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R. RAJESH KANNAN

R. RAJESH KANNAN

Professor & Head of the Department, Biotechnology

r.kannan@sharda.ac.in

About

 Prof. R. Rajesh Kannan holds a PhD. in Biotechnology (Mar. Bt) from M.S. University, India by working as visiting doctoral scholar at David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, USA with a specialization in CLSM imaging of neurogenesis, transgenic development and electrophysiology in zebrafish model. He has 15+ years of experience in academia and industrial connect. He has held head positions (Centre/Dept. Head, PhD office Head and Additional Dean Research) in two leading educational Institutes at Chennai and Greater Noida for the past 12 years by contributing significant role in academic and research establishments such as CoE, MHRD and Nanomedicne Research core facility.  He has played crucial role in attracting research funds from Govt. of India as individual and as team head in Neurodegenerative Disease, Drug Delivery and Drug Resistance using small animal model system by applying the significances of SDG goals 13/14 for the national and global needs. With the above objectives as PI and mentor he has attracted 6 major task force research grants funded by DBT, DST, ICMR, MoES etc and delivered noteworthy research publications and product developments. During his tenure as Head, Centre/department had attracted 9 crores of grant under his leadership within 6 years at Sathyabama Chennai (2016-2022). He has guided several PhD students, Post-doctoral scholars and published many peer reviewed publications in ACS, RSC, NPG as corresponding author. All his scholars were working as Post docs, academic and Industrial Scientists, Bio entrepreneurs, Assistant professor in both Government and private sectors. His research findings were featured in three cover page publications, notably with ACS chemical neuroscience,2022. He serves as a Life member of Indian Society of Nanomedicine. He is continuously contributing the scientific society by reviewing articles for various SCI journals and delivering guest lectures/invited talks/Session Chairs in India and abroad. 

Experience

1.    Professor & Dean Research (Additional), Head PhD office - March 2023 - March, 2024, Galgotias University
2.    Professor (Research) January 2012 to February, 2023, SIST, Chennai
3.    Junior Scientific Officer- Xpression Biotek Pvt. Ltd, 2008-2009 
4.    IAEA-FAO: Senior Project Fellow Madurai Kamaraj University 8th March 2007 to 30th March, 2008 
5.    Lecturer in Biotechnology NMSSVN College Madurai 2006 to March, 2007
6.    Lecturer in Biochemistry LCAS College, Lekshmipuram, July 2005 to 25th May, 2007
 

Qualification
  • Ph.D.
Award & Recognition

  • Visiting Scientist, Purdue University, USA, 2019, DST-SER, 2019
  • Wellcome Trust Bursary, UK, 2012
  • Company of Biologist Award, UK, 2011
  • Visiting Research scholar, UCLA USA
  • EMBL-EBI Bursary grant, 2009, UK
  • IAEA-FAO-SPF, 2007
     

Research

Research Accomplishments 

INR 6 Crores of Projects and Research Grants Attracted from Govt. of India over the period of 12 Years as Principal Investigator and Mentor

Principal Investigator
1.    DBT- Nanobiotechnology Task Force (PI)
2.    DBT- Medical Biotechnology Task force(PI)
3.    DBT- Marine Biotechnology Task Force(PI)
4.    DST- Animal Science Task Force(PI)
5.    MoES- Drugs from Sea (Nationwide Coordinated Project) (PI)
6.    ICMR-Basic Medical Sciences Co-PI

Establishments of University Core Facility
7.    Centre for Excellence- Funded by MHRD 
8.    Centre for Molecular and Nanomedical Sciences – Founding Head
9.    Molecular and Nanomedicine Research Unit – Team Leader (Heading team of 9 core Scientists)

Post-Doctoral Mentoring
10.    DST –NPDF – 5 Nos
11.    DBT-RA –  1 No

PhD Fellowships as Supervisor
12.    DST-INSPIRE – 1 No
13.    CSIR-SRF- 1 No
14.    DBT-BioCaRE (Marine Biotechnology)– 1 No
15.    DST-SERB-OVDF (Bilateral Grant) – 1 
16.    Global Doc Fellow(International) - 1
17.    DST-NAM Fellow – 1
18.    Visiting Mexican Scholar – 1 No

