Research Areas & Ongoing Projects

Our Focus Areas

We are dedicated to advancing knowledge in:

• Stress Biology – Understanding bacterial stress responses and RNA chaperones. 

• Fatty Acid Production – Exploring microbial sources for sustainable biofuel alternatives.

Ongoing Research Projects

Bacterial Stress Biology & RNA Chaperones

Our research focuses on bacterial stress adaptation, particularly the role of RNA chaperones in stress tolerance. We aim to uncover how various stressors impact bacterial survival, with implications for antibiotic resistance and virulence.

Publications:

• Cardoza E, Singh H. (2024). From Stress Tolerance to Virulence: Recognizing the Roles of Csps in Pathogenicity and Food Contamination. Pathogens 13(1), 69

• Cardoza E, Singh H. (2022). Involvement of CspC in response to diverse environmental stressors in E. coli. Journal of Applied Microbiology 132(2), 785-801

• Cardoza E, Singh H. (2021). C Group-Mediated Antibiotic Stress Mimics the Cold Shock Response. Current Microbiology 78(9), 3372-3380

Fatty Acid Production for Biofuels

With increasing global demand for alternative energy sources, our research explores microbial production of fatty acids, the building blocks of biofuels. Using E. coli as a model system, we apply molecular techniques to enhance fatty acid yield for sustainable energy solutions.

📄 Publications:

• Sawant N, Chandra S, Appukuttan D, Singh H. (2025) In silico analysis of non-conventional gene targets for genetic interventions to enhance fatty acid production: a review. Molecular Biology Reports 52 (182),

• Sawant N, Singh H, Appukuttan D. (2022). Overview of the Cellular Stress Responses Involved in Fatty Acid Overproduction in E. coli. Molecular Biotechnology 64, 373-387

Completed Research Projects

Enzyme Bioprospecting & Engineering

We explore nature’s biodiversity to discover and enhance novel enzymes with industrial applications. Our work focuses on improving thermostability, pH tolerance, and catalytic efficiency for use in sectors such as food, biofuel, and pharmaceuticals.

📄 Key Publications:

• Kamble A, Singh H. (2024). Structural and Functional Characterization of Obesumbacterium proteus Phytase: A Comprehensive In-Silico Study. Molecular Biotechnology, 1-29

• Shetty S, Kamble A, Singh H. (2023). Insights into the Potential Role of Plasmids in the Versatility of the Genus Pantoea. Molecular Biotechnology, 1-17

• Kamble A, Singh H. (2022). Finding novel enzymes by in silico bioprospecting approach. In: Value-Addition in Food Products and Processing Through Enzyme Technology. Pp 347-364

• Nagar A, Kamble A, Singh H. (2021). Preliminary screening, isolation, and identification of microbial phytase producers from soil. Environ Exp Biol 19, 11–22

Oral Microbiome & Cancer

We investigate the role of the oral microbiome in oral cancer, particularly in Indian populations. Our research utilizes metagenomics to analyze bacterial signatures in tobacco users and non-users to identify microbial markers linked to carcinogenesis.

📄 Key Publications:

• Sawant S, Dugad J, Parikh D, Srinivasan S, Singh H. (2023). Oral microbial signatures of tobacco chewers and oral cancer patients in India. Pathogens 12(1), 78

• Sawant S, Dugad J, Parikh D, Srinivasan S, Singh H. (2021). Identification & correlation of bacterial diversity in oral cancer and long-term tobacco chewers. Journal of Medical Microbiology 70, 001417

• Sawant S, Dugad J, Parikh D, Singh H. (2021). Absolute quantitation of oral bacteria involved in oral cancer by real-time PCR. Medicine in Microecology

Future Research Opportunities

We are actively looking for motivated interns and Ph.D. candidates to join our research. Interested in joining us? Contact us today!