Faculty Profile - University of Houston
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Faculty Profile

Madhan TirumalaiMadhan Tirumalai

Research Assistant Professor
Department of Biology and Biochemistry

Office: Houston Science Center, 421
Contact: mrtirum2@central.uh.edu - 713-743-8365

Comparative genomics, RNA, Ribosomes, Molecular evolution.

Journal Publications

  • Tirumalai M. R., Anane-Bediakoh D., Rajesh S., and Fox G. E. (2021), Net charges of the ribosomal proteins of the S10 and spc clusters of halophiles are inversely related to the degree of halotolerance. Microb Spectr. 9(3):e0178221, (https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01782-21); PMID: 34908470; PMCID: PMC8672879.
  • Tirumalai M. R., Rivas M., Tran Q., and Fox G. E. (2021), The Peptidyl Transferase Center: a Window to the Past. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. Nov 10;85(4):e0010421, (https://doi.org/10.1128/MMBR.00104-21); PMID: 34756086; PMCID: PMC8579967.
  • Tirumalai M. R., Kaelber J. T., Park D. R., Tran Q., and Fox G. E. (2020), Cryo-electron microscopy visualization of a large insertion in the 5S ribosomal RNA of the extremely halophilic archaeon Halococcus morrhuae. FEBS Open Bio, 10: 1938-1946, (https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.12962); PMID: 32865340, PMCID:PMC7530397.
  • Camprubí E., de Leeuw J. W., House C. H., Raulin F., Russell M. J., Spang A., Tirumalai M. R., and Westall F. (2019), The Emergence of Life. Space Science Reviews, 215: 56, (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0624-8). Contribution: Section “The RNA world – Reality or dogma?
  • Tirumalai M. R., Karouia F., Tran Q., Stepanov V. G., Bruce R. J., Ott C. M., Pierson D. L., and Fox G. E. (2019), Evaluation of Acquired Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli Exposed to Long-Term Low-Shear Modeled Microgravity and Background Antibiotic Exposure. mBio, 10: e02637-18 (https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02637-18); PMID:30647159, PMCID:PMC6336426.
  • Tirumalai M. R., Stepanov V. G., Wunsche A., Montazari S., Gonzalez R. O., Venkateswaran K., and Fox G. E. (2018), Bacillus safensis FO-36b and Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032: a whole genome comparison of two spacecraft assembly facility isolates. BMC Microbiology, 18: 57 (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-018-1191-y); PMID:29884123, PMCID: PMC5994023.
  • Tirumalai M. R., Tran Q., Paci M., Chavan D., Marathe A., and Fox G. E. (2018), Exploration of RNA Sequence Space in the Absence of a Replicase. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 86: 264-276 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-018-9846-8); PMID: 29748740.
  • Tirumalai M. R., Karouia F., Tran Q., Stepanov V. G., Bruce R. J., Ott C. M., Pierson D. L., and Fox G. E. (2017), The adaptation of Escherichia coli cells grown in simulated microgravity for an extended period is both phenotypic and genomic. npj Microgravity, 3(15) (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-017-0020-1); PMID:28649637, PMCID: PMC5460176.
  • Tirumalai M. R., Rastogi R., Zamani N., O'Bryant Williams E., Allen S., Diouf F., Kwende S., Weinstock G. M., Venkateswaran K. J., and Fox G. E. (2013), Candidate genes that may be responsible for the unusual resistances exhibited by Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 spores. PLoS One, 8(6): e66012, (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066012); PMID: 23799069, PMCID: PMC3682946.
  • Tirumalai M. R., and Fox G. E. (2013) An ICEBs1-like element may be associated with the extreme radiation and desiccation resistance of Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 spores. Extremophiles, 17(5): 767-774 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-013-0559-z); PMID: 23812891.

Book Contribution

  • Camprubí E., de Leeuw J., House C., Raulin F., Russell M., Spang A., Tirumalai M. R., and Westall F. (2021) "Emergence of Life". In: Ocean Worlds: Habitability in the Outer Solar System and Beyond. edited by A Coustenis, Rodrigo, R., Spohn, T., Hand, K.P., Hayes, A., Olsson-Francis, K., Postberg, F., Sotin, C., Tobie, G., Raulin, F., Walter, N., L’Haridon, Js, Springer, Heidelberg, pp 29-82. Springer, Heidelberg, (Space Sciences Series of ISSI), Series Volume 77, Springer Netherlands (Hardcover ISBN 978-94-024-2069-2) (https://www.springer.com/us/book/9789402420692, http://www.issibern.ch/publications), Contribution: Section “The RNA world – Reality or dogma?”