Meera Unnikrishnan

Embedded transport accelerates interaction-limited biosensing

This paper introduces a hydrogel-based biosensor that accelerates bacterial interaction with reporter molecules through engineered transport, achieving faster and more accurate detection of infections and antimicrobial susceptibility.

Targeting intracellular mycobacteria using novel antibiotic-loaded nanoparticles

This paper develops mannose-functionalized nanoparticles loaded with rifampicin to target macrophage-associated mycobacteria, showing improved efficacy and reduced toxicity in preclinical models.

Dynamic Bacterial Growth Modulation in Structurally Distinct and Functionally Tuneable Agarose Hydrogels

The paper shows bacterial growth in agarose hydrogels is mainly affected by gel stiffness, water loss, and electrostatic interactions, not nutrient content.

The staphylococcal type VII secretion system delays inflammatory cell death during macrophage infection

This study shows that the staphylococcal type VII secretion system delays macrophage cell death during infection, enhancing bacterial survival.

Bacteroides-driven metabolic remodelling suppresses Clostridioides difficile toxin expression in mixed biofilm communities

This study shows Bacteroides species inhibit C. difficile toxin production through cross-feeding proline in mixed biofilms, revealing a mechanism for microbiota-mediated control of CDI.

The cellular mammalian clock regulates Staphylococcus aureus invasion in epithelial cells

This study shows that the host circadian clock modulates Staphylococcus aureus invasion into epithelial cells via the SraP-GP340 pathway.