  • Publications with Cumulative Impact factor ~ 150
  • Patent – 3 Nos.
  • Book Chapter – 3 Nos.
  • INSA conference Proceeding- Editor
  • Workshops Organized – 6 Nos.
  • Technology Readiness (PoC- 15 Publications)
    • Neurospecific Nanogel based drug delivery
    • Real-Time and Bioassay guided separation of neuroactive small molecules

Products Developed through Drug Discovery
1.    Neuroactive Drugs – 5 Nos.
2.    Beta-lactamase inhibitor – 1 Nos.

Programme Coordinator & BoS Chair
1.    B.Voc. Translational Physiology and Public Health Nutrition(UGC-NSQF), 2021
2.    M.Sc., Medical Biotechnology and Clinical Research, 2018-2023
3.    M. Tech Industrial Biotechnology, 2018- 2020
MSU-Xpression Biotech Pvt Ltd- Industrial Faculty
1.    M.Sc/M.Tech Nanobiotechnology(2008-2009)
(Industrial Syllabus Framing)

Research Publications (Past 6 Years):

  • N Soundharapandiyan, Kannan, RR, 2024 Genome sequencing of Caridina pseudogracilirostris and its comparative analysis with Malacostracan Crustaceans. 3 Biotech under minor revision
  • N Soundharapandiyan, Kannan, RR. 2023. Exploring the mitochondrial genome of Caridina pseudogracilirostris: a comparative analysis within the Atyidae Family. Molecular Biology Reports 50 (10), 8121-8131 IF: 2.742 
  •  Wilson Alphonse CR, Kannan RR. 2023. PITRM1 interaction studies with amyloidogenic nonapeptide mutants of familial Alzheimers disease Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics 41 (12), 5660-5671 IF: 5.235
  • Wilson Alphonse CR, Kannan RR. 2023. In silico exploration of antioxidants as oxidation protectant for PITRM1 peptidase activity, an Alzheimer disease target. J Cell Biochem. doi: 10.1002/jcb.30426. IF 4.418 
  • Sundarraj S, Sujitha MV, Alphonse CR, Nandhagopal S, Kannan RR 2022. UV-B protective effect of SIO doped TiO thin film regulates pitx3 and sparc expression during embryonic development of zebrafish. RSC Environmental Science Nano, 9, 3809-3820 IF: 9.473. 
  • Arjun P, Freeman., J, Kannan RR, Neurospecific fabrication and toxicity assessment of a PNIPAM nanogel encapsulated with trans-tephrostachin for Blood-Brain-Barrier permeability in zebrafish model. 2022 Heliyon, 18;8(8):e10237. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10237 IF: 3. 77.
  •  Carlton RWA, Kannan RR, Nagarajan N PITRM1 interaction studies with amyloidogenic nonapeptide mutants of familial Alzheimer's disease, (2022), Journal of Biomolecular Structure 2022 Jun 24;1-12. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2092554.
  • Suraiya Saleem, R Bannerjee and Kannan RR Chrysin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticle Mediated Neuroprotection in Aβ1–42-Induced Neurodegenerative Conditions in Zebrafish (2022), ACS Chem. Neurosci. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00240 IF. 5.7 13, 13, 2017–2034
  • Soundhara pandiyan N, Thanumalaya perumal S, Kannan RR. Real‐time imaging and developmental biochemistry analysis during embryogenesis of Caridina pseudogracilirostris. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology. 2021 Nov 15. https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2556 IF: 2.039 
  • BK Kundu, Pragti, WA Carlton Ranjith, U Shankar, RR Kannan, SM Mobin, Cancer-Targeted Chitosan–Biotin-Conjugated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as Carriers of Zinc Complexes to Achieve Enhanced Chemotherapy In Vitro and In Vivo 2021 ACS Applied Bio Materials 5 (1), 190-204 IF: 4.7 
  • Saleem S, Kannan RR. Zebrafsh: A Promising Real-Time Model System for Nanotechnology Mediated Neurospecifc Drug Nanoscale Res Lett (2021) 16:135, https://doi.org/10.1186/s11671-021-03592-1 (IF-5.418
  • Nathan JR, Kurmi B, Soundharapandian N, Kannan RR. In vivo molecular validation of VEGF inhibitor extracted from marine Actinomycetes in zebrafish embryos. 2020. http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/54941 IF: 0.414
