Personal Information

Dr. Naveen Kumar

Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry

M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Osmania University; Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of Hyderabad; Postdoctoral training at CDFD, Hyderabad, and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health), Galveston, Texas, USA.

naveen.kumar@curaj.ac.in

9502186855
  • Infection biology
  • mRNA vaccine technology and mRNA-LNP delivery systems
  • Antibody-encoded mRNA therapeutics (prophylactic and therapeutic applications)
  • Viral immunology and host–pathogen interactions
  • Mycobacterial iron acquisition systems and microbial biochemistry
  • Fungal pathogenesis and yeast genetics
  • Animal infection models (mice and hamster models)
  • Molecular biology, protein biochemistry, confocal/super-resolution microscopy, and flow cytometry
  • Assistant Professor-Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer (December 2025 onwards).
  • Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB-Health), Galveston, Texas, USA. Worked on mRNA vaccines, small molecule HIV inhibition, and antibody therapeutics. (May 2024 to November 2025).
  • Research Associate I & II at CDFD, Hyderabad, India. Worked on Bacterial transcription termination protein Rho and bacteriophage-derived proteins. (March 2020-March 2024).
  • Research Associate at CDFD, Hyderabad, India. Worked on fungal pathogenesis of Candida glabrata (December 20217-February 2020).
  • PhD in Animal Sciences from the University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana. Thesis Title: Identification and characterization of a 21 kDa iron-regulated envelope protein in Mycobacterium smegmatis
  • CSIR - UGC NET - JRF
  • M.Sc. in Biochemistry from Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana
  • B.Sc. in Microbiology, Botany, and Chemistry from Kakatia University
  • mRNA vaccine platforms and advanced LNP formulations for improved delivery and immunogenicity
  • Antibody therapeutics and mRNA-encoded neutralizing antibodies for viral prophylaxis and therapy
  • Targeted mRNA-LNP delivery strategies for organ- and cell-specific applications
  • Molecular mechanisms of mycobacterial iron acquisition and host–pathogen interactions
  • Fungal pathogenesis with emphasis on virulence factors and secretome biology
S. No. Authors Title of Article Journal/Conference Details Journal/Conference Publication Year
1
  •   Kumar N, Hazell NC, Bei J, Nguyen T, and Hu H. PCR-generated DNA templates enable efficient, rapid, and cost-effective mRNA synthesis. Methods. 2025;243:31-9. (Invited for inclusion in the Editors’ Collection, Special Issue: YMETH).
  •  Kumar N, Ma Z, Long F, Bonam SR, Lai H-T, Wu S-Y and Hu H. Mechanistic insights and in vivo HIV suppression by the BRD4-targeting small molecule ZL0580. bioRxiv. 2025:2025.08.14.670267. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.14.670267 (Under revision in Plos Pathogens).
  •  Hazell NC, Reyna RA, Adam A, Bonam SR, Bei J, Kumar N, and Hu H. (2025) mRNA-delivered neutralizing antibodies confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 variant in the lower and upper respiratory tract. bioRxiv. 2025:2025.04.28.650951. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.28.650951 (Accepted Journal of Virology).
  •  Gjorgjevikj, D., Kumar N., Wang, B., Hilal, T., Said, N., Loll, B., Artsimovitch, I., Sen, R., and Wahl, M.C. (2025). The Psu protein of phage satellite P4 inhibits transcription termination factor ρ by forced hyper-oligomerization. Nature Communications. 16, 550.
  •  Ansari MSH, Kumar N, Jain S, Balakarthick NY, Sen R (2023). A novel nucleic acid-binding protein, Gp49, from mycobacteriophage with mycobactericidal activity has the potential to be a therapeutic agent. Int J Biol Macromol 2023;236:124025.
  •  Choudhury M, Koduru TN, Kumar N, Salimi S, Desai K, Prabhu NP, Sritharan M (2021). Iron uptake and transport by the carboxymycobactin-mycobactin siderophore machinery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is dependent on the iron-regulated protein HupB. Biometals. PMID: 33609202.
  •  Kumar N. & Sritharan, M. (2020). Role of a 21‐kDa iron‐regulated protein IrpA in the uptake of ferri‐exochelin by Mycobacterium smegmatis. J Appl Microbiol. PMID: 32472729.
  •  Rasheed, M., Kumar N., & Kaur, R. (2020). Global Secretome Characterization of the Pathogenic Yeast Candida glabrata. J  Proteome Res 19, 49–63. PMCID: PMC6947636.
  •  Sritharan, N., Choudhury, M., Sivakolundu, S., Chaurasia, R., Kumar N., Rao, P. P. & Sritharan, M. (2014). Highly immunoreactive antibodies against the rHup-F2 fragment (aa 63-161) of the iron-regulated HupB protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its potential for the serodiagnosis of extrapulmonary and recurrent tuberculosis. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 34, 33–40. PMID: 25037869. 

Attended

  • Poster presented at the International Conference on "Microbial World: Recent Innovations and Future Trends" held at KIIT University, Bhubaneshwar, India from November 22-25, 2012. Poster title: Studies on the heterogeneity of the iron-regulated protein HupB in mycobacteria.
  • Poster presented at the International Conference of 82nd Annual Meeting of Society of Biological Chemists, India on “Genomes: Mechanism and function” held at the University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India from December 2-5, 2013. Poster title: Differential expression of mycobactin, carboxymycobactin, and HupB in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis BCG.
  • Poster presented at the International UOH-AS joint workshop on “Frontiers in Life Sciences” held at the University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India from September 16-17, 2016. Poster title: Constitutive expression of the iron-regulated envelope protein (HupB) in non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. bovis BCG strains.
  • Participated in an International workshop conducted by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) on “Scientific writing and publishing” at KIIT University Bhubaneswar, Odisha Nov 22, 2012
  • Poster presented at the 2nd International Conference on “Genome Architecture and Cell Fate Regulation” held at the University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India from December 3-6, 2018. Poster title: A novel role for CgYps1 aspartyl protease in the survival of oxido-reductive stress in the pathogenic fungus Candida glabrata.
  • Poster presented at the XI International Conference on “Biology of Yeast and Filamentous Fungi” held at the University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India from November 27 -29, 2019. Poster title: Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked aspartyl proteases regulate the secretome of the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata.
  • Poster presented at UTMB HIV Symposium organised by UTMB Health, Galveston, Texas, USA on 15th October 2024. Poster title: A novel small molecule epigenetically suppressing HIV via BRD4.
  • Poster presented at CTD-SPECTRE Annual Symposium on Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases organized by UTMB Health, Galveston, Texas, USA on September 16 -19, 2025. Poster tittle: PCR-Based DNA Template Generation Enables Rapid and Efficient mRNA Vaccine Development.
  • Poster presented at GSBS Research Expo organised by GSBS UTMB-Health, Galveston, Texas, USA on 15th October 2025. Poster tittle: PCR-Based DNA Template Generation Enables Rapid and Efficient mRNA Vaccine Development.
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