Faculty Profile

Md Shakhinur Islam Mondal, PhD

Professor

Contact Information

  • Office Address: Department of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh
  • Phone: +8801787964757
  • Email: shakhin200-gen@sust.edu, shakhin2000@yahoo.com

Biography

Dr. Md. Shakhinur Islam Mondal is a Professor in the Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet, Bangladesh. He has been serving in this role since September 18, 2020, following his initial appointment as a Lecturer in October 2007. Dr. Shakhin completed his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2017, he earned his Ph.D. in Medicine (Microbiology) from Miyazaki University, Japan. He later pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Southern California, USA. Additionally, he was awarded the prestigious Marie-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at APC Microbiome Ireland, where his research focused on bacteriophage-based therapy as an alternative to antibiotics. He also completed a postdoctoral secondment with Artugen Therapeutics, working in both Ireland and the USA.

Education

  • Marie-Curie postdoctoral fellow, APC Microbiome Ireland
  • Postdoctoral Secondment in Artugen therapeutics, Ireland and USA
  • Postdoctoral researcher, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Ph.D. in Medicine (Microbiology), Miyazaki University, Japan
  • Master of Science (MS) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dhaka University
  • Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dhaka University

Research Interests

  • Bacteriophage based therapy as an alternative to antibiotics.
  • Genome analysis: Whole genome sequencing and comparative genome analysis of symbiotic bacteria.
  • Phage biology: Genetic and morphological analysis of the genes of unknown function encoded by Stx2 phage.
  • Bioinformatics: Computational approaches for drug and vaccine target identification in pathogenic organisms.

Active Research Project

  • 1. Phages for Phage Therapy: Isolation, Characterization and Host Range Determination of Bacteriophages Isolated from Environmental Sources.
  • 2. Phage Bank Initiative: Building a Phage Reserve to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
  • 3. Unveiling Phage Dynamics in the Human Gut Metagenome: Investigating Phage-Host Interactions and Predicting Enzybiotics Endolysin
  • 4. Exploration of Clostridioides difficile Phage Genomes - A Comparative Analysis
  • 5. Metagenomic Analysis of Fermented Food Microbiomes: Possibilities of Bacteriophage-Based Applications to Control Foodborne Pathogen
  • 6. Evolutionary Insights into Streptococcus Phage Endolysins and the Discovery of Antimicrobial Peptides against Multidrug-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • 7. Mining the Human Skin Microbiome: Characterization of Phage-Derived Endolysins Targeting Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens

Previous Research Project

  • 1. Identification of potential drug and vaccine targets in Escherichia coli O157:H7, Escherichia coli O104:H4, Vibrio cholera, Streptococcus pneumoniae by different computational methods.
  • 2. Computational identification of miRNA and targets from expressed sequence tags of coffee (Coffea arabica).
  • 3. Small noncoding RNA identification by using Artificial Neural Network model.
  • 4. Evolution and adaptive mechanism study of the novel influenza A/H1N1 in humans.
  • 5. Thyroid hormone and its correlation with age, sex and serum lipid levels in hypothyroid and euthyroid sylheti populations in Bangladesh.

External Affiliations

  • Society of Genome Microbiology, Japan (SGMJ)
  • Japanese Society for Bacteriology (JSB)
  • Bangladesh Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BSBMB)
  • Graduate Biochemist Association (GBA), University of Dhaka
  • American Society of Microbiology (ASM)

