• Don S, Lekshmi M, Nayak BB, Kumar SH. (2024). Attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium to fish surfaces from a suspension in seawater and the effect of subsequent washing. Journal of Clinical Immunology & Microbiology 5(1):1-7.
• 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 (Basel). 12(2):343.
• Varela MF, Ortiz-Alegria A, Lekshmi M, Stephen J, Kumar S. (2023). Functional roles of the conserved amino acid sequence Motif C, the antiporter Motif, in membrane transporters of the major facilitator superfamily. Biology (Basel). 12(10):1336.
• Kumar S, Lekshmi M, Stephen J, Ortiz-Alegria A, Ayitah M, Varela MF. (2023). Dynamics of efflux pumps in antimicrobial resistance, persistence, and community living of Vibrionaceae. Archives of Microbiology 206(1):7.
• Varela MF, Stephen J, Bharti D, Lekshmi M, Kumar S. (2023). Inhibition of multidrug efflux pumps belonging to the major facilitator superfamily in bacterial pathogens. Biomedicines 11(5):1448.
• Salam F, Lekshmi M, Prabhakar P, Kumar SH, Nayak BB. (2023). Physiological characteristics and virulence gene composition of selected serovars of seafood-borne Salmonella enterica. Veterinary World 16(3):431-438.
• Lekshmi M, Stephen J, Prakasan S, Kumar SH, Varela MF (2023) Molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial transport across the membrane by multidrug efflux pumps of the major facilitator superfamily in bacterial pathogens. Current Topics in Biotechnology 13: 1-15.
• Prakasan S, Lekshmi M, Ammini P, Balange AK, Nayak BB, Kumar SH (2022). Occurrence, pathogroup distribution and virulence genotypes of Escherichia coli from fresh seafood. Food Control. 133 (B). 108669.
• Stephen S, Lekshmi M, Ammini P, Kumar SH, and Varela MF (2022). Membrane efflux pumps of pathogenic Vibrio species: Role in antimicrobial resistance and virulence. Microorganisms 10(2):382.
• Devivilla S, Lekshmi M, Salam F, Kumar SH, Valappil KV, Roy SD, Nayak BB (2022). Influence of polyamine production and proteolytic activities of co-cultivated bacteria on histamine production by Morganiella morganii. The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology 68(5):213-218.
• 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. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance Dec;31:248-251.
• Varela MF, Stephen J, Lekshmi M, Ojha M, Wenzel N, Sanford LM, Hernandez AJ, Parvathi A, Kumar SH. (2021) Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobial Agents. Antibiotics (Basel)10(5):593.
• Das SK, Kumar SH, Nayak BB, Lekshmi M. (2021) Isolation and identification of Cronobacter spp. from fish and shellfish sold in retail markets. Current Microbiology 78(5):1973-1980.
• Lekshmi M, Kumar SH, Rajendran KV, Nayak BB. (2021) Development of a reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the detection of human norovirus in bivalve molluscs. Water Science Technology 83(5):1103-1107.
• Rao, M., Kumar, S.H., Kumar, S. Bedekar, M.K, Tripathi G, Valappil RK (2021) Microbiological investigation of Tilapia lake virus–associated mortalities in cage-farmed Oreochromis niloticus in India. Aquaculture International 29:511–526.
• Preeja PP, Kumar SH, Shetty V. (2021) Prevalence and Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Community- and Hospital-Associated Infections: A Tertiary Care Center Study. Antibiotics (Basel). 10(2):197.
• Wilwet L, Shakila RJ, Sivaraman B, Nayak BB, Kumar HS, Jaiswar, AK, Jeyasekaran G (2021) Rapid detection of fraudulence in seven commercial shrimp products by species-specific PCR assays. Food Control (124), 107871.
• Prabhakar P, Lekshmi M, Joseph TC, Balange AK, Nayak BB, Kumar SH. (2021) Performance evaluation of a selective-enrichment-isolation protocol for Salmonella enterica from seafood. Journal of Microbiological Methods 180:106120.
• Mukherjee S, Lekshmi M, Ammini P, Nayak BB, Kumar SH. (2021) Survival of the blaNDM-harbouring Escherichia coli in tropical seawater and conjugative transfer of resistance markers. Archives of Microbiology 203(7):4273-4279.
• Varela MF, Stephen J, Lekshmi M, Ojha M, Wenzel N, Sanford LM, Hernandez AJ, Parvathi A, Kumar SH. (2021) Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobial Agents. Antibiotics (Basel). May 17;10(5):593.

Other Publications

• Lekshmi, M., Kumar, S.H., Nayak, B.B. (2023). Emerging Pathogens of Public Health Significance Associated with Seafood. In: Majumder R.K. & Balange A.K. (Eds.). Advances in Fish Processing Technologies: Preservation, Waste Utilization, and Safety Assurance. Pp. 377-394. Apple Academic Press, Inc. Co-published with CRC Press (Taylor & Francis). ISBN 9781774911075.
• Stephen J, Lekshmi M, Ammini P, Nayak BB, Kumar SH (2023). Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria: An Emerging Seafood Safety Concern. In: Majumder R.K. & Balange A.K. (Eds.). Advances in Fish Processing Technologies: Preservation, Waste Utilization, and Safety Assurance. Pp. 357-376. Apple Academic Press, Inc. Co-published with CRC Press (Taylor & Francis). ISBN 978177491107.
• Stephen, J., Mukherjee, S., Lekshmi, M., Kumar, S.H. (2023). Diseases and Antimicrobial Use in Aquaculture. In: Mothadaka, M.P., Vaiyapuri, M., Rao Badireddy, M., Nagarajrao Ravishankar, C., Bhatia, R., Jena, J. (eds) Handbook on Antimicrobial Resistance. Springer, Singapore
• 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.

Recently Completed

• Microbial remediation of fish scale bio-waste and its potential application in the production of biologically active compounds (P.I).
• Feasibility study of using solar powered cool boxes to improve the shelf life and hygiene of fish sold in retail markets in Mumbai (2016-19). Funded by Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission, Maharashtra (P.I).
• Effect of extraneous factors on trophic chain linked to non-conventional resources for sustainable management (Co-P.I.)
• Diversity of Salmonella enterica in seafood and molecular bases of its survival and persistence Institutional project (P.I.)
• Enteric viral risk assessment in seafood (Co-PI).

Ongoing Projects

• Distribution of pathogenic micoraerophilic Arcobacter spp. in seafood and development of a rapid method for its detection (DBT) (Co-P.I.)
• Development of molecular methods for detection and quantification of Cronobacter spp. of human health significance in seafood) (Co-P.I.)

Others