Host-Microbiome Interaction via Extracellular Vesicles in Dairy Cows.
The microbiome plays a crucial role in host physiology, particularly in the context of energy metabolism, immunity, and reproductive health in livestock.
Understanding the mechanisms of communication between host cells and the microbiota is essential for advancing animal health and productivity.
One such mechanism is mediated through extracellular vesicles (EV)—nano-sized, lipid bilayer-enclosed particles secreted by cells that facilitate molecular exchange.
The primary objective of this PhD project is to investigate the role of EV in host-microbiome communication in dairy cows.
The project is part of a DFG-funded collaborative study, titled “Host-microbiome interaction: Implications for cellular and global energy metabolism in the dairy cow (WiMiQ)”.
We aim to isolate and characterize EV from various biological matrices, including body fluids and gastrointestinal chyme, obtained through a controlled animal study conducted at FLI, Braunschweig, Germany.
This research combines advanced molecular biology and omics approaches to analyse the protein and microRNA (miRNA) cargo of EV.
Extracellular vesicles are isolated using multiple techniques tailored for different gastrointestinal matrices, such as differential ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion chromatography, and precipitation-based methods.
Their characterization involves nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), Western blotting, flow cytometry (FACS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to confirm vesicle integrity, size distribution, and marker expression.
Subsequent proteomic and miRNAomic profiling of EV cargo will be performed using mass spectrometry and next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms.
The functional annotation of proteins and miRNAs will be carried out using bioinformatics tools to unravel key molecular pathways involved in host-microbiome signalling and metabolic regulation.
PhD Candidate, Physiology Unit, Institute of Animal Science, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
During my Master’s thesis at ICAR-NDRI, I focused on investigating mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop polymorphisms in Gir cattle to understand their potential role in reproductive efficiency.
The D-loop region, known for its high mutation rate and regulatory function in mtDNA replication and transcription, was sequenced using Sanger sequencing, and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in association with poor reproductive performance.
In parallel, I was also involved in a project studying tissue-specific variations in mitochondria in buffalo, contributing to a broader understanding of mitochondrial dynamics across different organ systems.
These efforts led to multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals, highlighting my contribution to advancing the knowledge of mitochondrial biology in livestock species and its potential application.
Academic Background
- PhD in Agricultural Sciences, University of Bonn, Germany (Feb 2024 – ongoing).
- MSc in Animal Biochemistry, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India (2020–2023).
- BSc in Biochemistry (Hons), Shivaji College, University of Delhi, India (2017–2020).
Publications: Orcid ; ResearchGate
Supervisor: Prof. Fabrizio Ceciliani
