Ritam Guha

Mr
Ritam
Guha

Research Fellow
Cochin University of Science and Technology
Email 
ritamguha [at] cusat.ac.in
Biography
I am Ritam Guha a postgraduate student in Marine Biotechnology from Bharathidasan University, Tamilnadu, India. Currently, I am working as a project associate in an Indo-Taiwan Project and also at Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala, India. Under the guidance of Dr. Preetham Elumalai. My study focused on developing a novel vaccine delivery system to combat antimicrobial-resistant Streptococcus sp. in Tilapia Farms in India. I am experienced in several Molecular and biotechnological tools to develop a vaccine. Aquatic vaccines are essential to prevent several bacterial pathogen outbreaks and to save the crops of the farms. In the increasing era of antimicrobial-resistant strains of bacteria following viruses, where vaccines can be utilized as safe and targeted preventive measures for fish. My research emphasizes how a cheap but effective vaccine can be developed and utilized commercially to serve farmers and to save aquatic crops. Also, the implementation of novel molecular techniques to formulate vaccines is another aspect of this approach to be in flow with the one health approach.
Research interests
My research interest focused on the current development of aquatic vaccines against significant bacterial and viral pathogens like Streptococcus agalactiae, S. iniae, Aeromonas hydrophilla, Edwardsiella tarda, Tilv, Tipv that affecting aquaculture in Low to Middle Income Countries with reference to India. Procurement of a cheap, easily developed vaccine for aquatic farms is the main goal of my research that will be helpful for the farmers to protect their crops from hazardous bacterial diseases. Also, I enlighten my concerns towards antimicrobial resistance of bacteria which can be reduced by the application of vaccine that will help to attain the one health approach. I am currently working in Indo Taiwan collaborative Project focusing on inactivated vaccines to combat streptococcosis in tilapia, where my insights are to develop glyco-conjugate vaccine for specific targets. Novel adjuvants are one of the key stimuli that enhance the vaccine efficacy, where my interest found to develop and discover novel but cheap animal or plant-based adjuvants for vaccine delivery.
Projects you're working on
1. Vaccine development for Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus iniae in tilapia and hybrid grouper- India-Taiwan corporation collaborative project- Funded by the Department of Science and Technology ,India
Discipline
Bacteriology Immunology – B-cells Immunology – T-cells Immunology – innate Molecular biology Virology
Host species
Fish
Pathogen
Bacteria BacteriaAeromonas Viruses VirusesParvovirus
Stage of vaccine development
Adjuvants Antigen discovery and immunogen design Commercialisation Field trials Vaccine delivery