Dr Esther Karunakaran

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Senior Lecturer

Admissions Director for Biomedical Engineering

Engineering Scientific Lead for Spironix

Director for SCARAB

Esther Karunakaran
Profile picture of Esther Karunakaran
e.karunakaran@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7166

Full contact details

Dr Esther Karunakaran
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Room G16
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
91Ö±²¥
S1 3JD
Profile

My undergraduate degree is in microbiology from Bharathiar University in South India. I sought to apply my skills and knowledge in microbiology to overcome societal challenges and so I moved towards the applied sciences through a postgraduate degree in molecular genetics from the University of Leicester and a PhD in biochemical engineering from the University of 91Ö±²¥.

Research interests

I study community lifestyle in microorganisms called biofilms. Whilst the biofilm lifestyle offers microorganisms resilience against environmental changes, their societal impact can be unfavourable or favourable. For instance, tolerance of biofilms to antibiotics can result in life-threatening infections whilst their tolerance to chemicals can be harnessed to improve product titres during whole cell biocatalysis. My research interests are in finding ways to control biofilms to minimise their detrimental impact and maximise their benefits. My research integrates multidisciplinary methods, including molecular microbiology, proteomics and colloidal characterisation techniques.

Key research interests:

  • Biofilms
  • Molecular microbiology
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Industrial biotechnology
  • Bioprocess engineering
  • Environmental microbiology
Publications

