Research Papers

• Salam F, Manjusha L., Prabhakar P, Kumar SH, and Nayak BB (2023) Physiological characteristics and virulence gene composition of selected serovars of seafood-borne Salmonella enterica, Veterinary World, 16(3):431-438.
• Ghosh, S.K., Manjusha L., Reddy, R., Balange, A. K., Xavier, M., Nayak, B B (2023). Comparative efficiency of native and non-native starter culture in the production of bio-silage using composite waste from fish and vegetables. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
• Stephen J, Lekshmi M, Nayak BB, Kumar SH. 2022. First report of a multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Infantis carrying pESI megaplasmid isolated from marine shrimp in India. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 31:248-251.
• Sreepriya Prakasan, Manjusha Lekshmi, Parvathi Ammini, Amjad K. Balange, Binaya Bhusan Nayak, Sanath H. Kumar. 2022. Occurrence, pathogroup distribution and virulence genotypes of Escherichia coli from fresh seafood. Food Control. 133 (B). 108669
• Uchoi, D., Lekshmi, M., Ghag, A., Thakur, A., Kishore, P., & Nayak, B. B. (2021). Quality changes in Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) during preservation with saturated brine fermentation technique. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 00, e15996.
• Susmita M.,Manjusha L., Parvathi A., Nayak B.B. and Sanathkumar H. 2021. Survival of the blaNDM-harbouring Escherichia coli in tropical seawater and conjugative transfer of resistance markers. Archives of Microbiology. 203(7):4273-4279. doi: 10.1007/s00203-021-02411-6.
• Das SK, Kumar SH, Nayak BB, Lekshmi, M. Isolation and Identification of Cronobacter spp. from Fish and Shellfish Sold in Retail Markets. 2021. Current Microbiology. 78(5):1973-1980. doi: 10.1007/s00284-021-02447-3.
• Prabhakar P, Lekshmi M, Ammini P, Nayak BB, Kumar SH (2020) Salmonella contamination of seafood in landing centers and retail markets of Mumbai, India. Journal of AOAC International, qsaa042, https://doi.org/10.1093/jaoacint/qsaa042
• Saklani P, Lekshmi M, Nayak BB, Kumar S. (2020). Survival of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Fish and Shrimp under Different Storage Conditions. Journal of Food Protection 83(5):844‐848. doi:10.4315/JFP-19-546
• Ghosh SK, Lekshmi M, Das O, Kumar S, Nayak BB. (2019) Occurrence of Human Enteric Adenoviruses in Fresh Tropical Seafood from Retail Markets and Landing Centers. Journal of Food Science 84(8):2256-2260.
• Lekshmi M, Das O, Kumar S, Nayak BB. (2020) Incidence of norovirus in tropical seafood harbouring fecal indicator bacteria. Marine Pollution Bulletin 150: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110777
• Das UN, Singh AS, Lekshmi M, Nayak BB, Kumar S (2019) Characterization of blaNDM-harboring, multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolated from seafood. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 26(3):2455-2463
• Devivilla S, Stephen J, Lekshmi M, Kumar SH, Nayak BB. (2019) Evaluation of modified Zobell marine agar for differential isolation of histamine-forming bacteria from fresh fish. Journal of Microbiological Methods 163:105649. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2019.105649
• Ghosh SK, Lekshmi M, Das O, Kumar S, Nayak BB. (2019) Occurrence of Human Enteric Adenoviruses in Fresh Tropical Seafood from Retail Markets and Landing Centers. Journal of Food Science 84(8):2256-2260.
• Devivilla S, Lekshmi M, Kumar SH, Valappil RK, Roy SD, Nayak BB. (2019) Effect of Sodium Hypochlorite on Biofilm-Forming Ability of Histamine-Producing Bacteria Isolated from Fish. Journal of Food Protection 82(8):1417-1422
• Lekshmi M, Oishi Das, Sanath Kumar and Binaya Bhusan Nayak (2018) Occurrence of human enterovirus in tropical fish and shellfish and their relationship with fecal indicator bacteria Veterinary World, 11(9): 1285-1290.
• Kumar R, Xavier KAM, Lekshmi M, Balange A, Gudipati V (2018) Fortification of extruded snacks with chitosan: Effects on techno functional and sensory quality. Carbohydrate Polymers. 194: 267-273
• Prakasan S, Prabhakar P, Lekshmi M, Kumar S, Nayak BB (2018) Isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli harboring variant Shiga toxin genes from seafood. Veterinary World. 11(3):379-385.
• Thakur A, Lekshmi M, Kumar S and Nayak BB (2018) Isolation and characterization of a putative ammonia monooxygenase (amo) gene of Morganella morganii (Fulton, 1943) from seafood processing waste water. Fishery Technology 55: 1 – 7.
• Lekshmi M, Ammini P, Kumar S, Varela MF (2017) The Food Production Environment and the Development of Antimicrobial Resistance in Human Pathogens of Animal Origin. Microorganisms 5(1). pii: E11.
• Rathlavath S, Kohli V, Singh A S, Lekshmi M, Tripathi G, Kumar S, Nayak BB. (2017). Virulence genotypes and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Arcobacter butzleri isolated from seafood and its environment. International journal of food microbiology. 263: 32-37.
• Prabhakar P, Lekshmi M, Ammini P, Nayak BB, Kumar SH (2017) Incidence of Potentially Pathogenic Escherichia coli in Fresh Seafood In Mumbai. Pollution Research 36 : 161-166.
• Singh AS, Lekshmi M, Prakasan S, Nayak BB, Kumar S (2017) Multiple Antibiotic-Resistant, Extended Spectrum-β-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Enterobacteria in Fresh Seafood. Microorganisms 5(3): 53.
• Laishram M, Rathlavath S, Lekshmi M, Kumar S, Nayak BB (2016) Isolation and characterization of Arcobacter spp. from fresh seafood and the aquatic environment. International Journal of Food Microbiology (2) 232: 87-9.

