Neeraj Dhar
neeraj.dhar@epfl.ch +41 21 693 18 34
EPFL SV GHI UPKIN
SV 3832 (Bâtiment SV)
Station 19
CH-1015 Lausanne
EPFL VPRHO DSPS COSEC-SV
SV 3832 (Bâtiment SV)
Station 19
CH-1015 Lausanne
Unit: SHS-ENS
Fields of expertise
Infection biology, host-pathogen interactions, tuberculosis, antibiotics, persistence, microfluidics, single-cell imaging, microscopy
Mission
My research is focused on studying bacterial persistence against antibiotics using genetic tools as well as novel single-cell technologies and methods based on microfluidics and timelapse fluorescence microscopy.
Biography
2007-present Senior Scientist, Laboratory of Microbiology and Microsystems, Global Health Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
2003-2007 Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Infection Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
Honors, Awards, Fellowships
SwissTB Award from the Swiss Foundation for Tuberculosis Research for the best research
work in Tuberculosis 2011
Senior Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences, Charles H. Revson Foundation 2005-2007
Postdoctoral Fellowship, The Heiser Program for Research in Leprosy and TB 2004-2006
Professional course
| RESAL Module 1 | Training for Animal experimentation | Jan 2010 | |
| LTK Module 2 | Training for persons responsible for directing Animal Experiments | Sept, 2011 | |
| Biosafety Officer of Safety Level 3 | Swiss Biosafety Curriculum | Oct 2011 |
Education
| Ph.D. | Biochemistry | University of Delhi | 1996-2003 |
Infoscience publications
Publications
G. Vuaridel‐Thurre; A. R. Vuaridel; N. Dhar; J. D. McKinney : Computational Analysis of the Mutual Constraints between Single‐Cell Growth and Division Control Models; Advanced Biosystems. 2019-12-16. DOI : 10.1002/adbi.201900103.
G. Manina; A. Griego; J. McKinney; L. K. Singh; N. Dhar : Preexisting variation in DNA damage response predicts the fate of single mycobacteria under stress; EMBO Journal. 2019-10-04. DOI : 10.15252/embj.2019101876.
R. C. Sommer / S. Cole; A. C. Oates (Dir.) : Innovative Tools and in vivo Methods for Tuberculosis Drug Discovery and Development. Lausanne, EPFL, 2019. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-9248.
R. Sommer; J. Neres; J. Piton; N. Dhar; A. van der Sar et al. : Fluorescent Benzothiazinone Analogues Efficiently and Selectively Label Dpre1 in Mycobacteria and Actinobacteria; ACS Chemical Biology. 2018-11-01. DOI : 10.1021/acschembio.8b00790.
P. J. Soler Arnedo / S. Cole (Dir.) : Functional characterization of the virulence determinant ESX-1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Lausanne, EPFL, 2018. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-9011.
K. E. Schneider / J. McKinney; N. Dhar (Dir.) : Single-cell division and killing dynamics of bacteria exposed to isocratic and time-dependent concentrations of antibiotic. Lausanne, EPFL, 2018. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-8585.
H. A. Eskandarian; P. D. Odermatt; J. X. Y. Ven; M. T. M. Hannebelle; A. P. Nievergelt et al. : Division site selection linked to inherited cell surface wave troughs in mycobacteria; Nature Microbiology. 2017. DOI : 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2017.94.
S. Senzani; D. Li; A. Bhaskar; C. Ealand; J. Chang et al. : An Amidase_3 domain-containing N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase is required for mycobacterial cell division; Scientific Reports. 2017. DOI : 10.1038/s41598-017-01184-7.
V. Singh; N. Dhar; J. Pato; G. S. Kolly; J. Kordulakova et al. : Identification of aminopyrimidine-sulfonamides as potent modulators of Wag31-mediated cell elongation in mycobacteria; Molecular Microbiology. 2017. DOI : 10.1111/mmi.13535.
V. Singh; S. Donini; A. Pacitto; C. Sala; R. C. Hartkoorn et al. : The Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase, GuaB2, Is a Vulnerable New Bactericidal Drug Target for Tuberculosis; Acs Infectious Diseases. 2017. DOI : 10.1021/acsinfecdis.6b00102.
N. Dhar; J. Mckinney; G. Manina : Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Microbiology Spectrum. 2016. DOI : 10.1128/microbiolspec.TBTB2-0021-2016.
M. Martinez-Hoyos; E. Perez-Herran; G. Gulten; L. Encinas; D. Alvarez-Gomez et al. : Antitubercular drugs for an old target: GSK693 as a promising InhA direct inhibitor; Ebiomedicine. 2016. DOI : 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.05.006.
