Thamarai (Tham) K Janganan is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, Department of Natural Sciences at Middlesex University, London. He is a trained Microbiologist, having worked as a Clinical Microbiologist and Lecturer at various higher education institutions and hospitals in India since 1995. Later, he moved to the UK and received his PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Durham University in 2008. Following this, he held senior post-doctoral positions at Durham, Sheffield and Essex Universities and subsequently worked as a lecturer in Microbiology at the University of Bedfordshire before moving to Middlesex University.
Tham's research focuses on the molecular mechanisms contributing to antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, aiming at elucidating the mechanism of how Gram-negative bacteria expel antimicrobial compounds.
Qualifications
2005-2008 PhD, Molecular Microbiology, Durham University, UK
1993-95 MSc, Microbiology, MK University, India
1990-93 BSc, Chemistry with Biology, MK University, India
Appointments:
2022 Aug - present Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, Middlesex University
2017-2022 Lecturer in Microbiology, University of Bedfordshire
2016-2017 Senior Research Officer, Essex University, UK
2011-2016 Senior Research Associate, University of Sheffield, UK
2008-2011 Postdoctoral researcher, Durham University
1995-2005 Clinical Microbiologist/Lecturer in Medical Microbiology
Teaching area:
BMS 2145 Infection Science for 2nd year
BMS 3346 Medical Microbiology for 3rd-year Biomedical Science programme.
Module Leader for 3346 Medical Microbiology
Programme Leader for BSc Biomedical Science (Sandwich) and the BSc Applied Biomedical Science programmes
Research Interest
My research focuses on the molecular mechanisms contributing to antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, aiming at elucidating the mechanism of how Gram-negative bacteria expel antimicrobial compounds using the Resistance-Nodulation & cell-Division (RND) multidrug efflux pumps. We had extensively characterised the MtrCDE efflux system from N. gonorrhoeae. Our research was the first report on the stoichiometry of the tripartite pump, the opening of the outer-membrane channel, and the energy requirement of the pump at assembly and dissociation state.
With our knowledge and understanding of RND transporters, we aim to characterise a multidrug and toxin extrusion family (MATE) transporter from the Gram-negative organism Campylobacter. coli. The CmeABC, an RND efflux pump has been identified and shown to confer resistance to multiple drugs in Campylobacter spp. However, the MATE transporter in Campylobacter spp is poorly understood. We aim to evaluate the structure and function of a novel MATE transporter from C. coli. Recently, we cloned the MATE transporter from C. coli and performed preliminary functional characterisation, and we also identified a critical functional residue essential for its function.
My long-term research trajectory will be to investigate the interaction of RND and MATE transporters. RND transporters are called 3 component systems that cover the entire Gram-negative bacterial cell wall, whereas the MATE transporters (one-component system) present in the cytoplasmic membrane. The MATE transporters capture cytoplasmic drugs and pump them to the periplasm, and then the RND transporters pick up the drugs from the periplasm and pump them out. Our preliminary data indicate that MATE transporters are equally important and confer resistance to several antibiotics, which are the substrates for RND transporters. We hypothesise that there is a synergistic action of RND and MATE transporters. This interaction is poorly understood in Gram-negative organisms. My future work will elucidate the interaction network among these pumps to inhibit them.
Recent invited conference talks:
Professional membership
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