Research Interests

Research Priorities and Expertise 

My previous research work involved identification and characterization of the textile industry wastewater microbiome using whole shotgun sequencing approach, reconstruction of the metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) from industrial WWTPs in Gujarat, India. Another multinational research program "One health poultry hub" was based on "One Health" concept in poultry production in Gujarat, India where identification and characterization of the zoonotic pathogens, AMR and human gut microbiome of the poultry associated subjects, funded by GCRF-UKRI. Similar challenges were addressed at the time of COVID-19 pandemics, where I made significant contributions towards the SARS-CoV-2 genome analysis, phylodynamic analysis, NGS data analysis, variant calling, phylogenetic analysis, nasopharyngeal microbiome analysis, genomic surveillance study in non-human hosts, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) during the COVID-19 pandemics as a part of the bioinformatics data analysis team in the state of Gujarat, India. I was involved in the reconstruction of the SARS-CoV-2 genome from wastewater shotgun metagenome samples collected from the sewage treatment plants (STPs) from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a first report from India.

During my research tenure so far, I have demonstrated an excellent capacity to adapt to different research topics including wet lab experiments to dry lab bioinformatics analysis, and handling high performance computational (HPC) clusters. Research methods were dominated by different aspects of the NGS workflow, library preparation, assessment of genome based taxonomy assignment software and databases such as GTDB-tk, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) schemes, QIIME2, DADA2, whole genome analysis (WGS), phylogenetic analysis using RxML, MEGA-X, and data visualization using different R-Packages, differential gene expressions analysis using DESeq2, perl and python. Over a period of time, I have gained expertise in developing custom workflow using Ion AmpliSeq AMR custom panel (ThermoFisher), CLC Genomics workbench (QIAGEN) or creating linux environment management using Bioconda, Nextflow, Docker etc. Over the years of rigorous training and learnings, I have demonstrated expertise in the biostatistics tools such as STAMP and PAST, AMR gene analysis using CARD, RESfinder, and custom databases in Illumina BaseSpace pipeline (Illumina) on cloud server. Recent developments in science and technology has compelled researchers to adapt to the inter-disciplinary, cross-disciplinary, and multi-disciplinary realms. It can be best explored through open minded collaborations, network projects implementation and expertise. However, there is always a scope for funding agencies to promote science beyond barriers which can be supported through legal policy frameworks. 

Doctoral Research Project

Beneficial impact of healthy soil microbiome is widely recognized as the modulators of plant health, nutrient acquisition, disease resistance and productivity. The impact of microbiome on plant ecology and physiology, is still far from complete understanding, therefore, the augmented and supplemented understanding of how genetic interdependency in host plants and associated microbial communities influence the structure and function of microbiomes. The doctoral research work was carried out to understand the complex rhizosphere microbial communities using the powerful metagenomics method of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) amplicon gene sequencing. Microbial diversity assessment of the Barleria prionitis has been investigated and the dominant microbial communities at phylum level were represented by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Similarly, at the family level Bacillaceae, Pseudonocardiaceae, Streptosporangiaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, and Solibacteraceae.  

Furthermore, investigation of the rhizosphere microbiome carried out for assessment and microbial community structure analysis from the healthy and fungal infected Gujarat cumin (GC-2, GC-3, and GC-4) varieties. The dominant family were represented by Bacillaceae, Solibacteraceae, Nostocaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Scytonemataceae, and Halothiobacillaceae, while at genera level of taxonomic abundance were represented by Bacillus, Candidatus Solibacter, Synechococcus, Nostoc, Anabaena, and Oscillatoria. These findings revealed dominant marker taxa in healthy and infected rhizosphere soil samples from the different cumin varieties. Core microbiome, co-occurrence network, and biomarker analysis using LEfSe in the healthy and fungal infected Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.). 

These research findings should help in understanding and design of the sustainable application of the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) explored using next generation sequencing of the rhizosphere microbiome for better plant growth productivity and climate resilience agricultural practices.

Honors & awards 

• Calmette & Yersin Pasteur Network Postdoctoral Grant 2024 (2025-27)

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral - Seal of Excellence 2023 and 2024 (Twice) awarded by European Commission 

• International Travel Scheme (ITS) Award 2024 by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India

• First prize in oral presentation under the section Bioscience and Biotechnology in Vigyan Sammelan (GVS) 2022, hosted by Vigyan Gurjari (Gujarat Chapter-VIBHA, India) at Ahmedabad, India

• Junior and Senior Research Fellowship (JRF/SRF) by Dept. of Science and Technology (DST), Government of Gujarat.

• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2017 in Biotechnology.

• IIT Bombay Research Internship Award 2012-13.