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Eshwar Mahenthiralingam

Professor Eshwar Mahenthiralingam

(he/him)

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Eshwar Mahenthiralingam

  • Head of School, School of Biosciences

    School of Biosciences

Overview

Research overview

My group has studied the pathogenesis, biotechnology and ecological interactions of bacterial opportunistic pathogens, and currently encompasses three interdisciplinary themes:

  • Cystic fibrosis microbiology and lung infection microbiota analyses
  • Burkholderia genomics and specialised metabolite production
  • Industrial microbiology and antimicrobial resistance

Microbiomes, Microbes and Informatics

The Mahenthiralingam lab is part of the Microbiomes, Microbes and Informatics (MMI) group that currently comprises the research teams of Helen Brown, Cedric Berger, Thomas Connor, Arthur Morris, Katherine Smith, Andrew Weightman and Catrin Wlliams. We also work within the Organisms and Environment Division.

 

Publication

2025

2023

2022

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Articles

Research

Cystic fibrosis (CF) microbiology and lung infection microbiota analyses

We are examining the pathogenesis, antimicrobial resistance, microbiota interactions and genomics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia bacteria, which cause problematic lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis. My early career  studies are outlined under the bibliography section; current projects are described below.

Microbiota analysis of CF lung infections

We successfully applied a simple bacterial microbiota-profiling PCR to CF sputum samples and showed it could rapidly detect emerging antibiotic resistant pathogens such as Burkholderia, Achromobacter and Stenotrophomonas (see Flight et al. 2015). In collaboration with Julian Forton, we found that the microbiota of induced sputum (a safe sampling method for children with CF who do not produce sputum) contained bacterial diversity that overlapped sampling by bronchoalveolar lavage (the gold standard but invasive sampling procedure) (see Ronchetti et al. 2018). Detailed analysis of the bacterial microbiota of induced sputum confirmed its ability to capture bacterial infections in the CF lung (see Weiser et al. 2022). We have also worked with AlgiPharma AS to track microbiota changes in the CF lung during their clinical trial of Oligo G, a novel anti-infective therapeutic (see Weiser et al. 2021).

Phylogenomics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia bacteria

We have been involved in collaborative studies to define and evaluate panels of representative P. aeruginosa strains (Cullen et al. 2015) and recently mapped the phylogenomics of this species (Weiser and Green et al. 2019). Our genomic characterisation of Burkholderia has been extensive, recently releasing a dataset of 450 genomes (Mullins et al. 2020) and characterising them in a number of studies (see below).

Burkholderia genomics and specialised metabolite production

We have undertaken studies examining the pathogenomics of Burkholderia bacteria. Highlights include:

Pathogenomics of Burkholderia in CF

We published the first complete genome for the Burkholderia cenocepacia strain J2315 (Holden et al. 2009). We also undertook the first global gene expression analyses B. cenocepacia grown CF sputum (see Drevinek et al. 2008). Using a B. cenocepacia microarray, we mapped the evolution of antibiotic resistance in B. cenocepacia (Sass et al. 2011), and subsequently discovered the low oxygen regulated locus which enables persistence of this pathogen in the oxygen-deprived CF lung (Sass et al. 2013).

Genome mining Burkholderia for specialised metabolites and novel antibiotics

In 2007, we began screening our large collection of Burkholderia bacteria for the production of novel antibiotics. This led to the discovery of the polyketide antibiotic enacyloxin IIa and its unique biosynthetic pathway in Burkholderia ambifaria (Mahenthiralingam et al. 2011). Since 2014, we have led a successful BBSRC-funded interdisciplinary collaboration with Prof Greg Challis (University of Warwick), to characterise novel specialized metabolites produced by Burkholderia bacteria. After characterising enacyloxin, our interdisciplinary teams have followed up with discoveries of:

  • Gladiolin, a novel macrolide capable of killing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Song et al. 2017)
  • Cepacin, a potent polyyne antibiotic and core component of the biopesticidal ability of Burkholderia to protect crops plants against pathogen attack (Mullins et al. 2019). The discovery of the biopesticidal activity of cepacin resulted from interdisciplinary collaborations with Prof. Jim Murray and his plant research group.
  • Iscosalides produced by Burkholderia gladioli (Jenner et al. 2019)
  • Unique enacyloxin biosynthesis mechanisms that open up possibilities for molecular engineering of this potent antibiotic (Masschelein et al. 2019)
  • Novel bolagladin lipodepsipeptide metabolites produced by Burkholderia gladioli that can bind iron (Dashti et al. 2020)
  • The novel Burkholderia glutarimide antibiotic, gladiostatin, with anticancer activity (Nakou et al. 2020).
  • The enormous potential within a collection of 450 genomes we have released to aid specialized metabolite discovery in Burkholderia bacteria (Mullins et al. 2020)
  • The diversity of potentially beneficial and toxic specialized metabolites encoded and expressed by the CF pathogen, Burkholderia gladioli (Jones et al. 2021)

Industrial microbiology and antimicrobial resistance

Pseudomonas and Burkholderia bacteria have high intrinsic antimicrobial resistance and can occasionally overcome preservative formulations, causing contamination in a range of non-sterile industrial products. We have worked with a number of commercial sponsors to understand industrial microbiology problems as follows.

