Ojas Natarajan, PhD

Research Associate, Pediatrics, College of Medicine

Contact Info

• 600 4th St S
  CRI 3010
  St Petersburg FL 33701
• Academic Email: ojasn@usf.edu
• View My C.V. | View My Lab Site

Education

Biography

Dr. Ojas Natarajan is a scientist and educator, holding a PhD in Biological Sciences from Clemson University in 2018. Using the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, he investigated the potential of natural dietary supplements and nutraceuticals to promote healthy aging. Notably, his research unveiled the efficacy of royal jelly supplementation in enhancing C. elegans' ability to combat both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, even in old age. Additionally, he demonstrated the immune-boosting properties of royal jelly, linking these effects to Wnt signaling, a canonical developmental pathway. This work shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying innate immunity with age, offering insights into strategies for promoting healthy aging. Ojas has a solid background in Microbiology through an MSc in Microbiology from the University of Mumbai, and a B.Sc in Microbiology from the same institution. His passion from research has been cultivated since pursing Honors research in his undergraduate program. He has constantly used this understanding of microbes to further study their impact in various hosts and environments. Ojas has seamlessly integrated research and teaching throughout his career. From his roles as a Teaching Assistant at Clemson University to his tenure as a Lecturer at S.S.&L.S. Patkar College and an Adjunct faculty member at Bhavans College in Mumbai, he has consistently demonstrated a passion for sharing knowledge and nurturing future scientists. Currently serving as a Research Associate at the University of South Florida, Ojas continues to push the boundaries of scientific discovery while imparting his expertise to the next generation of researchers.

Research Interests

• Microbes are invisible parameters that contribute to all natural phenomena from aging, diseases to climate change. However, other than diseases, their roles are often overlooked. My research centers on using molecular biology and genetic engineering approaches to study roles of microbes in animal development and gut health. Because animal-microbe interactions are ubiquitous in both marine and terrestrial environments, my research has broad applications on the conservation of marine ecosystems and beyond.
• I currently use the marine invertebrate model Ciona robusta to understand how bacteriophages, viruses that are integrated in the genome of gut bacteria (lysogens) influence host colonization dynamics. I am also interested in transkingdom interactions across gut bacteria, viruses and fungi on host development and health. I am developing Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to understand host microbe interactions with clinically relevant microbes.

Awards/Honors

• New Investigator Award (USF Health - 2022)
• Outstanding Graduate in Learning Award (Clemson University - 2018)

Memberships

• Member (American Society of Microbiologists, 2018 - Present)
• Member (Florida ASM, 2023 - Present)
• Treasurer (Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association, 2016 - 2017)

Recent Publications

• Natarajan, O.; Gibboney, L.S.; Young, M.N.; Lim, S.J.; Pluta, N.; Atkinson, C.G.F. Leigh, B; Liberti, A.; Kees, E.K.; Breitbart, M.; Gralnick, J.A; Dishaw, L.J (2022) Prophages regulate Shewanella fidelis 3313 motility and biofilm formation: implications for gut colonization dynamics in Ciona robusta Biorxiv. , 2023.
• Liberti, A.; Natarajan, O.; Atkinson, C.G. F; Dishaw, L.J (2022 Secreted immunoglobulin domain effector molecules of invertebrates and management of gut microbial ecology Immunogenetics. 74: 99-109, 2022.
• Liberti, A., Leigh, B.A.; Graham, Z.; Natarajan, O.; and Dishaw, L.J A Role for Secreted Immune Effectors in Microbial Biofilm Formation Revealed by Simple In Vitro Assays. In: Rast, J., Buckley, K. (eds) Immune Receptors. Methods in Molecular Biology, Methods in Molecular Biology. 2421: 127-140, 2021.
• Liberti, A., Natarajan, O.; Atkinson. C.G.; Sordino, P.; and Dishaw, L.J. Reflections on the use of an invertebrate chordate model system for studies of gut microbial immune interactions Frontiers in Immunology. 12, 2021.
• Natarajan, O.; Angeloni, J.; Bilodeau M.; Russo K.; Dong, Y.; Cao, M. The Immunomodulatory Effects of Royal Jelly on Defending Against Bacterial Infections in the Caenorhabditis elegans Model Journal of Medicinal Food. 24(4) , 2021.
• Guha,S.*; Natarajan, O.*; Murbach, C.G.; Dinh, J.; Wilson, E.C.; Cao, M.; Zou, S.; Dong, Y. Supplement Timing of Cranberry Extract Plays a Key Role in Promoting Caenorhabditis elegans Healthspan Nutrients. 6(2) : 911-921, 2014.