Other Publications

• L. Manjusha, H. Sanath Kumar, and Binaya Bhusan Nayak. 2023. Emerging Pathogens of Public Health Significance Associated with Seafood. In. Advances in Fish Processing Technologies DOI: 10.1201/9781003300595-22 Apple Academic Press. pp18
• Lekshmi, M., Kumar, S.H., Nayak, B.B., Varela, M.F. (2023). Antimicrobial Resistance in Food-Borne Campylobacter spp. In: Mothadaka, M.P., Vaiyapuri, M., Rao Badireddy, M., Nagarajrao Ravishankar, C., Bhatia, R., Jena, J. (eds) Handbook on Antimicrobial Resistance. Springer, Singapore. pp 1-19.
• Stephen J, Salam F, Lekshmi M, Kumar SH, Varela MF. 2023. The Major Facilitator Superfamily and Antimicrobial Resistance Efflux Pumps of the ESKAPEE Pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Antibiotics.; 12(2):343.
• Stephen Jerusha, Mukherjee Susmita, Lekshmi Manjusha, Kumar Sanath & Varela Manuel. (2021). Antibiotic resistance in fish-borne pathogens of public health significance: An emerging food safety issue. Current Trends in Microbiology. 14.
• Lekshmi M, Wenzel N, Kumar SH and Varela MF (2020). Vibrio cholerae membrane proteins in antimicrobial resistance and virulence. In: A closer look at membrane proteins (Simon G. Patching Ed), Nova Science Publishers, pp. 201-218
• Lekshmi M, Parvathi A, Kumar S, and Varela MF (2019) Efflux Pump-Mediated Quorum Sensing: New Avenues for Modulation of Antimicrobial Resistance and Bacterial Virulence. In. V. C. Kalia (ed.), Biotechnological Applications of Quorum Sensing Inhibitors. Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
• Kumar S, Lekshmi M, Parvathi A, Nayak BB, Varela MF (2017) Antibiotic Resistance in Seafood‐Borne Pathogens. In: Foodborne Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance, First Edition. Edited by Om V. Singh. Pages: 397-415. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Lekshmi M, Ammini P, Kumar S, Varela MF (2017) The Food Production Environment and the Development of Antimicrobial Resistance in Human Pathogens of Animal Origin. Microorganisms. Mar 14;5(1). pii: E11.

Ongoing Projects

• Distribution of pathogenic micoraerophilic Arcobacter spp. in seafood and development of a rapid method for its detection (2021-24). Funded by DBT.
• Development of molecular methods for detection and quantification of Cronobacter spp. of human health significance in seafood (2022-25; PI; Institutional)

Recently Completed Projects

• Microbial remediation of fish scale bio-waste and its potential application in the production of biologically active compounds (2020-23). Institutional project.
• Evaluation of bioactivity of protein hydrolysate from seaweed (2018-20) Institutional Project (Sub-Project Coordinator)
• Effect of extraneous factors on trophic chain linked to non-conventional resources for sustainable management (2017-20) Institutional Project (Co-P.I.)
• Capture and removal of ammonia from fish processing wastewater using archaea (2011-16). Funded by NASF
• Accelerated fermentation of Indian mackerel using fermentation microflora (2013-16). Funded by RGSTC
• Diversity of Salmonella enterica in seafood and molecular bases of its survival and persistence (2015-18). Institutional project
• Accelerated fermentation of Indian mackerel using fermentation microflora (2013-16). Funded by RGSTC (Co-P.I.)

Others

Significant achievements in research & development

• First report of the emerging pathogen Cronobacter spp. in fish and shellfish sold in retail fish markets of India
• Developed a method for quantification of Cronobacter spp. in seafood
• Developed a reverse transcription PCR method for detection of human norovirus in molluscan shellfish