Anil Ojha

Associate Professor

College of Integrated Health Sciences

Department of Biomedical Sciences

The RNA Institute

Contact

518-473-6327

[email protected]

Education

PhD, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Post-doctoral training: University of Pittsburgh

About

We study the molecular basis of persistence of one of the deadliest bacterial pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which kills over a million people every year. Mtb is the causative agent of human tuberculosis (TB), which has inflicted humans since the prehistoric era. The only possible treatment of TB is a multi-drug regimen administered over 6-9 months. Towards developing a shorter treatment regimen, the overarching goal of our research program is to decipher the molecular mechanisms of persistence of Mtb during an antibiotic exposure.

Please visit the Ojha Laboratory for details.

Select Publications

Li Y, Corro JH, Palmer CD, Ojha AK.
Progression from remodeling to hibernation of ribosomes in zinc-starved mycobacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. (2020) 10.1073/pnas.2013409117

Richards JP, Cai W, Zill NA, Zhang W, Ojha AK. Adaptation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Biofilm Growth Is Genetically Linked to Drug Tolerance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. (2019) 63 (11): e01213-19.

Li Y, Sharma MR, Koripella RK, Yang Y, Kaushal PS, Lin Q, Wade JT, Gray TA, Derbyshire KM, Agrawal RK, Ojha AK. Zinc depletion induces ribosome hibernation in mycobacteria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. (2018) Jul 23 (pii: 201804555):

Yang Y, Richards JP, Gundrum J, Ojha AK. GlnR Activation Induces Peroxide Resistance in Mycobacterial Biofilms. Front Microbiology. (2018) 4 (9): 1428.

Yang Y, Thomas J, Li Y, Vilchèze C, Derbyshire KM, Jacobs WR Jr, Ojha AK. Defining a temporal order of genetic requirements for development of mycobacterial biofilms. Mol Microbiology. (2017) 105 (5): 794-809.

Yang Y, Kulka K, Montelaro RC, Reinhart TA, Sissons J, Aderem A, Ojha AK. A hydrolase of trehalose dimycolate induces nutrient influx and stress sensitivity to balance intracellular growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Cell Host Microbe. (2014) 15 (2): 153-163.

Yang Y, Bhatti A, Ke D, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Lenaerts A, Kremer L, Guerardel Y, Zhang P, Ojha AK.Exposure to a cutinase-like serine esterase triggers rapid lysis of multiple mycobacterial species. J Biol Chem. (2013) 288 (1): 382-392.