Bacterial contamination in non-sterile industrial products

We have also been working with Unilever Research and Development (Port Sunlight) and their Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC; Colworth) examining both Burkholderia and Pseudomonas bacteria as objectionable contaminant micro-organisms that occur in industry. We showed that multiple B. cepacia complex species can cause industrial contamination and use efflux as a key preservative resistance mechanism (see Rushton et al. 2013). We mapped the global transcriptomic responses of P. aeruginosa to preservatives (Green et al. 2018) and showed for the first time that strains from industry have the largest genomes and megaplasmids found in this antibiotic resistant species (Weiser and Green et al. 2019). Using molecular approaches we have also shown that ethylzingerone is a highly effective preservative that kills Burkholderia bacteria by novel mechanisms (Ruston et al. 2020).

Improving the reporting and identification of antimicrobial resistant industrial contaminants

Current guidelines used in the manufacture of non-sterile product do not necessarily require reporting or complete identification of bacteria which overcome preservation and cause contamination. We have shown that nearly 50% industrial product recall reports within Europe do not identify the causative organism, yet when contaminants are identified they constitute antibiotic resistant bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Burkholderia and Enterobacteriaceae (Cunningham-Oakes et al. 2019). We are now using genomic taxonomy methods to accurately identify industrial contaminants (Cunningham-Oakes et al. 2020).

Current Collaborators

International

International Burkholderia cepacia Working Group (IBCWG)

Prof. Peter Vandamme and Prof. Tom Coenye, University of Gent, Gent, Belgium

Prof. John LiPuma, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA

National

Andrew Weightman, Tom Connor, Cedric Berger, Julian Marchesi (now at Imperial) and Jim Murray, Cardiff School of Biosciences, and Julian Forton, Cardiff School of Medicine, Cardiff University

Gregory Challis, Jinlian Zhao and Matthew Jenner, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry

Julian Parkhill, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge

Andy Bailey, University of Bristol

Unilever Research and Development (Port Sunlight) and Unilever Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC; Colworth)

Grants

Biology and Biotechnology Research Council

Unilever Research and Development, UK

The US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

The Sêr Cymru II Welsh Government Fellowship Scheme

Current group members

Dr. Rebecca Weiser ([email protected])

Dr. Gordon Webster ([email protected])

Dr. Alex Mullins ([email protected])

Dr. Laura Rushton ([email protected])

Mr. Abdullah Aseeri ([email protected])

Ms. Naomi Hughes ([email protected])

Ms. Lucile Hubert ([email protected])

Past postgraduate trainees

PhD. Dr. Kasia Parfitt, Dr. Edward Cunningham-Oakes,  Dr. Amal Alswat, Dr. Angharad Green, Dr. Matthew Bull, Dr. Othman Boaisha, Dr. Judith White, Dr. Helen Rose, Dr. George Payne, Dr. Saber Yezli, and Dr. Brian Jones.

Masters. Ms. Laura Evans, Ms. Fiona Lugg, Mr. Christopher Paisey, Ms. Alice Collins and Mr. Nico Bruyniks.

Past group members

Dr. Andrea Sass, Dr. Pavel Drevinek, Dr. Louise O'Sullivan, Dr. Adam Baldwin, Dr. Deborah Lewis, and Ms. Angela Marchbank

Teaching

I carry out a range of teaching from Year 1 (level 4) to Final Year (leve  6) undergraduate, including the supervision of final year undergraduate and Integrated Masters (level 7) project students.

Current teaching includes contributions to:

BI1003 Organisms and Environment - An introduction to medically relevant bacteria

BI2332 Concepts of Disease - A lecture and practicals on outbreaks of bacterial infection.

BI2132 Genetics and its Applications - Concepts and examples in bacterial evolution and genetics.

 

Final Year Research Projects and Integrated Masters Students - I am happy to develop and host research projects for undergraduate students based on my current research areas (see Research) and can tailor these for biomedical, biological, biochemical or genetics students because of the interdisciplinary nature of my expertise.

Biography

 

Overview

I currently lead the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University and specialise in molecular microbiology, with a particular focus on microbial pathogens that affect people with cystic fibrosis (CF). My research has helped shape global understanding of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the Burkholderia cepacia complex, revealing how these bacteria adapt, spread, and evolve in clinical environments.

Academic Journey

I began my academic journey in Cardiff, earning a First Class Honours degree in Applied Biology, followed by a PhD in Mycobacterial Genetics at the National Institute for Medical Research in London. Over the years, I have held several leadership roles, including Co-Director of Research for the School of Bioscience, and REF2021 Unit Lead for Biological Sciences for Cardiff University. Externally, I have worked with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as a grant panel reviewer and then Deputy Chair of Panel B (Plants, microbes, food and sustainability) until April 2025.