S. M. Batt; M. Cacho Izquierdo; J. Castro Pichel; C. J. Stubbs; L. Vela-Glez Del Peral et al. : Whole Cell Target Engagement Identifies Novel Inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Decaprenylphosphoryl-beta-D-ribose Oxidase; Acs Infectious Diseases. 2015. DOI : 10.1021/acsinfecdis.5b00065.
A. Vocat; R. C. Hartkoorn; B. Lechartier; M. Zhang; N. Dhar et al. : Bioluminescence for Assessing Drug Potency against Nonreplicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy. 2015. DOI : 10.1128/Aac.00528-15.
J. Rullas; N. Dhar; J. D. Mckinney; A. Garcia-Perez; J. Lelievre et al. : Combinations of beta-Lactam Antibiotics Currently in Clinical Trials Are Efficacious in a DHP-I-Deficient Mouse Model of Tuberculosis Infection; Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy. 2015. DOI : 10.1128/Aac.01063-15.
N. Dhar; V. Dubee; L. Ballell; G. Cuinet; J.-E. Hugonnet et al. : Rapid Cytolysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Faropenem, an Orally Bioavailable beta-Lactam Antibiotic; Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy. 2015. DOI : 10.1128/Aac.03461-14.
J. Neres; R. C. Hartkoorn; L. R. Chiarelli; R. Gadupudi; M. R. Pasca et al. : 2-Carboxyquinoxalines Kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis through Noncovalent Inhibition of DprE1; Acs Chemical Biology. 2015. DOI : 10.1021/cb5007163.
J. Vaubourgeix; G. Lin; N. Dhar; N. Chenouard; X. Jiang et al. : Stressed Mycobacteria Use the Chaperone ClpB to Sequester Irreversibly Oxidized Proteins Asymmetrically Within and Between Cells; Cell Host & Microbe. 2015. DOI : 10.1016/j.chom.2014.12.008.
G. Manina; N. Dhar; J. D. Mckinney : Stress and Host Immunity Amplify Mycobacterium tuberculosis Phenotypic Heterogeneity and Induce Nongrowing Metabolically Active Forms; Cell Host & Microbe. 2015. DOI : 10.1016/j.chom.2014.11.016.
S. Sharma; E. Gelman; C. Narayan; D. Bhattacharjee; V. Achar et al. : Simple and Rapid Method To Determine Antimycobacterial Potency of Compounds by Using Autoluminescent Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy. 2014. DOI : 10.1128/Aac.03205-14.
F. Boldrin; M. Ventura; G. Degiacomi; S. Ravishankar; C. Sala et al. : The Phosphatidyl-myo-Inositol Mannosyltransferase PimA Is Essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Growth In Vitro and In Vivo (vol 196, pg 3441, 2014); Journal Of Bacteriology. 2014. DOI : 10.1128/Jb.02332-14.
M. Zhang; J. M. Chen; C. Sala; J. Rybniker; N. Dhar et al. : EspI regulates the ESX-1 secretion system in response to ATP levels in Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Molecular Microbiology. 2014. DOI : 10.1111/mmi.12718.
F. Boldrin; M. Ventura; G. Degiacomi; S. Ravishankar; C. Sala et al. : The Phosphatidyl-myo-Inositol Mannosyltransferase PimA Is Essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Growth In Vitro and In Vivo; Journal Of Bacteriology. 2014. DOI : 10.1128/Jb.01346-13.
M. Zhang; C. Sala; N. Dhar; A. Vocat; V. K. Sambandamurthy et al. : In Vitro and In Vivo Activities of Three Oxazolidinones against Nonreplicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy. 2014. DOI : 10.1128/Aac.02410-14.
M. Naik; V. Humnabadkar; S. J. Tantry; M. Panda; A. Narayan et al. : 4-Aminoquinolone Piperidine Amides: Noncovalent Inhibitors of DprE1 with Long Residence Time and Potent Antimycobacterial Activity; Journal Of Medicinal Chemistry. 2014. DOI : 10.1021/jm5005978.
G. S. Kolly; F. Boldrin; C. Sala; N. Dhar; R. C. Hartkoorn et al. : Assessing the essentiality of the decaprenyl-phospho-D-arabinofuranose pathway in Mycobacterium tuberculosis using conditional mutants; Molecular Microbiology. 2014. DOI : 10.1111/mmi.12546.
M. Elitas; R. Martinez-Duarte; N. Dhar; J. D. Mckinney; P. Renaud : Dielectrophoresis-based purification of antibiotic-treated bacterial subpopulations; Lab on a Chip. 2014. DOI : 10.1039/c4lc00109e.
