2008-2012    Post-doctoral Research Fellow

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
    

2003-2008  University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
                   Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Chemistry 
            

2001-2003 University of Louisiana, Monroe, LA
                  Degree Awarded: M.S. Chemistry 
        

1996-2000  Institute of Chemistry, Sri Lanka     
                   Degree Awarded: G.I.Chem. (BS equivalent)

2021   Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)

2017   Junior Faculty Research Award in Science and Engineering

2010-2012  Lymphoma Research Foundation Research Fellow award

2009-2010  Lauri Strauss Leukemia Research Fellow award

2008  Crow Stasch Award for excellence in publications

2007-2008  Ruegamer Fellowship for best biochemistry student

2007  Procter & Gamble Award for excellence in graduate research

2000  Medal/Merit Pass honors pass; Institute of Chemistry, Sri Lanka

2000   Shireen Jayasuriya gold medal (1^st place in class), Institute of  Chemistry, Sri Lanka

2000  Royal Society of Chemistry (Sri Lanka section) award for the best performance in Part II (Theory), Institute of Chemistry, Sri Lanka

2000  W R O Fernando Prize for Physical chemistry, Institute of  Chemistry, Sri Lanka

1997    Merit Scholarship, Institute of Chemistry, Sri Lanka

We are a group of scientists working at the interface of chemistry and biology, exploring how cell surface receptors respond to the extracellular environment. We use folded nucleic acid molecules called aptamers to elucidate how cell surface receptors interact with their cognate ligands. The long-term goal of our lab is to engineer miniaturized molecular devices using nucleic acids for biomedical research. Our technologies draw from in vitro evolution (SELEX), organic chemical synthesis, molecular engineering, molecular biology, biochemistry, molecular biophysics, spectroscopy, and DNA origami-based functional DNA materials. Our technologies draw from in vitro evolution (SELEX), organic chemical synthesis, molecular engineering, molecular biology, biochemistry, molecular biophysics, spectroscopy, and DNA origami-based functional DNA materials.

1.    “A selection platform to identify multiple aptamers against multiple cell-surface markers using ligand-guided selection” Williams, N. B.#; Batool, S.; Zumrut H.E.; Patel, R.; Sosa, German; Jamal, M.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.: Biochemistry: 61(15):1600-1613: 2022

2.    “A bispecific aptamer sensor towards T-cell leukemia detection in the tumor microenvironment” Boykoff, N.; Freage, L.; Lenn, J.*; Mallikaratchy, P.R.: ACS Omega: 6:48: 32563-32570: 2021

3.    "The utility of multivalent artificial nucleic acid ligands to develop nanoscale DNA devices against surface receptors" Freage, L.; Boykoff, N.#; and Mallikaratchy, P.R. (Invited review) ACSOmega: 6(19):12382-12391: 2021

4.    “A Homodimeric Aptamer Variant Generated from Ligand-Guided Selection Activates the T Cell Receptor Cluster of Differentiation 3 Complex”, Freage L.; Jamal, D.; Williams, N. and Mallikaratchy, P.R.; Mol. Therapy Nucleic Acids: 22: 167-178: 2020

5.    “Discovery of artificial nucleic acid ligands against cell surface targets", Zumrut, H.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.; (Invited spotlight) ACS Applied Biomaterials: 3(5): 2545-2552: 2020

6.    "Ligand Guided Selection (LIGS) with Artificially Expanded Genetic Information Systems against TCR-CD3ε”, Zumrut, H.; Yang, Z.; Williams, N.; Arizala, J. D. R.#; Batool, S.; Benner, S.; Mallikaratchy, P. R.; Biochemistry: 59(4): 552-562: 2020

7.    “The key role of G-quadruplex structures in anti-IgM aptamers-target specific recognition”, Moccia F.; Platella C.; Musumeci D.; Batool S.; Zumrut H.; Bradshaw J.; Mallikaratchy P. R.; Montesarchio D., Biochem. Biophys. Acta. General topics: 133:839-849; 2019

8.    “Integrating Ligand-receptor Interactions and In Vitro Evolution for Streamlined Discovery of Artificial Nucleic Acid Ligands” Zumrut, H.; Batool, S.; Argyropoulos, K.; Williams, N.; Azad R.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.; Mol. Therapy Nucleic Acids: 6: 17:150-163: 2019

9.    ” Synthesis of stable azide and alkyne functionalized phosphoramidite nucleosides” Lingala, S.; Nordstrøm L.U.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.; Tetrahedron Lett: 17: 60(3): 211-213: 2019

10.    " Dimerization of an aptamer generated from Ligand-guided Selection (LIGS) yields highly specific scaffold with improved affinity” Batool, S.; Argyropoulos, K.; Azad, R.; Okeoma, P.; Zumrut, H.; Dekhang, R.; Mallikaratchy, P. R.; Biochem. Biophys. Acta. General topics: 1863(1): 232-240: 2019

11.    “Engineered Aptamers to Probe Molecular Interactions on the Cell Surface” Batool, S.; Bhandari, S.; George, S.; Okeoma, P.; Van, N.; Zümrüt, H. E.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.; (Invited review) Biomedicines: 5(3): E54: 2017

12.    “Structural optimization of an aptamer generated from Ligand guided Selection (LIGS) resulted in high affinity variant toward mIgM expressed on Burkitt’s lymphoma cell lines” Zümrüt, H. E.; Batool, S.; Van, N.; George, S.; Bhandari, S.; Maio, G. E.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.; Biochem. Biophys. Acta. General topics: 1861(7): 1825: 2017

13.    “Modification of 2’-OMe RNA analogues enhances the stability of an aptamer evolved against Myeloid Leukemia cells” Maio, G. E.; Enweronye, O.; Zümrüt, H. E.; Batool, S.; Van, N.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.; ChemistrySelect: 2(7): 2335-2340: 2017

14.     “Evolution of complex target SELEX to identify aptamers against mammalian cell surface antigens” Mallikaratchy, P.R.; (Invited review); Special Topical Collection: New Frontiers in Nucleic Acid Chemistry Molecules:22(2): E215: 2017.

15.    Ligand-guided selection of aptamers against T-cell Receptor-cluster of differentiation 3 (TCR-CD3) expressed on Jurkat.E6 cells” Zümrüt, H. E.; Ara, N.; Maio, G. E.; Van, N.; Batool, S.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.; Anal. Biochem. 512: 1: 2016

16.    “Ligand-Guided Selection of Target-Specific Aptamers: A Screening Technology for Identifying Specific Aptamers Against Cell-Surface Proteins” Zümrüt, H. E.; Ara, N.; Fraile, M.; Maio, G. E.; Mallikaratchy, P.R.; Nucleic Acid Ther:  26(3): 190: 2016

17.    “A self-assembling short oligonucleotide duplex suitable for pretargeting” Mallikaratchy, P.R.; Gardner, J.; Nordstrøm, L. U. R.; Veomett, N. J.; McDevitt, M. R.; Heaney, M. L.; and Scheinberg, D. A.; Nucleic Acid Ther. 23(4): 289: 2013

The full list of publications available here:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=hCWxLbcAAAAJ&view_op=li…