Dr Ankit Sudhir

Ph.D, M.Sc., B.Sc, PGDBLP

Email: ankit.sudhir@gsfcuniversity.ac.in

Dr. Ankit Sudhir is a proficient researcher and his research interests are in Protein characterization and engineering. He focuses on industrially important enzymes to overcome the issues of enzyme catalysis and applications. As many enzymes have been recognized to have crucial role in medicine, diagnostics, waste management, waste water treatment. etc enhancing the catalytic properties and stability of these enzymes increases their applications and shelf-life in industries which is actually the need of the hour. Using PCR based site directed mutagenesis method, he has successfully engineered L-asparaginase enzyme from B. licheniformis. His doctoral studies focused on “Cloning, expression, characterization and genetic modification of L-asparaginase from Bacillus licheniformis.” He was able to enhance the catalytic activity of this enzyme and reduced the side effects of this therapeutic agent against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Apart from L-asparaginase, Dr. Sudhir has successfully engineered Xylanase enzyme from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens to check the effect of substitutions of amino acid residues at its substrate binding site. During his doctoral studies he was also awarded Project Fellowship in a University Grants Commission (UGC) major project entitled “Screening and Identification of a SSR marker linked to resistance against Fusarium wilt in tomato”. He has Attained 3rd Place in Gujarat (State level) graduate student Poster and oral presentation in GUJCOST sponsored Science Manthan, held at CHARUSAT, Changa. During the course of Ph.D in order to isolate potential microbial source for industrially important enzyme, Dr. Sudhir has honed skills on molecular identification (16s rDNA based) of micro-organisms and has many GeneBank submissions to his credit.

Dr. Sudhir has worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Marine Bioresource Centre (MBRC), GSBTM, Jamnagar, where he explored various microbial resources for economically important enzymes. As a Project Investigator, he led two projects entitled:
i) Isolation of L-asparaginase (with low or no glutaminase) producing microorganisms from various sites of Gulf of Kachchh: Characterization of L-asparaginase from a potential isolate.
ii) Isolation of phytase producing microorganisms and characterization of phytase from a potential isolate.
Dr. Sudhir has a teaching experience of more than 6 years at GSFC University wherein he also has served as Programme coordinator of B.Sc. Biological Sciences, Life science Department. He actively involved in establishing instrumentation facilities of Microbiology and Molecular biology laboratories at GSFC University.
Dr. Sudhir has attended various state and national level faculty development programmes in order to remain updated and develop new teaching pedagogies. He teaches General microbiology, Recombinant DNA Technology, Bioprocess Technology and Genomics and Proteomics to under graduate students of B.Sc. Biotechnology Programme. He also teaches subjects like Microbiology, Emerging technologies, Genomics and Proteomics in Post graduate programmes of M.Sc. Biotechnology and Microbiology. Dr. Sudhir has publications in the journals of national and international repute with good impact factor.

He has done training on “Laboratory Quality Management System and Internal Audit as per ISO/IEC 17025:2017”and currently is a part of a Technical team for NABL accredited Laboratory at GSFCU for drinking water analysis. Dr. Sudhir is open to Academic, Industrial and consultancy projects in the thrust areas of Biotechnology and to troubleshoot processes in Biotechnology/Microbiology industries. Recently he has completed consultancy project on “Bioconversion of an API molecule by Bioenzyme”.

Post Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology Law and Policy, Gujarat National Law University, 2024, 75.5%

Ph.D. in Biotechnology, B.R.D School of Biosciences, Sardar Patel University, 2015

M.Sc. in Biotechnology, B.R.D School of Biosciences, Sardar Patel University, 2009 – 58.4 %

B.Sc. Biotechnology, AMCOST, Sardar Patel University, 2007 - 71%

Protein engineering, Enzyme technology and microbial biotechnology.

Udawant, T.; Thorat, P.; Thapa, P.; Patel, M.; Shekhawat, S.; Patel, R.; Sudhir, A.P; Hudka, O.; Pulidindi, I.N.; Deokar, A. Antibacterial Activity of Silver-Modified CuO Nanoparticle-Coated Masks. Bioengineering 2024, 11,1234. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11121234

Prajapati A. S., Pawar V. A., Panchal K J, Sudhir A. P., Bhaumik R. Dave, Patel D.H. and Subramanian R. B. (2018) Effects of substrate binding site residue substitutions of xynA from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on substrate specificity. BMC Biotechnology 18 (9)

Sudhir A.P., Agarwaal V.V., Dave B.R., Patel D.H. and Subramanian R.B. (2016) Enhanced catalysis of L-asparaginase from Bacillus licheniformis by a rational redesign. Enzyme and microbial technology, 86: 1-6

Dave B., Sudhir A.P. and Subramanian R.B. (2015) Purification and properties of an endoglucanase from Thermoascus aurantiacus. Biotechnology Reports 6: 85-90

Dave B., Parmar P., Sudhir A.P., Panchal K. and Subramanian R.B. (2015) Optimization of process parameters for cellulase production by Bacillus licheniformis MTCC 429 using RSM and molecular characterization of cellulase gene. Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques. 5(3): 1-9.

