PhD Structure Biology (2014), Macquarie University

Dr. Bhumika Shah is a structural biologist with research interests focused on understanding how molecular adaptations translate into ecological success in helpful and harmful microorganisms, by utilising global approaches such as genomics, in combination with molecular biology and biochemistry techniques.

Dr Shah's current research investigates marine cyanobacteria, abundant primary producers that underpin the entire oceanic food web. Extensive genomic resources exist for these model organisms, providing a framework to understand how adaptation contributes to their physiology and ecology. Dr Shah's work specifically focusses on the physiological and biochemical interpretation of high-affinity transport proteins that facilitate nutrient assimilation, a protein family that plays key roles in the interaction of the cell with its environment. 

Research Projects available:

• Discovering nutrient uptake mechanisms of photosynthetic bacteria via recombinant protein characterisation pipeline
• Gene editing in cyanobacteria using CRISPR methods