  • Sivaji K, Kannan RR. Polysorbate 80 coated gold nanoparticle as a drug carrier for brain targeting in zebrafish model. Journal of Cluster Science. 2019 Jul;30(4):897-906. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10876-019-01548-1 IF: 2.78 13. 
  • Sivaji K, Kannan RR, Nandhagopal S, Carlton Ranjith WA, Saleem S. Exogenous human beta amyloid peptide interferes osteogenesis through Sox9a in embryonic zebrafish. Molecular Biology Reports. 2019 Oct;46(5):4975-84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-019-04948-8 IF: 2.21
  • Pitchai A, Kannan RR, Freeman JL. Zebrafish as an emerging model for bioassay-guided natural product drug discovery for neurological disorders. Medicines. 2019 Jun;6(2):61. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines6020061 IF: 1.889
  • Sundarraj S, Sujitha MV, Alphonse CR, Kalaiarasan R, Kannan RR. Bisphenol-A alters hematopoiesis through EGFR/ERK signaling to induce myeloblastic condition in zebrafish model. Science of The Total Environment. 2021 Sep 15; 787:147530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147530 IF: 10.7
  • Mary TR, Kannan RR, Iniyan AM, Ranjith WA, Nandhagopal S, Vishwakarma V, Vincent SG. β-lactamase inhibitory potential of kalafungin from marine Streptomyces in Staphylococcus aureus infected zebrafish. Microbiological Research. 2021 Mar 1; 244:126666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micres.2020.126666 IF: 5.415
  • Mary TR, Kannan RR, Iniyan AM, Ramachandran D, Vincent SG. Cell wall distraction and biofilm inhibition of marine Streptomyces derived angucycline in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Microbial Pathogenesis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104712 IF: 3.738 2021 Jan 1; 150:104712. 
  • Kesh S, Kannan RR, Sivaji K, Balakrishnan A. Hesperidin downregulates kinases lrrk2 and gsk3β in a 6-OHDA induced Parkinsons disease model. Neuroscience Letters. 2021 Jan 1; 740:135426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135426 IF: 2.81
  • Kesh S, Kannan RR, Balakrishnan A. Naringenin alleviates 6-hydroxydopamine induced Parkinsonism in SHSY5Y cells and zebrafish model. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology. 2021 Jan 1; 239:108893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108893 IF: 3.22 
  • Nathan J, Kannan RR. Antiangiogenic molecules from marine actinomycetes and the importance of using zebrafish model in cancer research. Heliyon. 2020 Dec 1;6(12): e05662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05662 IF: 3.776
  • Pitchai A, Kannan RR, Mani R, Nagarajan N. Molecular interaction of human acetylcholinesterase with trans-tephrostachin and derivatives for Alzheimer's disease. Heliyon. 2020 Sep 1;6(9): e04930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04930 IF: 2.85
  • Persia Jothy T, Kannan RR, Subramoniam T. Lipid and carotenoid metabolism in the developing embryos of the intertidal anomuran crab, Emerita asiatica (Milne Edwards). Invertebrate Reproduction & Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/07924259.2019.1608325 IF: 1.68 2019 Jul 3;63(3):135-45.
  • Saleem S, Kannan RR. Zebrafish: an emerging real-time model system to study Alzheimers disease and neurospecific drug discovery. Cell death discovery. 2018 Oct 3;4(1):1-3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-018-0109-7 IF: 4.53
  • Pitchai A, Nagarajan N, Vincent SG, Kannan RR. Zebrafish bio-assay guided isolation of human acetylcholinesterase inhibitory trans-tephrostachin from Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Neuroscience Letters. 2018 Nov 20; 687:268-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2018.09.058 IF: 2.81 
  •  Nagarajan N, Chellam J, Kannan RR. Exploring the functional impact of mutational drift in LRRK2 gene and identification of specific inhibitors for the treatment of Parkinson disease. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. 2018 Jun;119(6):4878-89. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.26703 IF: 4.429
