Research in Focus: Biomolecule Interaction
As part of #BiofilmWeek, we’re highlighting interesting and exciting biofilm research from across our network and partner research institutions.
We interviewed Sashi Ramamirtham, an industrial post-doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh about his research, which primarily focuses on biomolecules and how they interact with each other.
Tell us a little about your background. How and why did you want to explore a career in science?
I majored in Biology at my high school because I was primarily fascinated with living things, mainly snakes and venom. But then I took a little detour and did my Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. From there I went on to pursue my Master’s in Chemical and Biomolecule Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. That is where I was introduced to research first-hand. I did a few years as a research officer, just to reiterate to myself that research was my field, and then once I was sure I went on to do my PhD in Biophysics which is my current field of expertise and that was in New Zealand. That research related with biomolecules which are connected to living systems and how life manifests itself through molecules.
Structure-Function relationship of Monomer-Dimer Protein Equilibrium
What is your area of research and what industry does this research or technology relate to? (e.g., health, biofouling)
My primary theme of research is biomolecules, like proteins and polysaccharides and how they interact with each other. This concept is kind of central to the idea of many systems, for example food, dairy and drug development. More recently I have been into biofilms which also involves these molecules but in a slightly different way.
How does your work link to biofilms and/or AMR?
Fundamentally biofilms are complex molecular architectural constructions that we understand very little about. My work with biomolecules such as proteins and polysaccharides during my doctoral research led to a deeper understanding of how little or fine structural features of these molecules can manifest into complex behaviours. Primarily I worked with a whey protein, and aside from its commercial popularity what I identified was that it had a common motif with biofilm forming proteins. This is where my interest in biofilms came about, with seemingly completely different molecules having very common behaviours.
What are the problems/unmet needs that your work hopes to address?
Unlike synthetic polymers, biomolecules like proteins and polysaccharides have some deviations from conventional theories and our understanding of other systems. My work tends to declutter some of these aspects, identifying key structural motifs and how these motifs can manifest into complex behaviours that we see in biofilms which can help them develop antimicrobial resistance.
Are there any highlights/discoveries from your work you can tell us about?
The main molecule that I worked with during my PhD was the whey protein beta-lactoglobulin. This protein is particularly interesting because it is not present in humans, it is only present in ruminant animals. We don’t know what it does, but it is commercially popular. What I identified during my research was that this protein showed a behaviour that’s called monomer-dimer equilibrium. It exists as a single molecule or as a double molecule depending on the conditions, and the properties of this single and double molecule are completely different. Fascinatingly what I found was that the bacterial protein BslA which is present in Bacillus subtilis bacterium also shows this behaviour. This is where my research links with biofilms and I am exploring this aspect further.
Have you undertaken any public engagement activities? If so, please share any highlights with us.
I have been a part of, or I should say I have been blessed to be a part of a few engagement activities during my doctoral research. One of them was with school kids, where we made them make a pH indicator using purple cabbage solution. Demonstrating it with the colours was quite fascinating and to see their reactions was nice. Another activity that I particularly liked was an activity called the Bottle Rocket Challenge. We invited lots of school children and organised them into groups. We made them construct different shapes out of a water bottle, filled it with water to pressurise it and then launched them as a competition. It was particularly interesting for me to teach school kids fundamental concepts in a way that they can grasp it.
Has NBIC supported you with any of your projects or in your career? If so, please explain how.
The first project I started in my current position was sponsored by NBIC and was related to pipeline cleaning products. A company came to us with a product which they knew cleaned well, but they wanted to make sure that it cleaned biofilms, and if it did, how efficiently it did it. The project was a small project, but it was very interesting for me to learn how to culture biofilms, how to flush out the tubes that they fouled and then how to quantify this later on.
What is one thing we can do as scientists to positively impact equality, diversity and inclusion?
I think it’s important for us to engage with school children and make sure that science is still this common household thing which was how it was born. Now science is institutionalised and a lot more complicated than how it came about. It’s important to convey to school children that you don’t need to be intelligent or elite and that your background doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you are curious and that’s all that is needed. As scientists I think that is important that we engage with school children and convey this message effectively. This will eventually improve diversity and inclusion.
Is there anything you think could be done to address unconscious bias and create a culturally inclusive environment within biofilm research?
For a budding cross-disciplinary field of research such as biofilms I feel like it is important to have an open mind. Often the answers you are looking for come from unlikely sources outside of our purview. I feel it’s important to constantly involve experts outside of your field and not fall into the trap of being a dedicated community. I feel like that will eventually address unconscious bias and remove the stereotypes.
Find out more
If you are interested in learning more about this work and would like to connect with Sashi please contact NBIC at nbic@biofilms.ac.uk.
Take a look at Sashi’s LinkedIn blog: ‘The Yardstick of Research: Questions or Answers?‘
Sashikumar Ramamirtham, Industrial post-doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh
