the Project: Validation of a screen for the identification of Inhibitors of Carbapenemases from Microbial Biodiversity

Project Period :Oct 2013 to Sept 2015

Amount: Rs. 30 Lakhs

4.Granting Agency :CSIR

Name of Project :Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria - Molecular

Characterization and cloning of MDR conferring genes and Screening for Bio Active Molecules against MDR Bacteria

Project period : 18^th Nov 2009 to17^th Nov 2012

Amount: Rs. 21 Lakhs

Ph.D. THESES GUIDED

1.Karthikayalu, S., Studies on the cytolysins from the cnidarians, in Biotechnology. 2011, Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute: Chennai.

2. Kamatchi, C., Molecular Characterization of Cephalosporin and Carbapenem Resistance in Clinical isolates of Klebsiella Pneumoniae, in Biotechnology. 2012, Dr. MGR ducational and Research Institute: Chennai.

3. Jeba, C.W., A comparative study on phytochemical antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity of Ocimum species, in Biotechnology. 2012, Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute: Chennai.

4. Magesh, H., Characterization of Fluoroquinolone resistance in clinical isolates of klebsiella pneumoniae from chennai and identification of natural compounds inhibiting biofilms and antibiotic efflux in bacteria, in Biotechnology. 2013, Dr. MGR. Educational and Research Institute: Chennai.

5. Krishnaraju, M., Sequence Analysis of an IncX3 blaNDM 5 plasmid from A Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolate and evaluation of carbapenemase screening assays, in Biotechnology. 2017, Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute: Chennai.

6. Rafiq, Z., Characterization of a high efflux MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate and bioactivity guided purification of a novel pyrrolidine with efflux inhibition activity, in Biotechnology. 2016, Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute: Chennai.

PUBLICATIONS

1.Rafiq, Z., S. Narasimhan, H. Magesh, R. Vennila and R. Vaidyanathan (2017). "Punica granatum rind extract: antibiotic potentiator and efflux pump inhibitor of multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates." Asian journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research 10(3): 191-195.

2.Rafiq, Z., S. Sivaraj and R. Vaidyanathan (2018). "Computational docking and in silico analysis of potential efflux pump inhibitor punigratane." International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences: 27-34.

3.Rafiq, Z., S. Narasimhan, R. Vennila and R. Vaidyanathan (2016). "Punigratane, a novel pyrrolidine alkaloid from Punica granatum rind with putative efflux inhibition activity." Nat Prod Res: 1-6.

4.Rafiq, Z., N. Sam and R. Vaidyanathan (2016). "Whole genome sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae U25, a hypermucoviscous, multidrug resistant, biofilm producing isolate from India." Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz111(2): 144-146.

5.Krishnaraju, M., P. Agila Kumar, B. Veeraraghavan and V. Rama (2016). "Evaluation of CNPt-Direct Assay and Development of a modified CNPt-EDTA assay to differentiate NDM from oxa-48 like Carbapenemases." Int J Pharm Bio Sci7(4): B473 - B478.

6.Krishnaraju, M., C. Kamatchi, A. Jha, N. Devasena, R. Vennila, G. Sumathi and R. Vaidyanathan (2015). "Complete sequencing of an IncX3 plasmid carrying blaNDM‑5 allele reveals an early stage in the dissemination of the blaNDM gene." Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology33(1): 30-38.

7.Magesh, H., A. Kumar, A. Alam, Priyam, U. Sekar, V. N. Sumantran and R. Vaidyanathan (2013). "Identification of natural compounds which inhibit biofilm formation in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae." Indian J Exp Biol51(9): 764-772.

8.Magesh, H., C. Kamatchi, R. Vaidyanathan and G. Sumathi (2011). "Identification of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes qnrA1, qnrB1 and aac(6')-1b-cr in a multiple drug-resistant isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae from Chennai." Indian J Med Microbiol29(3): 262-268.

9.Karthikayalu, S., V. Rama, R. Kirubagaran and R. Venkatesan (2010). "Characterization, purification and phylogenetic analysis of a cytolysin from the sea anemone Heteractis magnifica of the Indian Ocean." J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis.16(2): 223-240.

10.Karthikayalu, S., V. Rama, R. Kirubagaran and R. Venkatesan (2010). "Hemolytic toxin from the soft coral Sarcophyton trocheliophorum: isolation and physiological characterization." Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases16: 107-120.

11.Karthikayalu, S., V. Rama and R. Venkatesan (2010). "Purification of a 19-kDa pore-forming cytolysin from the sea anemone Heteractis magnifica." Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases16: 514-518.

12.Kamatchi, C., G. Sumathi and R. Vaidyanathan (2011). "A Pilot Study on Replicon typing of Plasmids Associated with ESBL geens in Klebsiella pneumoniae from Chennai." Advanced Biotechnology1(4): 5-10.

13.Kamatchi, C., H. Magesh, U. Sekhar and R. Vaidyanathan (2009). "Identification of Clonal Clusters of Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates from Chennai by Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase Genotyping and Antibiotic Resistance Phenotyping Analysis." Am. J. Infect. Dis.5: 74-82.

14.Maser, P., B. Eckelman, R. Vaidyanathan, T. Horie, D. J. Fairbairn, M. Kubo, M. Yamagami, K. Yamaguchi, M. Nishimura, N. Uozumi, W. Robertson, M. R. Sussman and J. I. Schroeder (2002). "Altered shoot/root Na+ distribution and bifurcating salt sensitivity in Arabidopsis by genetic disruption of the Na+ transporter AtHKT1." FEBS Lett531(2): 157-161.

15.Buschmann, P. H., R. Vaidyanathan, W. Gassmann and J. I. Schroeder (2000). "Enhancement of Na(+) uptake currents, time-dependent inward-rectifying K(+) channel currents, and K(+) channel transcripts by K(+) starvation in wheat root cells." Plant Physiol122(4): 1387-1397.

16.Vaidyanathan, R., S. Kuruvilla and G. Thomas (1999). "Characterization and expression pattern of an abscisic acid and osmotic stress responsive gene from rice." Plant Science140(1).