Pandya U., Sudhir A.P., Gohel H., Subramanian R.B. and Saraf M. (2014) Zymographic identification and biochemical characterization of chitinase against phytofungal pathogens. Journal of microbiology, biotechnology and food sciences. 4 (1): 44-47.

Sudhir A.P., Dave B.R., Prajapati A., Panchal K., Patel D. and Subramanian R.B. (2014) Characterization of a recombinant glutaminase free L-Asparaginase (ansA3) enzyme with high catalytic activity from Bacillus licheniformis. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 174 (7): 2504-2515.

Dave B.R., Parmar P., Sudhir A.P., Singal N, Subramanian R.B. (2014) Cellulases production under solid state fermentation using agro waste as a substrate and its application in saccharification by Trametes hirsuta NCIM. Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, 4 (3): 203-208.

Parmar P., Dave B.R., Sudhir A.P., Panchal K. and Subramanian R.B. (2014) Modified and simple method for isolation of genomic DNA from fungal culture. African journal of microbial research, 8 (22): 2261-2263. ISSN 1996-0808.

Parmar P., Dave B.R., Sudhir A.P., Panchal K. and Subramanian R.B. (2013) Physiological, biochemical and molecular response of plants against heavy metal stress. International Journal of Current Research, 5 (1): 80-89. ISSN: 0975-833X

Parmar P., Sudhir A.P., R. Preethi, Dave B.R., Panchal K., Subramanian R.B., Patel A. and Kathiria K.B. (2013) Identification of SSR marker (tom 144) linked to fusarium wilt resistance in solanum lycopersici. American Journal of Molecular Biology. 3(4): 241- 247. ISSN 2161-6620

Dave B.R., Sudhir A. P., Parmar P., Pathak S., Raykundaliya D.P. and Subramanian R.B. (2013) Enhancement of cellulase activity by a new strain of Thermoascus aurantiacus: Optimisation by statistical design response surface methodology, Biocatalysis and agricultural biotechnology, 2(2): 108–115 , ISSN: 1878-8181

Dave B.R., Sudhir A. P., Pansuriya M., Raykundaliya D. and Subramanian R.B. (2012) Utilization of Jatropha deoiled seed cake for production of cellulases under solid-state fermentation, Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 35 (8) 1343-1353. ISSN: 1615- 7591

Sudhir A.P., Dave B.R., Trivedi K. A. and Subramanian R.B. (2012) Production and amplification of an l-asparaginase gene from actinomycete isolate Streptomyces ABR2, Annals of microbiology, 62: 1609-1614

He teaches General microbiology, Recombinant DNA Technology, Bioprocess Technology and Genomics and Proteomics to under graduate students of B.Sc. Biotechnology Programme. He also teaches subjects like Microbiology, Emerging technologies, Genomics and Proteomics in Post graduate programmes of M.Sc. Biotechnology and Microbiology. He has guided many students at undergraduate level for making working models and their research work. He has guided students of post graduate programme for their dissertation, a six months’ research programme for the partial fulfilment of their master’s degree. He also supervises Ph.D. students in Microbiology and Biotechnology.

He has accomplished a consultancy project entitled “Bioconversion of an API molecule by Bioenzyme”

He has also received institutional seed fund for a project,"Microbial Analysis of Biogas Plant at GSFC Ltd."

He has worked as a Faculty mentor in a Students Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP), Gujarat project where he has mentored students for the development of bio fertilizers and bio pigments.

Received "Team Excellence Award-2024" for working in a team for NABL accreditation of Drinking Water Analysis Laboratory, GSFCU.

3rd Place in Gujarat (State level) graduate student Poster and oral presentation in GUJCOST sponsored Science Manthan, held at CHARUSAT, Changa. (2014)

Project fellow in a UGC sponsored project, "Screening and Identification of a SSR marker linked to resistance against Fusarium wilt in tomato".