Ujjani Saha
Ph.D. Title:
Factors Influencing the Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Drug-Resistant Bacteria
I am a medical microbiologist working in the field of antimicrobial resistance, with a primary focus on the genomic epidemiology, virulence, and resistance mechanisms of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens, particularly Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii. My research integrates molecular microbiology, whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics, host–pathogen interactions, and the development of anti-AMR strategies to understand how clinically important pathogens evolve, persist, and spread in healthcare settings with the help of collaboration with SMCW (Symbiosis Medical College for Women, SIU), SCNN (Symbiosis Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology), and NCL (National Chemical Laboratory).
My work has extensively focused on antimicrobial resistance architectures and mechanisms, hypervirulence, plasmid-mediated resistance, integrons, and virulence in clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. Over a period of 4 years, I was able to prepare a repository of 500 clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae and 50 of Acinetobacter baumannii for research purposes. I have experience in Oxford Nanopore sequencing, LC-MS, flow cytometry, genomic surveillance, cgMLST-based phylogenetic analysis, and the use of bioinformatics platforms for resistome and virulome profiling. In addition to genomic surveillance, I have worked on exploring novel therapeutic and anti-virulence approaches against multidrug-resistant pathogens, including studying the effects of antibiotic-conjugated nanoparticles in reducing the pathogenicity and persistence of K. pneumoniae. My research also investigates the role of host-derived metabolites, particularly polyamines, in modulating bacterial surface remodelling, membrane permeability, biofilm formation, and virulence.
I have also contributed to viral genomics research at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, where I worked on next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based studies related to influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 during the coronavirus pandemic. My broader research interests include antimicrobial resistance, bacterial genomics, molecular epidemiology, biofilm biology, nanoparticle-based therapeutics, host–pathogen interactions, viral genomics, and translational microbiology aimed at improving infection control and therapeutic strategies.
I also enjoy travelling, photography, singing, painting, and reading.