Prasanna Padmanaban

Bioengineer | Computational Scientist | Science communicator

Phone:

+34 671980906

Email:

mailprasanna03@gmail.com

Google scholar:

https://bit.ly/3rcNpdz

"Open for Collaborations"

(Tissue mechanics, Microfluidics, Soft matter & AI based microscopy)

Prasanna is a EIPOD4 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Haase Lab of Dr. Kristina Haase, EMBL Barcelona. He also works in the Petridou Lab of Dr. Nicoletta Petridou, EMBL Heidelberg and Multiscale Porous Media Lab of Dr. Amir Raoof, Utrecht University.

Prasanna develops novel 3D vascularised anastomosable tissues for disease modelling and tissue engineering applications. He enjoy working at the interfaces of biofluid mechanics, microfluidics, engineering design and multiphysics based computational modeling for tissue vascularization.

Apart from research, he appreciate and participate in public speaking and science communication events (like Fame Lab, Science Cafe) to promote science to the general audience and being creative when it comes to cooking, drawing and making crafts from recycled items. As a outgoing person, he always enjoy organizing social events and very active in Twitter.

RESEARCH

Research

Hierarchically Engineered Anastomosable Tissues (HEAT)

In this project HEAT, Prasanna and team explores the influence of fluid flow dynamics on vascular development in native and engineered tissues. Understanding of flow dynamics in developing vascularized tissues helps bioengineers to utilize flows to control and fabricate functional multiscale tissues on chip. Prasanna and team employs a variety of fabrication, microscopy and biological techniques to ultimately increase the understanding of complex vascularized tissues. The project HEAT is cofunded by EMBL and Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (Grant agreement number 847543).

Previous and current research

Engineered tissues will often need to contain a organized vascular network (micro and macro vessels), to accommodate a functional connection with patient / animal (clinical testing) and / or to ensure a physiological response (drug testing). Prasanna and team has expertise in developing methodologies to spatially control the organization of vascular cells and their microenvironment within tissue analogues. Particularly, Prasanna has developed engineering platforms to investigate the effect of mechanical perturbations on native and engineered vascularised tissues. These platforms provide us with valuable information that can be translated to an in vitro tissue engineering setting.

Future projects and goals

Prasanna is interested in developing strategies to vascularize controllable micro and macro tissues

Specific projects

Computational modelling main aim is to model multiscale blood vessels and compute heterogenous velocities and shear stress patterns within these blood vessels. Prasanna is developing various computational strategies to model different biological processes such as vasculature and bone development & remodeling within multiple model systems. Currently he is intend to combine computational fluid dynamics model with machine learning tools to optimize his microfluidic tissue chips platform.

Cellular Potts model showing

angiogenesis simulation

Voronoi based biomimetic

cancellous bone scaffold

Computational Fluid Dynamics COMSOL simulation showing heterogenous flow profile within

in vitro blood vessels

Pore flow model showing pressure distribution within 3D hierarchical blood vessels

Bioengineering one aim is to vascularize scalable micro tissues to develop physiological drug screening platforms. By applying pressure-induced flows across the microfluidic chips, he intend to create micro and macro vessels. Fusing these micro and macro vessels, he will be able to engineer an anastomosable tissue, that can be further use for preclinical applications.

Microfluidics integration within developing chick embryo

3D printing of sacrificial blood

vessel like structures

Perfusable in vitro micro vessels-on-chip

Vascular imaging one focus will be to capture developing vasculature (micro and macro vessels) within various model systems such as chick embryos, zebrafish and microfluidic tissue chips. Morphology (structure) and blood flow perfusion (function) during different developmental stages will be assessed using multiple imaging techniques. Prasanna is developing both ex ovo and in vitro platforms to monitor and improve the understanding of vascular changes in health and disease conditions.

Laser speckle contrast imaging of developing chick embryo showing perfusion within blood vessels

Side stream dark field imaging of developing chick blood vessels showing erythrocytes movements

EXPERIENCE

2022-Present

Postdoctoral Fellow|EIPOD Marie-Curie

EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY, BARCELONA - HEIDELBERG

I work on a self-designed multidisciplinary project "HEAT" in the lab of Dr. Kristina Haase, partnering with Dr. Nicoletta Petridou and Dr. Amir Raoof. In a nutshell, the project HEAT explores the possibilities of engineering, tissue-specific vascularized microtissues for clinical testing. More details will be updated soon in a separate link...

