Hari Shankar Kotturi, Ph.D.

I graduated from Clemson University in 2009 with a Ph.D. in Microbiology. My dissertation work was on using Adenoviruses in gene therapy. I started as an assistant professor at UCO soon after my graduation I am a virologist by training, and during my early career at UCO my research focused on developing drugs against liver cancer and the Hepatitis C virus. Now my lab focuses on phage therapy and potential application of bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are phages that infect host bacteria. Mycobacteriophages are viruses that infect the members of genus mycobacteria. Mycobacteriophages can potentially be used for diagnosis, typing, and control of pathogenic mycobacterial species, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae. My research focus is on isolating new bacteriophages from Oklahoma soil. My lab can isolate, characterize and sequence bacteriophages that infect genus Mycobacterium, Microbacterium, Gordonia, and Arthrobacter. Currently, we are focusing on using the bacteriophages we isolate and incorporating them into biocompatible synthetic polymers for faster wound healing and fighting drug-resistant bacteria.

Ph.D., Microbiology

Clemson University

M.Sc., Microbiology

SRTMU, Nanded, India

B.Sc., Microbiology

Avanthi College, Hyderabad, India

• BIO1114 - General Biology (non-majors)
• BIO1214 - General Biology Lab (non-majors)
• BIO2314 - Introductory Microbiology & Lab (non-majors)
• BIO3054 - Microbiology for Majors & Lab (majors)
• BIO4763 - Biology of Cancer (majors)
• BIO4414 - Virology & Lab (majors) 

• University of Central Oklahoma, The Sigma-Xi Researcher of the year award (Spring 2015)
• University of Central Oklahoma, Faculty Merit-Credit Award (2018-2019)

Patton, C.J., Kotturi, H. (2018) Genomic Sequence of Mycobacteriophage OKCentral2016. Genome Announc, 6(8).

Ali, K.A., Kotturi, H. (2018). Isolation of Four Mycobacteriophages from Oklahoma Soil and Testing Their Infectivity Against Mycobacterium abscessus. Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 98: p. 18-23.

Heidari, R., Razavi, M., Bahrololoom, M. B., Yazdimamaghani, M., Tahririe, M., Kotturi, H., & Tayebi, L. (2018). Evaluation of the mechanical properties, in vitro biodegradability and cytocompatibility of natural chitosan/hydroxyapatite/nano-Fe3O4 composite. Ceramics International, 44(1), 275-281. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2017.09.170.

Kotturi, H., Abuabed, A., Zafar, H., Sawyer, E., Pallipparambil, B., Jamadagni, H., & Khandaker, M. (2017). Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate-Polycaprolactone Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications. J Funct Biomater, 8(3). doi:10.3390/jfb8030039.

Nguyen, C. B., Kotturi, H., Waris, G., Mohammed, A., Chandrakesan, P., May, R., Ali, N. (2016). (Z)-3,5,4'-Trimethoxystilbene Limits Hepatitis C and Cancer Pathophysiology by Blocking Microtubule Dynamics and Cell-Cycle Progression. Cancer Res, 76(16), 4887-4896. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.Can-15-2722.

Heidari, F., Razavi, M., M, E. B., Bazargan-Lari, R., Vashaee, D., Kotturi, H., & Tayebi, L. (2016). Mechanical properties of natural chitosan/hydroxyapatite/magnetite nanocomposites for tissue engineering applications. Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 65, 338-344. doi:10.1016/j.msec.2016.04.039.

Yazdimamaghani, M., Razavi, M., Mozafari, M., Vashaee, D., Kotturi, H., & Tayebi, L. (2015). Biomineralization and biocompatibility studies of bone conductive scaffolds containing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). J Mater Sci Mater Med, 26(12), 274. doi:10.1007/s10856-015-5599-8.

Rad, A. T., Ali, N., Kotturi, H., Yazdimamaghani, M., Smay, J., Vashaee, D., & Tayebi, L. (2014). Conducting scaffolds for liver tissue engineering. J Biomed Mater Res A, 102(11), 4169-4181. doi:10.1002/jbm.a.35080.

Wei, Y., Li, J., & Kotturi, H. (2011). Cancer Gene Therapy via NKG2D and FAS Pathways. Targets in Gene Therapy, 31. doi:10.5772/17386.

Kotturi, H., Li, J., Branham-O'Connor, M., Yu, X., Wagner, T. E., & Wei, Y. (2010). In vitro and in vivo delivery of novel anticancer fusion protein MULT1E/FasTI via adenoviral vectors. Cancer Gene Ther, 17(3), 164-170. doi:10.1038/cgt.2009.69.

Branham-O'Connor, M., Li, J., Kotturi, H., Yu, X., Wagner, T. E., & Wei, Y. (2010). Fusion induced reversal of dendritic cell maturation: an altered expression of inflammatory chemokine and chemokine receptors in dendritomas. Oncol Rep, 23(2), 545-550.

Kotturi, H., Li, J., Branham-O'Connor, M., Stickel, S. L., Yu, X., Wagner, T. E., & Wei, Y. (2008). Tumor cells expressing a fusion protein of MULT1 and Fas are rejected in vivo by apoptosis and NK cell activation. Gene Ther, 15(19), 1302-1310. doi:10.1038/gt.2008.77.

CeDaila - https://phagesdb.org/phages/CeDaila/

Dracarys - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Dracarys/

Fulgencio - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Fulgencio/

HayHay - https://phagesdb.org/phages/HayHay/

Kimball - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Kimball/

LacusLitore - https://phagesdb.org/phages/LacusLitore/

LessIsFour - https://phagesdb.org/phages/LessIsFour/

Quakneesha - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Quakneesha/

Shema - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Shema/

Smalley - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Smalley/

Wiggledon - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Wiggledon/

Alyxandracam (Sequenced) - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Alyxandracam/

Gordoniabacteriophages Discovered and Named

Keitabear (Sequenced) - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Keitabear/

Kewpiedoll (Sequenced) - https://phagesdb.org/phages/Kewpiedoll/