Research Areas & Focus

Experimental biology, plant-derived compounds, and computational science

🎓 Flagship Research

MS Thesis Research

My flagship MS thesis research contribution — an integrated computational and experimental in vivo investigation.

2024–2026

In silico and in vivo study of antioxidant activity of phytochemicals from Houttuynia cordata, a perennial herb using molecular docking and Caenorhabditis elegans model

Supervisors Dr. Dwaipayan Sikdar & Dr. Suman Mojumder
Molecular Docking C. elegans Model Houttuynia cordata Phytochemicals In Silico & In Vivo

This MS thesis investigates the antioxidant activity and therapeutic mechanisms of phytochemicals from Houttuynia cordata, a perennial medicinal herb. The study integrates computational molecular docking to screen and evaluate key phytochemical constituents against oxidative stress-associated biological targets, coupled with a comprehensive in vivo experimental battery in the Caenorhabditis elegans model system — including 37 °C thermal stress survival assays across different hours, thrashing assays for locomotion movement and motility analysis, solid-media lifespan curves, and brood size / progeny assays for reproductive safety and toxicity evaluation.

MS Thesis — University of Chittagong
Caenorhabditis elegans thrashing assay analyzing locomotion and motility under plant extract treatment
Fig. 1. Thrashing assay for analyzing locomotion movement of Caenorhabditis elegans treated with plant extract samples at different concentrations.
Defending MS Thesis research presentation before academic faculty at the University of Chittagong
Fig. 2. MS Thesis defense presentation on Houttuynia cordata phytochemicals, docking & C. elegans model.

Research Overview

My research primarily focuses on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model organism to study the effects of plant-derived compounds and synthetic molecules. Through interdisciplinary approaches combining experimental biology with computational methods, I aim to advance our understanding of biological systems and develop innovative therapeutic strategies.

Research Areas

C. elegans Research

Plant-Derived Extracts and Synthetic Compounds

Laboratory of Applied Bioscience, University of Chittagong

At the Laboratory of Applied Bioscience, my work focuses on utilizing Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as an in vivo model organism to assess the bioactivity, antioxidant efficacy, and safety profile of plant-derived extracts and synthetic compounds. Our experimental methodologies include 37 °C thermal stress survival assays across different hourly timepoints to quantify thermotolerance, liquid thrashing assays to assess locomotion movement and neuromuscular motility dynamics, solid-media lifespan determination, and brood size / progeny assays to monitor reproductive fecundity and toxicity effects.

Caenorhabditis elegans under fluorescent microscope
Fig. 1. Caenorhabditis elegans visualized under fluorescent microscope for in vivo cellular imaging

Nutritional Research

Antioxidant Profiling of Plant-Derived Samples

Laboratory of Food Science and Nutraceutical, University of Chittagong

At the Laboratory of Food Science and Nutraceutical, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, our work focuses on analyzing the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of various plant samples, including seaweeds and dates. We assess proximate composition (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, ash, moisture), elements (C, H, N, S, P), and minerals (K, Ca, Mg, Fe) to determine their nutritional value.

Fig. 2. Experimental workflow for phytochemical extraction and comprehensive biochemical analysis of plant-derived samples

Bioinformatics Research

Drug Discovery, Vaccine Design, and Pan-Cancer Analysis

BioPC - A Bioinformatics Lab of Research and Training

At BioPC - A Bioinformatics Lab of Research and Training, our research utilizes computational and systems biology approaches to accelerate drug discovery, optimize vaccine design.

Fig. 3. 3D visualization of protein-ligand binding interactions via molecular docking

Research Projects & Initiatives

C. elegans In Vivo Model Studies

Investigating plant-derived extracts and natural phytochemicals using C. elegans in vivo phenotypic assays — including 37 °C thermal survival assays across hourly intervals, thrashing locomotion motility tracking, solid-media lifespan curves, and brood size / progeny toxicity screening.

Thesis: In silico and in vivo study of antioxidant activity of phytochemicals from Houttuynia cordata, a perennial herb using molecular docking and Caenorhabditis elegans model (Completed MS Thesis).

✓ Completed (Thesis) Applied Bioscience Lab

Antiviral CADD: Marburg Virus VP40

Multi-level computational drug discovery evaluating Ocimum basilicum (Sweet Basil) phytochemicals as potent inhibitors of the Marburg virus VP40 matrix protein via molecular docking, binding stability, and ADMET profiling.

📝 Submitted Manuscript BioPC Lab

Academic AI Psychometrics (AAIUDS)

Development and psychometric validation of the Academic AI Usage and Dependency Scale (AAIUDS) to quantify generative AI adoption patterns, behavioral trends, and dependency dimensions among academic researchers and university students.

📝 Submitted Manuscript BioPC Lab

Multi-Epitope Monkeypox (MPXV) Vaccine

Membrane-proteome-guided immunoinformatics design of a multi-epitope vaccine construct demonstrating stable TLR3-binding affinity, structural integrity, and broad-spectrum immunogenic stability across circulating MPXV clades.

📝 Submitted Manuscript BioPC Lab

Nutraceutical & Antioxidant Analysis

Analyzing the proximate composition, elemental/mineral content, and multi-assay radical scavenging properties of seaweeds and dates in collaboration with the Food Science and Nutraceutical Laboratory.

🔬 Ongoing Food Science Lab

Research Methods & Techniques

Experimental Biology

  • C. elegans culture and maintenance
  • Heat stress assays
  • Chemical stress assays
  • Antihelmentic assays
  • PCR and gene expression analysis
  • Nutritional profiling
  • Antioxidant activity assays

Computational Biology

  • Molecular docking simulations
  • Protein structure prediction
  • ADMET analysis
  • Immunoinformatics for vaccine design

Data Analysis

  • Statistical analysis
  • Bioinformatics tools
  • Data visualization
  • Scientific computing

Research Interests

Phytomedicine Natural Products Drug Discovery Vaccine Design Cancer Bioinformatics Model Organisms Antioxidant Biology Molecular Docking ADMET Prediction Network Pharmacology GC-MS Profiling
🧮 Toolkit

Tools & Software I Use

A curated set of computational and bioinformatics tools powering my research workflows.

AutoDock Vina
PyRx
SwissADME
Discovery Studio
AlphaFold
Python
R
BLAST
Cytoscape
ImageJ
🤝 Collaborations

Collaboration & Labs

Research organizations and laboratories where I actively collaborate and conduct research.

Laboratory of Applied Biosciences University of Chittagong
Laboratory of Food Science & Nutraceutical University of Chittagong
BioPC — Bioinformatics Lab of Research & Training Independent Research Lab