A. Koul; L. Vranckx; N. Dhar; H. W. H. Gohlmann; M. E. Özdemir et al. : Delayed bactericidal response of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to bedaquiline involves remodelling of bacterial metabolism; Nature Communications. 2014. DOI : 10.1038/ncomms4369.
E. Gelman / J. McKinney; N. Dhar (Dir.) : Antibiotic-Induced Killing and Persistence of Mycobacteria. Lausanne, EPFL, 2014. DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-6056.
J. M. Chen; M. Zhang; J. Rybniker; L. Basterra; N. Dhar et al. : Phenotypic Profiling of Mycobacterium tuberculosis EspA Point Mutants Reveals that Blockage of ESAT-6 and CFP-10 Secretion In Vitro Does Not Always Correlate with Attenuation of Virulence; Journal Of Bacteriology. 2013. DOI : 10.1128/Jb.00967-13.
J. M. Chen; M. Zhang; J. Rybniker; S. Boy-Röttger; N. Dhar et al. : Mycobacterium tuberculosis EspB binds phospholipids and mediates EsxA-independent virulence; Molecular Microbiology. 2013. DOI : 10.1111/mmi.12336.
I. Santi; N. Dhar; D. Bousbaine; Y. Wakamoto; J. D. McKinney : Single-cell dynamics of the chromosome replication and cell division cycles in mycobacteria; Nature Communications. 2013. DOI : 10.1038/ncomms3470.
Y. Wakamoto; N. Dhar; R. Chait; K. E. Schneider; F. Signorino-Gelo et al. : Dynamic Persistence of Antibiotic-Stressed Mycobacteria; Science. 2013. DOI : 10.1126/science.1229858.
J. Neres; F. Pojer; E. Molteni; L. R. Chiarelli; N. Dhar et al. : Structural Basis for Benzothiazinone-Mediated Killing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Science Translational Medicine. 2012. DOI : 10.1126/scitranslmed.3004395.
M. Zhang; C. Sala; R. C. Hartkoorn; N. Dhar; A. Mendoza-Losana et al. : Streptomycin-Starved Mycobacterium tuberculosis 18b, a Drug Discovery Tool for Latent Tuberculosis; Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy. 2012. DOI : 10.1128/Aac.01125-12.
E. Gelman; J. D. McKinney; N. Dhar : Malachite Green Interferes with Postantibiotic Recovery of Mycobacteria; Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy. 2012. DOI : 10.1128/AAC.00406-12.
J. M. Chen; S. Boy-Röttger; N. Dhar; N. Sweeney; R. S. Buxton et al. : EspD Is Critical for the Virulence-Mediating ESX-1 Secretion System in Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Journal of bacteriology. 2011. DOI : 10.1128/JB.06417-11.
M. Ballester; C. Nembrini; N. Dhar; A. de Titta; C. de Piano et al. : Nanoparticle conjugation and pulmonary delivery enhance the protective efficacy of Ag85B and CpG against tuberculosis; Vaccine. 2011. DOI : 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.07.039.
F. Boldrin; S. Casonato; E. Dainese; C. Sala; N. Dhar et al. : Development of a repressible mycobacterial promoter system based on two transcriptional repressors; Nucleic acids research. 2010. DOI : 10.1093/nar/gkq235.
C. Sala; N. Dhar; R. C. Hartkoorn; M. Zhang; Y. H. Ha et al. : A Simple Model for Testing Drugs against Non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy. 2010. DOI : 10.1128/AAC.00821-10.
N. Dhar; J. D. McKinney : Mycobacterium tuberculosis persistence mutants identified by screening in isoniazid-treated mice; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2010. DOI : 10.1073/pnas.1003219107.
B. Dey; R. Jain; A. Khera; V. Rao; N. Dhar et al. : Boosting with a DNA vaccine expressing ESAT-6 (DNAE6) obliterates the protection imparted by recombinant BCG (rBCGE6) against aerosol Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in guinea pigs; Vaccine. 2009. DOI : 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.09.121.
V. Makarov; G. Manina; K. Mikusova; U. Möllmann; O. Ryabova et al. : Benzothiazinones kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis by blocking arabinan synthesis; Science (New York, N.Y.). 2009. DOI : 10.1126/science.1171583.
R. Jain; B. Dey; N. Dhar; V. Rao; R. Singh et al. : Enhanced and Enduring Protection against Tuberculosis by Recombinant BCG-Ag85C and Its Association with Modulation of Cytokine Profile in Lung; Plos One. 2008. DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0003869.
N. Dhar; J. D. McKinney : Microbial phenotypic heterogeneity and antibiotic tolerance; Current opinion in microbiology. 2007. DOI : 10.1016/j.mib.2006.12.007.