  • Nagasundaram N, Wilson Alphonse CR, Samuel Gnana PV, Kannan RR. Molecular dynamics validation of crizotinib resistance to ALK mutations (L1196M and G1269A) and identification of specific inhibitors. Journal of Cellular https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.26004 IF: 4.429 Biochemistry. 2017 Oct;118(10):3462-71. 
  • Kalaiarasi S, Arjun P, Nandhagopal S, Brijitta J, Iniyan AM, Vincent SG, Kannan RR. Development of biocompatible nanogel for sustained drug release by overcoming the blood brain barrier in zebrafish model. Journal of Applied Biomedicine. 2016 Apr 1;14(2):157-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jab.2016.01.004 IF: 1.7 
  • Arjun P, Vincent SG, Kannan RR. HPLC-PDA isolation and LC-MS/MS detection of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitory flavonoid from Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. in zebrafish brain. 2016. http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/42490 IF: 1.985 
  • Kundu BK, Pragti, Carlton Ranjith WA, Shankar U, Kannan RR, Mobin SM, Bandyopadhyay A, Mukhopadhyay S. Cancer-Targeted Chitosan–Biotin-Conjugated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as Carriers of Zinc Complexes to Achieve Enhanced Chemotherapy In Vitro and In Vivo. ACS Applied Bio Materials. 2021 Dec 28. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.1c01041 IF: 3.25 
  • Rajesh RP, Franklin JB, Badsha I, Arjun P, Jain RP, Vignesh MS, Kannan RR. proteome based de novo sequencing of novel conotoxins from marine molluscivorous cone snail Conus amadis and neurological activities of its natural venom in zebrafish model. Protein and Peptide Letters. 2019 Nov 1;26(11):819-33. https://doi.org/10.2174/0929866526666190614144006 IF: 1.89
  • Iniyan AM, Sudarman E, Wink J, Kannan RR, Vincent SG. Ala-geninthiocin, a new broad spectrum thiopeptide antibiotic, produced by a marine Streptomyces sp. ICN19. The Journal of Antibiotics. 2019 Feb;72(2):99-105. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41429-018-0115-2 IF: 1.730 
  • Iniyan AM, Wink J, Landwehr W, Ramprasad EV, Sasikala C, Ramana CV, Schumann P, Spröer C, Bunk B, Joseph FJ, Joshua SA… Streptomyces marianii sp. nov., a novel marine actinomycete from southern coast of India. The Journal of Antibiotics. 2021 Jan;74(1):59-69. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41429-020-0360-z IF: 1.730 
  • García-Reyes S, Yáñez-Ocampo G, Wong-Villarreal A, Rajaretinam RK, Thavasimuthu C, Patiño R, Ortiz-Hernández ML. Partial characterization of a biosurfactant extracted from Pseudomonas sp. B0406 that enhances the solubility of pesticides. Environmental technology. 2018 Oct 18;39(20):2622-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622515.2017.1363295 IF: 8.49
  • Bhushan B, Nandhagopal S, Kannan RR, Gopinath P. Biomimetic nanomaterials: Development of protein coated nanoceria as a potential antioxidative nano-agent for the effective scavenging of reactive oxygen species in vitro and in zebrafish model. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces. 2016 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.06.035 IF: 5.268 Oct 1; 146:375-86. 
  • Sneha H , Smarika C, Eswar M, Carlton on R W A, Kannan RR , Swamynathan G, Developmental toxicity and neurobehavioral effects of sodium selenite and selenium nanoparticles zebrafish embryos, Aquatic https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106791 IF: 5.202 Toxicology 2024, 106791
     

Certifications

  • Diploma in Gandhian Thought
  • Diploma in Sericulture Technology
  • Certificate in Photography
     

Area of Interest

  • Molecular and Nanomedicine, Marine Biotechnology, Transgenesis in Zebrafish Models, Developmental Biology