Research
Overview of Our Research
Microbial Phylogenomics
We utilize microbial genomics and taxonomy to identify novel species isolated from different extreme environments and characterize them
Microbial Interactions
We study microbial interaction patterns in extreme built environments employing microbial genomics, meta-genomics and modelling their metabolic cross-feeding
Web Servers and Tools
We develop publicly available web servers and tools in the space of microbial genomics and metabolic modelling
Focus Areas
Phylogenomic and functional characterization of novel microbes
We employ different phylogenomic and taxonomic approaches to identify novel species from the whole-genome sequence information of the isolates. Using our approach, we identified ~ 50 novel microbial species isolated from the International Space Station (ISS) and other spacecraft assembly facilities. We also identified one novel genus, Tigheibacillus, named after popular extreme microbiologist Scott Tighe.
Unveiling microbial adaptation in extreme environments
Through comprehensive analysis, we explored genomic, functional, and metabolic enhancements in multidrug-resistant Enterobacter bugandensis, facilitating its persistence and succession in the International Space Station. The implications of these findings are twofold. Firstly, they shed light on microbial behaviour, adaptation, and evolution in extreme, isolated environments. Secondly, they underscore the need for robust preventive measures, ensuring the health and safety of astronauts by mitigating risks associated with potential pathogenic threats.
Microbial interactions in cleanroom microbial communities
We use advanced network based approaches to identify microbial interactions in the community. Along with networks, we utilize genome scale metabolic models to understand metabolic cross feeding across the microbial communities. Based on constraints, we classify microbial interactions into six broad types: Mutualism (+,+), Parasitism (+,−), Commensalism (+,0 or 0,+), Amensalism (−,0 or 0,−), Competition (−,−), and Neutral (0,0).
Web Server and Tools
We developed several tools, web servers and databases in the domain of microbial communities and modelling. These tools are freely available in the links below.
Resources:
BugSigDB: https://bugsigdb.org/Main_Page
FBC Curation: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biomodels/curation/fbc