Journal Publications

  • 1. Sezanur Rahman, Md. Mobarok Hossain, Jannat Akther, Imtiaz Mahamud, Tahsin Khan, Arefeen Haider, Shahriar Islam, Shakhinur Islam Mondal, Anowara Begum, Sudhangshu Kumar Biswas, Mohammad Jubair, Mustafizur Rahman. Identification of Lytic Phages Against Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: Illuminating Hope on Antimicrobial-Resistance. PHAGE. June 2024. DOI: 10.1089/phage.2023.0038
  • 2. Tahsin Khan, Shakhinur Islam Mondal§, Araf Mahmud, Daniyal Karim, Lorraine A. Draper, Colin Hill, Abul Kalam Azad, Arzuba Akter. Identification of cell wall binding domains and repeats in Streptococcus pneumoniae phage endolysins: A molecular and diversity analysis. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports. 2024. 40: 101844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrep.2024.101844. §Corresponding author
  • 3. Tahsin Khan, Arefeen Haider, Sezanur Rahman, Shovan Basak Moon, Imtiaz Mahamud, Shakhinur Islam Mondal, Anowara Begum, Sudhangshu Kumar Biswas, Mohammad Jubair, Mustafizur Rahman. Complete genome sequence of Escherichia phage iGC_PHA_EC001. Microbiology Resource Announcements (American Society for Microbiology Journal). 2023 Nov 29:e0084223. doi: 10.1128/MRA.00842-23.
  • 4. Md Tahsin Khan, Araf Mahmud, Mahmudul Hasan, Kazi Faizul Azim, Musammat Kulsuma Begum, Mohimenul Haque Rolin, Arzuba Akter§, Shakhinur Islam Mondal§. §Corresponding author. Proteome Exploration of Legionella pneumophila To Identify Novel Therapeutics: a Hierarchical Subtractive Genomics and Reverse Vaccinology Approach. Microbiology Spectrum (American Society for Microbiology Journal). e0037322.
  • 5. Shakhinur Islam Mondal, Arzuba Akter, Lorraine A Draper, R Paul Ross, Colin Hill. Characterization of an Endolysin Targeting Clostridioides difficile That Affects Spore Outgrowth. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22(11):5690.
  • 6. Md Tahsin Khan, Rahatul Islam, Tarhima Jahan Jerin, Araf Mahmud, Sahara Khatun, Ahasanul Kobir, Md Nahidul Islam, Arzuba Akter§, Shakhinur Islam Mondal§. §Corresponding author. Immunoinformatics and molecular dynamics approaches: Next generation vaccine design against West Nile virus. PLOS ONE 16(6): e0253393. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253393
  • 7. Shakhinur Islam Mondal , Lorraine A. Draper , R Paul Ross & Colin Hill (2020) Bacteriophage endolysins as a potential weapon to combat Clostridioides difficile infection. Gut Microbes, 12:1, 1813533, DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1813533
  • 8. Shakhinur Islam Mondal, Arzuba Akter, Ryuichi Koga, Takahiro Hosokawa, Mehmet Dayi, Kazunori Murase, Ryusei Tanaka, Shuji Shigenobu, Takema Fukatsu and Taisei Kikuchi. Reduced Genome of the Gut Symbiotic Bacterium “Candidatus Benitsuchiphilus tojoi” Provides Insight Into Its Possible Roles in Ecology and Adaptation of the Host Insect. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2020; 11, 840. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00840
  • 9. Shakhinur Islam Mondal, Elma Akter, Arzuba Akter, Md Tahsin Khan, Nurnabi Azad Jewel. Comparative genomics study of Candidatus Carsonella ruddii; an endosymbiont of economically important psyllids. Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 373–382, Sep. 2020.
  • 10. Maeda Y, Palomares-Rius JE,2, Hino A, Afrin T, Mondal SI, Nakatake A, Maruyama H, Kikuchi T. Secretome analysis of Strongyloides venezuelensis parasitic stages reveals that soluble and insoluble proteins are involved in its parasitism. Parasit Vectors. 2019 Jan 9;12(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s13071-018-3266-x.
  • 11. Claudia S. L. Vicente§, Shakhinur Islam Mondal§, Arzuba Akter§, Sota Ozawa1, Tasei Kikuchi3, Koichi Hasegawa. Genome analysis of new Blattabacterium spp., obligatory endosymbionts of Periplaneta fuliginosa and P. japonica. §equal contribution. PLoS One. 2018 Jul 10;13(7):e02005
  • 12. Akter A, Ooka T, Gotoh Y, Yamamoto S, Fujita H, Terasoma F, Kida K, Taira M, Nakadouzono F, Gokuden M, Hirano M, Miyashiro M, Inari K, Shimazu Y, Tabara K, Toyoda A, Yoshimura D, Itoh T, Kitano T, Sato MP, Katsura K, Mondal SI, Ogura Y, Ando S, Hayashi T. Extremely low genomic diversity of Rickettsia japonica distributed in Japan. Genome Biology and Evolution. 2017: 9 (1): 124-133. PMID: 28057731.
  • 13. Mondal SI, Mahmud Z, Elahi M, Akter A, Jewel NA, Islam MM, Ferdous S, Kikuchi T. Study of intra-inter species protein-protein interactions for potential drug targets identification and subsequent drug design for Escherichia coli O104:H4 C277-11. In Silico Pharmacol. 2016: 5:1. doi:10.1007/s40203-017-0021-5. PMID: 28401513