Journal articles

  • Okurowska K, MacNeil S, Roy S, Garg P, Monk PN & Karunakaran E (2024) . Journal of Medical Microbiology, 73(12). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Devanga Ragupathi NK, Muthuirulandi Sethuvel DP, Ganesan A, Murugan D, Baskaran A, Wannigama DL, Monk PN, Karunakaran E & Veeraraghavan B (2024) . Scientific Reports, 14(1). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Okurowska K, Monk PN & Karunakaran E (2024) . Microbiology, 170(5), 001459. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cai Z, Karunakaran E & Pandhal J (2024) . Front Microbiol, 15. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Karunakaran E, Battarbee R, Tait S, Beltran BM, Berney C, Grinham J, Herrero MA, Omolo R & Douterelo I (2024) . Science of The Total Environment, 912. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ragupathi NKD, Muthuirulandi Sethuvel DP, Gopikrishnan M, Dwarakanathan HT, Murugan D, Biswas I, Bakthavachalam YD, Murugesan M, George Priya Doss C, Monk PN , Karunakaran E et al (2023) . Microbial Pathogenesis, 106064-106064. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Regan HC, Taylor AF & Karunakaran E (2022) . Journal of Visualized Experiments(187). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Devanga Ragupathi NK, Veeraraghavan B, Karunakaran E & Monk PN (2022) . Frontiers in Medicine, 9. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Santos M, Pereira SB, Flores C, Príncipe C, Couto N, Karunakaran E, Cravo SM, Oliveira P & Tamagnini P (2021) . mSphere, 6(1). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Devanga Ragupathi NK, Muthuirulandi Sethuvel DP, Triplicane Dwarakanathan H, Murugan D, Umashankar Y, Monk PN, Karunakaran E & Veeraraghavan B (2020) . Frontiers in Microbiology, 11. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Del Olmo G, Ahmad A, Jensen H, Karunakaran E, Rosales E, Calero Preciado C, Gaskin P & Douterelo I (2020) . npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 6(1). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Okurowska K, Karunakaran E, Al-Farttoosy A, Couto N & Pandhal J (2020) . Bioresource Technology, 319. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Del Olmo G, Rosales E, Karunakaran E, Jensen H, Calero C, Ahmad A, Gaskin P & Douterelo I (2020) . Access Microbiology, 2(7A). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Emery K, Roy S, Thokala P, Partridge L, Garg P, MacNeil S, Monk P & Karunakaran E (2020) . Journal of Visualized Experiments. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Roccuzzo S, Couto N, Karunakaran E, Kapoore RV, Butler TO, Mukherjee J, Hansson EM, Beckerman AP & Pandhal J (2020) . Frontiers in Microbiology, 11. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dave A, Samarth A, Karolia R, Sharma S, Karunakaran E, Partridge L, MacNeil S, Monk P, Garg P & Roy S (2020) . Microorganisms, 8(2). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Raut MP, Couto N, Karunakaran E, Biggs CA & Wright PC (2019) . Scientific Reports, 9(1). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Raut MP, Couto N, Karunakaran E, Biggs CA & Wright PC (2019) . Scientific Reports, 9(1). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Flores C, Santos M, Pereira SB, Mota R, Rossi F, De Philippis R, Couto N, Karunakaran E, Wright PC, Oliveira P & Tamagnini P (2018) . Environmental Microbiology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jensen H, Biggs CA & Karunakaran E (2016) . Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 3(4), 487-494. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Karunakaran E, Vernon D, Biggs CA, Saul A, Crawford D & Jensen H (2016) . Water Science and Technology, 73(12), 3087-3094. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nguyen V, Karunakaran E, Collins G & Biggs CA (2016) . Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 143, 518-525. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Raut MP, Karunakaran E, Mukherjee J, Biggs CA & Wright PC (2015) . PLoS ONE, 10(10). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Abdul-Majeed WS, Karunakaran E, Biggs CA & Zimmerman WB (2015) . Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 50(12), 1249-1258. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Minas K, Karunakaran E, Bond T, Gandy C, Honsbein A, Madsen M, Amezaga J, Amtmann A, Templeton MR, Biggs CA & Lawton L (2015) . Desalination and Water Treatment, 55(10), 2647-2668. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Honsbein A, Madsen MA, Amezaga JM, Biggs CA, Bond T, Gandy CJ, Karunakaran E, Lawton L, Minas K, Templeton MR & Amtmann A (2014) . New Biotechnology, 31, S140-S141. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Amezaga JM, Amtmann A, Biggs CA, Bond T, Gandy CJ, Honsbein A, Karunakaran E, Lawton L, Madsen MA, Minas K & Templeton MR (2014) . Plant Physiol, 164(4), 1661-1676. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hanotu J, Karunakaran E, Bandulasena H, Biggs C & Zimmerman WB (2014) . Biochemical Engineering Journal, 82, 174-182. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Deepika G, Karunakaran E, Hurley CR, Biggs CA & Charalampopoulos D (2012) . Microb Cell Fact, 11, 116. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Evans C, Noirel J, Ow SY, Salim M, Pereira-Medrano AG, Couto N, Pandhal J, Smith D, Pham TK, Karunakaran E , Zou X et al (2012) . Anal Bioanal Chem, 404(4), 1011-1027. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mukherjee J, Karunakaran E & Biggs CA (2012) . Biofouling, 28(1), 1-14. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Koerdt A, Orell A, Pham TK, Mukherjee J, Wlodkowski A, Karunakaran E, Biggs CA, Wright PC & Albers SV (2011) . J PROTEOME RES, 10(9), 4105-4119. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Karunakaran E, Mukherjee J, Ramalingam B & Biggs CA (2011) . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 90(6), 1869-1881. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Karunakaran E & Biggs CA (2011) . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 89(4), 1161-1175. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Regan HC, Taylor AF & Karunakaran E () . Journal of Visualized Experiments(187). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Couto N, Newton JRA, Russo C, Karunakaran E, Achour B, Al-Majdoub ZM, Sidaway J, Rostami-Hodjegan A, Clench MR & Barber J () . Drug Metabolism and Disposition. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Okurowska K, Roy S, Thokala P, Partridge L, Garg P, MacNeil S, Monk PN & Karunakaran E () . Journal of Visualized Experiments(159). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hardo G, Karunakaran E, Couto NA, Beckerman AP & Pandhal J () . RIS download Bibtex download
  • Urwin L, Okurowska K, Crowther G, Roy S, Garg P, Karunakaran E, MacNeil S, Partridge LJ, Green LR & Monk PN () . Cells, 9(11), 2450-2450. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

  • Vital-Vilchis I & Karunakaran E (2024) , MDPI AG. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Vital Vilchis I & Karunakaran E (2024) , MDPI AG. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ragupathi NKD, Sethuvel DPM, G A, Murugan D, Baskaran A, Wannigama DL, Monk PN, Karunakaran E & Veeraraghavan B (2024) , Research Square Platform LLC. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Okurowska K, Suarez DRM & Karunakaran E (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nares-Rodriguez MI & Karunakaran E (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Okurowska K, Monk PN & Karunakaran E (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Cai Z, Karunakaran E & Pandhal J (2023) , Research Square Platform LLC. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Devanga Ragupathi NK, Muthuirulandi Sethuvel DP, Gopikrishnan M, Murugan D, Juliet R, Majhi M, Murugesan M, C GPD, Wannigama L, Monk PN , Karunakaran E et al () , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ragupathi NKD, Sethuvel DPM, Dwarakanathan HT, Murugan D, Umashankar Y, Monk PN, Karunakaran E & Veeraraghavan B () . RIS download Bibtex download
Teaching activities

CPE327/6027 - Advanced Bioprocess Design

CPE443/6023 Synthetic Biology

Professional activities and memberships

Member of

Member of