Research Projects

Generated two membrane proteins of Leptospira and looked for its potential use as diagnostics and vaccination for Leptospirosis. One of the membrane proteins LIC20035 to be surface exposed outer membrane protein of Leptospira. Interestingly, when r-LIC10639 was used to investigate its potential to be used as diagnostic antigen, it gave better diagnostic titer of Leptospira infected human serum than that of r-LIC20035. Since these proteins are surface exposed proteins we looked for whether it plays any role in establishing the bacteria in host tissues. Bioinformatic analysis of LIC10639 shows it to have function similar to efflux protein whereas LIC 20035 does not provide any close clue to be the possible function of this gene in Leptospira. Further study using reverse genetics approach is warranted to understand the role of expression of this two membrane protein only in pathogenic strain of Leptospira.