Biology subjects

Mahesh, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Mahesh, S..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

A non-living, microbe-based surface coating promotes tubeworm and coral settlement

A major barrier to scaling marine restoration and aquaculture is the lack of reliable tools to induce invertebrate larvae to settle and metamorphose when and where needed. Although microbial cues are known to induce metamorphosis in many invertebrates, existing methods rely on natural biofilms that are variable, difficult to standardize, and unsuitable for large-scale deployment. Here we introduce ReefTiles, a non-living bacterial coating that preserves inductive activity from metamorphosis-stimulating marine bacteria in a stable, reproducible format. Using both tubeworm and coral larvae, we show that dried and inactivated bacterial films retain full settlement-inducing capacity, matching or exceeding live biofilms while eliminating concerns associated with releasing viable microbes into the environment. Viability assays confirm inactivation, and the coating adheres reliably to common substrate materials. Because ReefTiles can be manufactured and stored at scale and tailored to different inductive strains, they provide a practical microbe-based biotechnology for enhancing larval settlement in reef restoration, sustainable aquaculture, and engineered marine infrastructure.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2026

A large-scale crowd-sourced annotated acoustic dataset of Indian fauna

Global rates of biodiversity loss warrant conservation action and monitoring at large geographic scales. Conservation technologies such as acoustic monitoring in conjunction with deep learning now enable us to monitor wildlife simultaneously across space and time. However, for a significant proportion of biodiversity in tropical regions, we cannot yet rely on automated recognition approaches because we lack acoustic templates to robustly train deep learning algorithms. In this paper, we relied on a novel participatory approach, enlisting researchers, conservation practitioners, and nature enthusiasts to create a unique crowd-sourced, open-access dataset of acoustic annotations across taxonomic groups for biodiversity in India. Our dataset comprises 3311 minutes of strongly labelled data (bounding boxes or annotations for a species vocalization) and 2504 minutes of weakly labelled data (indicating the presence of a species within an audio file but lacking bounding boxes) for 518 species across India, spanning 25 of 36 states and union territories. We present metadata and code for data processing and highlight the strengths of a participatory approach to biodiversity monitoring.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Comparative analysis of Lysine and Arginine biosynthesis pathway in Deinococcus genomes

The members of the Deinococcaceae family have the ability to survive extreme environmental conditions. Deinococcus species have a complex cell envelope composed of L-ornithine containing peptidoglycan. Anabolism of L-ornithine is intrinsically linked to L-lysine and L-arginine biosynthetic pathways. To understand these two pathways, we analyzed the L-lysine and L-arginine pathways using 23 Deinococcus genomes, including D. indicus. We used BLAST-P based ortholog identification using D. radiodurans genes as the query. We identified some BLAST-P hits that shared the same functional annotation. We analyzed three (class I aminotransferase, acetyl-lysine deacetylase, and acetyl glutamate/acetyl aminoadipate kinase) from L-lysine biosynthesis pathway and three (bifunctional ornithine acetyltransferase or N-acetyl glutamate synthase protein, nitric oxide synthase-like protein, and Acetyl-lysine deacetylase) from L-arginine biosynthesis pathway. Two proteins showed certain structural variations. Specifically, [LysW]-lysine hydrolase proteins sequence and structure level changes indicated changes in oligomeric conformation, which could likely be a result of divergent evolution. And, bifunctional ornithine acetyltransferase or N-acetyl glutamate synthase had its active site pocket positions shifted at the structural level and we hypothesize that it may not perform at the optimal level. Thus, we were able to compare and contrast different Deinococcus species indicating some genes occurring because of divergent evolution.

bioinformatics↗

bioRxiv2018

Comparison between QST and ΦST indices in an endangered Boswellia serrata Roxb: Implications for conservation

Boswellia serrata, an economically important indigenous tree of dry deciduous forests, provides oleoresin gum of pharmaceutical significance and excellent pulp for paper industries, but faces threat to extinction due to poor natural regeneration and commercial exploitation. 240 individuals of the species representing 12 locations of its natural distribution in central India were investigated to compare the genetic differentiation indices, QST for GBH and wood fiber length and {phi}ST for neutral (RAPD+ISSR) markers. The comparison for paired locations was more informative than for metapopulation. The most paired locations were either under the stabilizing selection (QST (L) < {Phi}ST (L)) or in the genetic drift (QST(L) = {Phi}ST (L)) whereas a relatively small number of paired locations was under the divergent selection (QS T(L) > {Phi}ST (L)). The comparison for the metapopulation generating only a single trend of QST (P) > {Phi}ST (P) is, therefore, misleading. For conservation, the genetically deficit locations (QST (L) < {Phi}ST (L) and QST (L) = {Phi}ST (L)) of B. serrata warrant for reinforcement of their genetic diversity by introduction of genotypes from other genetically divergent locations (QST (L) > {Phi}ST (L)), which would check the fragmentation and genetic drift, resulting in reproductive vigour, natural regeneration and reverse the endangered status of the species.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2018

Assessment Of Genetic Structure Of The Endangered Forest Species Boswellia Serrata Roxb. Population In Central India

Boswellia serrata Roxb., a commercially important species for its pulp and pharmaceutical properties was sampled from three locations representing its natural distribution in central India for genetic characterization through 56 RAPD + 42 ISSR loci. The wood fiber dimensions measured for morphometric characterization confirmed 11.36% of the variation in the length and 8.75% of the variation in the width indicating its fitness for local adaptation. Bayesian and non-Bayesian approach based diversity measures resulted moderate within population gene diversity (0.26{+/-}0.17), Shannons information index (0.40{+/-}0.22) and panmictic heterozygosity (0.28{+/-}0.01). A high estimate for genetic differentiation measures i.e. GST (0.31), GST-B (0.33{+/-}0.02) and {theta}-II (0.45) led to the distinct clusters of the sampled genotypes representing their regional variability due to limited gene flow and total absence of natural regeneration. We report the first investigation of the species for its molecular characterization emphasizing the urgent need for the genetic improvement program for the In-situ/Ex-situ conservation and sustainable commercialization.

plant biology↗