  • 14. Rahman MM. Ali MY, Mondal SI, Hoque MM. Evaluation of antimicrobial properties of some local fruits of Bangladesh. International Food Research Journal. 2015: 22(2): 854-858.
  • 15. Mondal SI, Ferdous S, Jewel NA, Akter A, Mahmud Z, Islam MM, Afrin T, Karim N. Identification of potential drug targets by subtractive genome analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7: an in silico approach. Advances and applications in bioinformatics and chemistry: AABC. 2015: 8:49-63. PMID: 26677339.
  • 16. Akter A, Islam MM, Mondal SI, Mahmud Z, Jewel NA, Ferdous S, Amin MR, Rahman MM. Computational identification of miRNA and targets from expressed sequence tags of coffee (Coffea arabica). Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 2014: 21(1):3-12. PMID: 24596494.
  • 17. Mondal SI, Khadka B, Akter A, Roy PK, Sultana R. Computer based screening for novel inhibitors against Vibrio cholerae using NCI diversity set-II: an alternative approach by targeting transcriptional activator ToxT. Interdisciplinary sciences, computational life sciences. 2014: 6(2):108-17. PMID: 25172449.
  • 18. Thapa S, Alum MA, Saha C, Zubaer A, Akter A, Mondal SI. Molecular modeling and functional characterization of a pertinent enzyme in Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype-2: A potential target for the development of novel pneumonia drug. Indian Journal of Biotechnology. 2013: 12 (1), 40-45.
  • 19. Rahman ME, Islam R, Islam S, Mondal SI, Amin MR. MiRANN: a reliable approach for improved classification of precursor microRNA using Artificial Neural Network model. Genomics. 2012: 99(4):189-94. PMID: 22349176.
  • 20. Mondal SI, Das SA, Akter A, Hasan R, Talukdar SA, Reza MS. Thyroid hormone and its correlation with age, sex and serum lipid levels in hypothyroid and euthyroid sylheti populations in Bangladesh. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic research. 2011: 5 (7), 1347-1351.
  • 21. Gupta DD, Haque ME, Islam MN, Mondal SI, Shibib BA. Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic activities of Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae). Dhaka University Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2010: 9 (2), 139-142.
  • 22. Alam MM, Sharmin S, Nabi Z, Mondal SI, Islam MS, Nayeem SB, Shoyaib M, Khan H. A putative leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase of jute involved in stress response. Plant molecular biology reporter. 2010: 28 (3), 394-402.
  • 23. Arif M, Islam MR, Waise TM, Hassan F, Mondal SI, Kabir Y. DNA damage and plasma antioxidant indices in Bangladeshi type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes & metabolism. 2010: 36(1):51-7. PMID: 20036596.
  • 24. Mondal SI, Zubaer A, Thapa S, Saha C, Alum MA, Reza MS, Akter A, Azad AK. Envelope Proteins Pertain with Evolution and Adaptive Mechanism of the Novel Influenza A/H1N1 in Humans. Journal of microbiology and biotechnology. 2010: 20(11):1500-5. PMID: 21124053.
  • 25. Ogura Y, Mondal SI, Islam MR, Mako T, Arisawa K, Katsura K, Ooka T, Gotoh Y, Murase K, Ohnishi M, Hayashi T. The Shiga toxin 2 production level in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 is correlated with the subtypes of toxin-encoding phage. Scientific Reports. 5:16663, doi: 10.1038/srep16663, PMID: 26567959.
  • 26. Mondal SI, Islam MR, Sawaguchi A, Asadulghani M, Ooka T, Gotoh Y, Kasahara Y, Ogura Y, Hayashi T. Genes essential for the morphogenesis of the Shiga toxin 2-transducing phage from Escherichia coli O157:H7. Scientific Reports. 6:39036, doi: 10.1038/srep39036. PMID: 27966628.

Teaching

  • Molecular Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Biochemistry, Enzymology, Virology & Oncology, Molecular Biology, Bioenergetics, Cell signaling, Proteomics, Genomics & Bioinformatics, Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology, and Molecular Diagnostics.

Awards & Recognition

  • Japanese Government (MONBUKAGAKUSHO:MEXT) Scholarship (April 2013- March 2017)
  • Vice-Chancellor Award 2010 for research excellence in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
  • Dean’s Award 2003 for excellent result in bachelor degree in life sciences faculty of Dhaka University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
  • Participant of 61st Meeting of Nobel Laureates (dedicated to Physiology or Medicine) Lindau, Germany
  • Marie-Curie postdoctoral fellowship in APC Microbiiome Ireland

Graduate Supervision

  • 1. 12