Educational Qualifications:

• Ph.D in Genetics from Osmania University (2010)
• M.Sc in Genetics from Osmania University (2004)

Positions:

• Reader at UM DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (July 2022 onwards).
• Assistant Professor at UM DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (Jan 2016- June 2022 )
• Visiting Scientist-1 at UM DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (April 2014- Jan 2016).
• Research Associate-II at UM DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (April 2012- April 2014).
• Research Associate at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay (Jan 2011- March 2012).

Research:

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics is leading to a rise in bacterial resistance and tolerance to antibiotics.Development of tolerance is mainly linked to biofilm formation. There are no clear solutions, chemical or natural at this stage. There is urgent need of investigating novel compounds which can combat these bacterial biofilms. The current research focus of the lab are:

• Understanding Antibiotic Resistance: The lab is elucidating how stress induce the intercellular quorum sensing mechanism and intracellular signaling pathways coordinate for biofilm formation.
• Novel Compounds Discovery for Biofilm Control: Here we investigate a wide range of novel compounds which has potential not only to prevent biofilm formation but also efficiently eradicate preformed biofilms. We will also elucidate their mode of action using various biochemical, molecular biology and proteomics techniques.
• Systems Biology and Targeted drug therapy: In this area we employ the genomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics analysis to narrow down the complexity of these biofilm associated problems in order to identify crucial biofilm markers so as to target and eliminate bacterial infections. Also, we try to use nanotechnology for targeted-drug therapy.
• Plant Metabolism, Stress Physiology, Molecular Biology and Metabolic Engineering.

Selected Publications:

