Prof. Swathi Sudhakar
Dept of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering
Prof. Swathi Sudhakar
Research Areas
Dept of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering
People
Phd Scholars
Post Doc
MS Scholars
Project Associate
Research
- Nanotherapeutics: Development of next generation nanomaterials for the efficient treatment of Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Osteoporosis and for bone regeneration, wound healing as well as anti-microbial resistance.
- Single Molecule Bio-physics: Studying host-cell interactions, protein mechanics, membrane mechanics, single molecule imaging
- Space medicine: Investigating the effect of microgravity on cardiac, immune and bone function, development of therapeutic proteins, bone regeneration.
- Diagnostics: Development of diagnostic kits for Tuberculosis, Cancer and Sepsis.
Projects
- Exploring Nanotherapeutics for Disease Treatment and Biomedical Applications
Engineering nanomaterials to target specific cells or tissues, which allows for a precise delivery of drugs and other therapeutic agents. This leads to more effective treatments with fewer side effects. Some of the ongoing projects in this are:
- Nanochips for targeted drug delivery to control resilience in breast cancer. (In collaboration with Prof Roey Elnathan, Deakin University, Australia)
Nanotherapeutics hold promise for eradicating cancer cells at the cellular level. We have developed reusable vertically aligned silicon hollow nanotubes (NTs) loaded with Doxorubicin-incorporated thermostable nanoarchaeosomes (NAD) for intracellular drug delivery. These NTs demonstrated a sustained drug release over 700 h, an IC50 of 60 nM against MCF-7 cells, and biocompatibility with NIH-3T3 cells. FACS analysis revealed 44.17% necrotic cell death, while angiogenesis studies showed suppression of tumour vasculature genes, highlighting the potential of NAD-loaded NTs in breast cancer therapy.
- Breast cancer immunotherapy – nano-vaccine
This project focuses on developing a tumour protein-based nano vaccine that could enhance an effective immune response against breast cancer and serve as a potential therapeutic strategy to overcome adverse conditions involved in conventional cancer treatments.
- Nano-Archaeosomes for breast cancer therapeutics
Breast cancer treatment faces challenges due to chemotherapy’s toxic side effects and the limitations of current drug carriers. Our study developed Nanoarchaeosomes (NA), highly stable nanovesicles from the archaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1, offering superior colloidal stability, biocompatibility, and high drug-loading efficiency (97%). Doxorubicin-loaded NA (NAD) showed sustained drug release for 48 hours and induced 92% late apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells with minimal cytotoxicity to healthy cells. These findings highlight NA as a promising next-generation drug carrier with enhanced therapeutic efficacy and reduced side effects.
- Self-propulsive enzyme powered micromotors for active drug delivery
Active colloids have been the most researched area in soft condensed matter in recent times due to their ability to replicate biomimetic motions.
Our research interest lies in studying the kinetics of self-propelling protein-based colloidal particles in a fluid medium and elucidating their application in targeted drug delivery.
Exploring Nanotherapeutics for Disease Treatment and Biomedical Applications
- Numerous novel approaches are emerging to overcome the limitations of conventional cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy.
- Nanotechnology in cancer treatment has emerged as an effective drug carrier system and the function of targeted drug delivery system aid in delivering drug molecule that specifically binds with proteins and induces apoptosis.
- Different types of nanoparticles have been studied as drug delivery systems but still lack effective drug loading efficiency, biocompatibility, high cytotoxicity, and internalization of the nanoparticle by cancer cells
- To overcome the limitations of nanoparticles as drug carriers, hematite nanoparticles are introduced in this study to fulfill the limitation caused by other nanoparticles as drug delivery systems.
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) entrapped by nano-lipid
SEM images
Hematite nanoparticles - spherical shape
Hematite nanoparticles - ellipsoidal shape
Design and Development of Advanced Biosensors for Early Detection of Cancer
- The aim of early cancer diagnosis is to identify individuals at their early stage of cancer, as soon as possible to give them the best chance survival.
- A lower chance of survival, more treatment-related issues, and higher cost of care are all consequences of delayed or inaccessible cancer therapy.
- For delivering care at the earliest possible stage so as to increase chance of recovery, early diagnosis is inevitable.
- In malignant cells, glutamine has a role in energy production, redox balance, macromolecular synthesis, and signaling. It is an abundant and essential nutrient, due to these qualities, glutamine levels and its metabolism is a desirable target for novel clinical approaches to diagnose, monitor, and treat cancer.
- So, the research aim is to develop portable, optical biosensor to detect the L-glutamine levels in individuals, so to detect the cancer in its early stage for higher chance of survival.
Temporal response of Direct assay with L-glutamine(50µg/mL)
Anti-glutamine(2.5µg/mL) conjugated with AuNP
Spectra substantiates
L-glutamine, anti-glutamine binds with high affinity
Studying Phase separation in biological systems
- Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) occurs when macromolecules and the solvent demix into condensed and dilute phases, forming liquid droplets.
