Research Interests

  • Cloning, expression and characterization of recombinant proteins for therapeutic or industrial uses
  • Studying genetic diversity and Development of molecular markers for marker assisted selection in plant breeding
  • Development of detection assays for microbial pathogens
  • DNA barcoding of medicinal and endemic plant species
  • Designing PCR based methods for identification of plant/animal species
  • Biological activities of natural products, isolation and characterization of active compounds
  • Isolation and characterization of biodegradation enhancing microbes
  • Biological control and bio pesticides
  • Bioinformatics

 

Research Grants Received: As A Principal Investigator

  • NRC-05-61Genetic differentiation of Sri Lankan rice varieties and screening of wild rice species for identification and cloning of potential disease resistance genes

Research Grants Received: As Co-Investigator

  • NRC-12-037Developing herbicide resistant (HR) Sri Lankan rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties by means of seed/anther mutagenesis and developing molecular markers to identify HR rice
  • RG/2006/AG/04 Differentiation of Sri Lankan mustard (Brassica juncea) varieties using AFLP markers and altering their fatty acid profile by interspecific hybridization with Brassica napus (Canola)
  • SIDA/2006/BT/04 Structural and functional characterization of putative nuclear cell envelope like parasitic nematode specific growth factor protein from goat and sheep parasite, Setaria digitata and human filarial parasite Wucheraria bancrofti.
  • RG/2011/BT/05Development of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) microbial pesticide with enhanced and broad spectrum activity to control rice and vegetable pests
  • RG/2011/BT/06Assesment of genetic diversity and tracing the origin of weedy rice population found in rice fields of Sri Lanka
  • RG/2014/HS/03Monitoring the management response following the detection of malaria cases during the phase of malaria elimination in Sri Lanka
  • NRC-19/065Development of a colourimetric reverse transcription Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay as a cost-effective, novel surveillance tool for differential detection of dengue serotypes in Aedes mosquitoes