• Jyoti Vishwakarma, Sirisha L Vavilala*. (2020). Unravelling the antibiofilm potential of green algal sulfated polysaccharides against Salmonella enterica and Vibriyo harveyii. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 104, 6299–6314.
• Sanith C and Sirisha L. Vavilala*. (2020). Nanotechnology-based wastewater treatment. Water and Environment Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/wej.12610.
• Berness Falcao, Jyoti Vishwakarma, Helly Jadav and Sirisha L. Vavilala*. (2020). In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant and anti-skin aging properties of green algal sulfated polysaccharides. Archives of Microbiology and Immunology. 4 (2): 75-90.
• Vinod Ghodake, Jyoti Viswakarma, Sirisha L Vavilala*, Vandana Patravale. (2020). Cefoperazone sodium liposomal formulation to mitigate aeruginosa biofilm in Cystic fibrosis infection: A QbD approach. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119696.
• Gitanjali P. Panigrahi, Ankita R. Rane, Sirisha L Vavilala* and Sinjan Choudhary*. (2019). Deciphering the anti-Parkinson’s activity of sulfated polysaccharides from Chlamydomonas reindertaii on the α-synuclein mutants A30P, A53T, E46K, E57K and E35K.The Journal of biochemistry. 166 (6), 463-474.
• Jyoti Vishwakarma, Sirisha L Vavilala*. (2019). Evaluating the antibacterial and antibiofilm potential of sulfated polysaccharides extracted from green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 127: 1004-1017.
• Jyoti Vishwakarma, Vaishnavi Parmar, L Sirisha*. (2019). Nitrate Stress‑Induced Bioactive Sulfated Polysaccharides from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Biomedical research J. 6: 7-16.
• Sirisha Vavilala, Ashwati Nair, Prasad Kalamkar, Jacinta D'Souza. (2018). Dual Role of GSK-3β in Vegetative Cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Exposed to Osmotic Stress Conditions. Acta Scientific Medical Sciences. 2(8): 76-81.
• Priyanka Kamble, Sanith C, Manu Lopus and L.Sirisha*. (2018). Isolation, characterization, and bioactive potential of sulphated polysaccharides extracted from green chlorophyte Chalmydomonas reinhardtii. Journal of applied phycology.1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-018-1397-2
• Sinjan Choudhary, Shreyada Save, Sirisha L. Vavilala*. (2018). Unraveling the inhibitory activity of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii sulphated polysaccharides against α-Synuclein fibrillation. Nature Scientific Reports 8(1): 5692.
• Priyanka Kamble and Sirisha L. Vavilala*. (2018). Discovering novel enzymes from marine ecosystem: A metagenomic approach. Botanica Marina. 61(2): 161-175.
• Sirisha L. Vavilala, Siddhesh B. Ghag and Jacinta S. D’Souza. (2018). A book review on: Algal Green Chemistry Recent Progress in Biotechnology. Frontiers Bioengineering and Biotechnology. (6): 96.
• Anup Kumar Prusty and L.Sirisha*. (2017). The Untapped Potential: Understanding Algal Sulphated Polysaccharides and their applications: A review. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Care. 5(7): 1-29.
• V.L. Sirisha*, Mahuya Sinha, Kanak Gawade and Jacinta S. D'Souza. (2016). Potassium Chloride induces caspase independent programmed cell death in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Phycologia 55(4): 378-392.
• V.L. Sirisha*, Kanak K. Gawade, Mahuya Sinha and Jacinta D’Souza. (2015). Programmed cell death is induced by hydrogen peroxide but not by excessive ionic stress of sodium chloride in the unicellular green algaa Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. European Journal of Phycology. DOI:10.1080/09670262.2015.1070437.
• Chaitanya Krishna, V.L. Sirisha* and Jacinta S. D'Souza. (2015). Physiological relevance of programmed cell death in plants: With special emphasis on unicellular species - A Review. Algal Research 12: 126-133.
• V.L.Sirisha*, Mahuya Sinha and Jacinta D’Souza. (2014). Menadione-induced caspase-dependent programmed cell death in the green chlorophyte Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Journal of Phycology. 50: 587–601.
• Amita Jain, Rashmi Ranade, Prem Pritam, Neelu Joshi, Sirisha Lakshmi Vavilala*, Ankita Jain. (2014). A comparative study of antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid contents in different parts of Helicteres isora L. American Journal of Life Sciences. 2(5): 292-302.
• V.L.Sirisha*, S.Prashant, D.Ranadheer Kumar, S. Pramod, N.Jalaja, P.Hima Kumari, P.Maheshwari Rao, S.Nageswar Rao, Preeti Mishra, S. Rao Karumanchi, B.M. Khan and P.B.Kavi Kishor. (2012). Cloning, characterization and impact of up and down regulating subabul Cinnamyl Alcohol Dehydrogenase (CAD) gene on plant growth and lignin profiles in transgenic tobacco. Plant Growth Regulation. 66:239–253.
• V.L.Sirisha*, S.Prashant, D.Ranadheer, P.Ramprasad, N.M.Shaik, Manish Arha, S.K.Gupta, Sameer Srivastava, A.K.Yadav, P.S.Kulkarni, O.U.Abhilash, B.M.Khan, Shuban.K. Rawal and P.B.Kavi Kishor. (2008). Direct shoot organogenesis and plant regeneration from hypocotyls explants in selected genotypes of Leucaena leucocephala – A leguminous pulp wood tree. Indian Journal of Biotechnology. 7: 388-393.
• S.Prashant, M.Srilakshmi Sunita, V.L.Sirisha*, V.Vijaya Bhaskar, A. Maruti Rao, M. Lakshmi Narasu, P.B.Kavi Kishor. (2011). Isolation of cinnamoyl CoA reductase and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase gene promoters from Leucaena leucocephala, a leguminous tree species, and characterization of tissue-specific activity in transgenic tobacco. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture. 108: 3421-436.
• Sekhar N.P., Prashant S., Sirisha V.L.*, Kavi Kishor P.B. (2009). Phylogenetic analysis, homology modeling, molecular dynamics and structure based designing of new inhibitors against cinnamoyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) cloned and sequenced from a leguminous tree subabul (Leucaena leucocephala). Online Journal of Bioinformatics. 11: 103-124.
• Nataraj Sekhar Pagadala, Manish Arha, P.S.Reddy, Ranadheer Kumar, V.L.Sirisha*, S.Prashant, K.Janardhan Reddy, Basheer Khan, S.K.Rawal, P.B.Kavi Kishor. (2009). Phylogenetic analysis, homology modeling, molecular dynamics and docking studies of Caffeoyl-CoA-O-methyl transferase) CCoAMT 1 and 2) isoforms isolated from Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala). Journal of Molecular Modeling. 15: 203-221.
• N.Jalaja, V.L.Sirisha*, S.Prashant, P.B.Kavi Kishor and Amita Jain. (2008). Sodium chloride and Thidiazuron enhanced somatic embryogenesis from Immature Inflorescence derived callus cultures of Pennisetum glaucum.L. (R.Br.)Breeding lines. Journal of Plant Biology. 35: 25-30.