Research

My research has contributed to the development of rapid DNA diagnostics, global epidemiological tracking, and molecular typing tools for bacterial CF pathogens. These advances have supported the classification of new bacterial species and the identification of novel pathogenicity islands. Over the years this has also expanded into biotechnological research to discover novel antibiotics, develop approaches for the biocontrol of crop pathogens, and prevent microbial contamination in industry.

Mentorship and Training

Within academia, I have trained multiple PhD students and examined postgraduate theses nationally and internationally. I have served as an external examiner for MSc programmes and continue to guide and mentor early-career scientists.  Advancing microbiology and genomics, and solving problems associated with microbes is what excites me, and its great to support the next generation of researchers training in these areas.

Honours and awards

  • Fellowship of Higher Education Academy (FHEA; May 2023)
  • Level 5 Diploma in Practical University Management (June 2015)
  • Chair in Molecular Microbiology (Cardiff University, August 2011)
  • Presidents Award, Society for Applied Microbiology research travel award (August 2008)
  • Early stage researcher travel award Cardiff University (August 2006; visiting researcher at Harvard University and the Broad Institute, Masschusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, USA)
  • Career Development Award; British Columbia Lung Association (2 years from October 1997)
  • Research Scholarship, Medical Research Council of Canada (5 years, from 1999 onwards; declined to start permanent position at Cardiff University)
  • Fellowship, British Columbia Lung Association; BC Research Institute for Child and Family Health (1 year from July 1997)
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship; Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (3 years; from January 1991)

Professional memberships

  • European Cystic Fibrosis Society (2009 onwards). Member of Annual Conference Microbiology Assembly Planning Group (leader for Microbiology 2013 to 2015) and invited serve on the annual conference steering committee from 2016 to 2019.
  • Microbiology Society (1999 onwards)
  • Society for Applied Microbiology (1999 onwards)
  • American Society for Microbiology (1990 onwards)

Academic positions

  • Reader (2007- August 2011), Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University
  • Senior Lecturer (2003-2007; address as above)
  • Lecturer Grade (1999-2003; address as above)
  • Assistant Professor (1997-1999), Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
  • Research Associate (1995-1997; address as above)
  • Canadian CF Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow (1991-1995; address as above)

Committees and reviewing

  • 2000-2008 Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 8 year term as a full editorial board member
  • BBSRC Panel B Plants, microbes, food and sustainability: pool member (January 2017 to October 2018); core member (November 2018 to January 2022), and Deputy Chair (February 2022 to April 2025)
  • Guest reviewer: US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Research and Research Training Committee March 2009 onwards; Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Research Review Panel member, 2005 onwards; Hong Kong Research Council, external grant review panel from 2012 onwards. Invited reviews for: Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, The Wellcome Trust, MRC, and NERC

Supervisions

I am interested in supervising postgraduate student interested in the following project areas:

  • Molecular microbiology
  • Genomics, pathogenesis and ecology of bacterial infectious diseases
  • Antibiotic producing microorganisms and specialised metabolite discovery
  • Understanding and combatting antimicrobial resistance in bacteria
  • Characterising cystic fibrosis lung infections, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia bacteria
  • Microbial community analysis in infectious disease and the natural environment

Engagement

School outreach

I am a registered science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) ambassador and undertake school engagment activities within this program, and the Wales Gene Park initiatives.

Industrial engagement

I have worked collaboratively with Unilever Research and Development UK (Port Sunlight) and their Preservatives and Applied Microbiology team since 2004. Together we have investigated multiple issues related to microbial contamination and preservative resistance associated with the manufacture of non-sterile industrial products (see research). In addition to the collaborative research, I have delivered webinars to the wider Unilever Global Research teams, and participated in the  Pharmig: Personal Care and Pharmaceuticals Conference 2018 to discuss the issues of product contamination with Burkholderia and Pseudomonas bacteria. Collectively, this research on microbial contamination with industry has delivered significant outputs and resulted in the development of an impact case for the Research Excellent Framework 2021.

Antimicrobial resistance

Since 2019 I have been working with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and Medicines Discovery Catapult on their steering group for the Cystic Fibrosis Syndicate in Antimicrobial Resistance. The syndicate aims to accelerate the discovery and translation of novel antimicrobials to combat resistant lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis. In October 2020, the GW4 universities also launched the GW4 Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance to increase regional collaboration and funding for research on this global challenge. I work on the steering group for the GW4 Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance and encourage researchers within Cardiff University and the local region to get involved with the group to foster new collaborations and funding opportunities.

Contact Details

Email [email protected]
Telephone +44 29208 75875
Campuses Sir Martin Evans Building, Floor Third, Room East 3.32, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Infection Control
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Agricultural biotechnology
School of Biosciences achieves outstanding REF 2021 results

School of Biosciences achieves outstanding REF 2021 results

12 May 2022

New understanding of an antibiotic could help tackle drug-resistant pathogen

New understanding of an antibiotic could help tackle drug-resistant pathogen

31 October 2019

Harnessing beneficial bacteria for a sustainable future

Harnessing beneficial bacteria for a sustainable future

04 March 2019

External profiles