- Several proteins that can undergo LLPS physiologically are also found in pathological protein aggregates.
- These aggregates are hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and so on.
- In malignant cells, glutamine has a role in energy production, redox balance, macromolecular synthesis, and signaling. It is an abundant and essential nutrient, due to these qualities, glutamine levels and its metabolism is a desirable target for novel clinical approaches to diagnose, monitor, and treat cancer.
- So, the research aim is to develop portable, optical biosensor to detect the L-glutamine levels in individuals, so to detect the cancer in its early stage for higher chance of survival.
Temporal response of Direct assay with L-glutamine(50µg/mL)
Anti-glutamine(2.5µg/mL) conjugated with AuNP
SEM images
Fluorescence microscopic image
Protein-based Active Colloids
- Active colloids have been the most researched area in soft condensed matter in recent times due to their ability to replicate biomimetic motions.
- Our research interest lies in studying the kinetics of self-propelling protein-based colloidal particles in a fluid medium and their application in targeted drug delivery.
Temporal response of Direct assay with L-glutamine(50µg/mL)
Anti-glutamine(2.5µg/mL) conjugated with AuNP
Nanoparticle for agricultural applications
- Fungal diseases in agriculture are a source of concern for crop production.
- Synthetic fungicides are used to protect crops, but they pollute the environment because only a small portion is absorbed by plants.
- To address this, we synthesized hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles with PEG and loaded the nanoparticles with surfactin, a potent bio-surfactant with antimicrobial properties, to enhance the dual function of fertilizer and fungicide.
SEM images showing the HA nanoparticles
Anti-microbial assay of drug loaded HAP
Development of therapeutic strategies to mitigate oxidative stress and cytoskeletal damage in astronauts for the Gaganyaan space mission
- The project aims to explore the relationship between exposure to microgravity and the development of oxidative stress in astronauts, leading to weakened bones and vasculature and as a result, osteoporosis.
- Based on the observations, nanotherapeutics would be developed to combat the stress conditions, which would enable the safer execution of manned space missions in the future.
- To address this, we synthesized hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles with PEG and loaded the nanoparticles with surfactin, a potent bio-surfactant with antimicrobial properties, to enhance the dual function of fertilizer and fungicide.
TEM image of Luteolin-loaded Zein Nanoparticles
SEM image of Ascorbic acid loaded Zein Nanoparticles
Resolving the microtubule dynamics using single-molecule techniques and computer simulations
- The dynamics of cytoskeletal proteins decide the underlying mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases and malignancy observed in cancerous cells.
- This project aims to study about the interactions observed in microtubules at the molecular level using single molecule techniques alongside computer simulations which will help in designing targeted drug delivery approaches for such diseases.
Facilities
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Collaboration
- Prof. Albert PHJ Schenning , TU Eindhoven, The Netherlands: https://www.tue.nl/en/
research/researchers/albert- schenning - Prof. Patrick Onck , University of Groningen, The Netherlands: https://www.rug.nl/
staff/p.r.onck/?lang=en
Social Impact
- content to be added
Publication
- 18-β-glycyrrhetinic acid-loaded polymeric nanoparticles attenuate cigarette smoke-induced markers of impaired antiviral response in vitro G De Rubis, KR Paudel, S Yeung, S Mohamad, S Sudhakar, SK Singh, … Pathology-Research and Practice 257, 155295 2024
- Effect of biopolymer concentration on the kinetics of marine snow formation TR Akshaya, S Sudhakar, E Mani, K Murali Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 207, 104291 2024
- Charge-defect tuned PVDF based ternary biocompatible composite as skin touch actuated single electrode triboelectric nanogenerator for wireless healthcare monitoring A Sasmal, A Seetharaman, P Maiti, S Sudhakar, A Arockiarajan Chemical Engineering Journal 487, 150573 2024
- Chitosan derived chito-oligosaccharides promote osteoblast differentiation and offer anti-osteoporotic potential: Molecular and morphological evidence from a zebrafish model S Vimalraj, D Govindarajan, S Sudhakar, R Suresh, P Palanivel, … International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 259, 129250 2024
- Enhancing precision and efficiency: harnessing robotics and artificial intelligence for endoscopic and surgical advancements V Selvaraj, S Sudhakar, S Sekaran, SKR Sekar, S Warrier International Journal of Surgery 110 (2), 1315-1316 2 2024
- Elucidating shape mediated drug carrier mechanics of Hematite Nanomaterials on Breast Cancer therapeutics KV Babunagappan, T Raj, A Seetharaman, S Ariraman, S Sudhakar Journal of Materials Chemistry B 2024
- Doxorubicin loaded thermostable nanoarchaeosomes: a next-generation drug carrier for breast cancer therapeutics KV Babunagappan, A Seetharaman, S Ariraman, PB Santhosh, J Genova, … Nanoscale Advances 2024
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