2019-2019

Visiting Researcher

LEIDEN UNIVERSITY, LEIDEN,

THE NETHERLANDS

As a part of PhD mobility, I visited the Professor Roeland Merks group and trained with the cellular Potts model. This experience allows me to develop a framework to couple Multiphysics models involving chemical gradients (growth factors), matrix degradation, and fluid flow with cellular potts model. Also I initiated a new collaboration between Leiden University and Twente University.

2017-2017

Master Thesis

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY AND GENETICS, DRESDEN, GERMANY

Under the supervision of Dr. Moritz Kreysing, I worked on spatial fractionation of RNA in an inhomogeneous temperature gradient. This project deals with origin of life experiments combined with computer simulations and wet lab techniques. As a part of my Master's thesis, I developed a prototype that can generate microscale temperature gradients within a glass capillary. Using this prototype we could fractionate biomolecules such as DNA, RNA.

2016-2017

Research Internship

Erasmus Trainee Scholarship

UCB PHARMA, Braine-l'Alleud, BELGIUM

As a part of my Master's mobility, I worked at UCB on cell culture optimization and bioreactor systems for monoclonal antibody production. In particular, I studied the efficiency and functionality of CHO cells over long-term passages. Also compared the cells functionality between multiple culture systems of varying scales such as T-flasks, mini-bioreactor, 1L, 10L and 200L. For this work, I received "Focused Recognition Award"for enabling my team to make data-driven decision on the cell line assessment study.

2016-2016

Research Internship

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY AND GENETICS, DRESDEN, GERMANY

Under the supervision of Dr. Moritz Kreysing, I worked on modeling and simulation of microscale thermophoresis and microfluidics gradient generators for biological applications. Later I extended this work, to my Master's thesis assignment.

2015-2016

Scientific Research Assistant

Part Time

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR THE SCIENCE OF LIGHT, ERLANGEN

Under the supervision of Professor Philip Russell, I worked on nanoelectrodes fabrication, where I selectively fill the gold and aluminum metals inside the hollow-core photonic crystal fibers. Later I extended this work, as a part of the mini - thesis for which I integrated microfluidics and photonic crystal fibers for biosensing and particle guidance applications. Also, I presented this work at the International symposium, which gave me the "Best Scientific Poster Award".

2013-2014

Design Engineer R&D

SOCIETY FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED RESEARCH (SITAR), BENGALURU

During my time at SITAR, I developed Lab-on-chip devices for medical applications and biowarfare agent detection. Also I received expert training with COMSOL Multiphysics software.

2012-2013

Sales Engineer Trainee

THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, BENGALURU

I take care of pre-sales activities of liquid handling consumables mainly single-channel, multichannel pipettes (both manual and electronic).

2011-2011

Bachelor Thesis Internship

CLINIGENE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, BENGALURU

For my bachelor's thesis assignment, I worked on the quantification of Ibuprofen in human plasma samples by the HPLC method. During my time there, I also participated in "mock audits" of FDA assessment.

EDUCATION

2018-2022

Doctorate Degree

Ph.D

UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE, ENSCHEDE,

THE NETHERLANDS

Topic: "Engineering tools to study and tune the vascular organization".

Mechanical signals have a strong effect on vascular development and organization. However, there exists no proper tool to study their influence on vascular organization. Under the supervision of Dr. Jeroen Rouwkema, I am working towards creating efficient engineering tools to probe, perturb and predict the evolution of vascular networks in invivo, invitro and insilico models.

2014-2018

Master's Degree

MSc.Hons

FRIEDRICH ALEXANDER UNIERSITY

ERLANGEN-NUREMBERG, GERMANY

I studied Elite Master's Program "Advanced Materials and Processes" focusing on biomaterials and advanced processes as specialization. This study program allows me to gain fundamental knowledge about biophysics and materials design for biological applications. Moreover, coolest thing during this study program, I had a good chance to talk with students from multidisciplinary and multicultural backgrounds which pay out in many collaborative projects.

2007-2011

Bachelor's Degree

B.Tech

ANNA UNIVERSITY, INDIA

I studied Biotechnology in "Adhiyamaan College of Engineering" focusing on molecular cell biology and bioprocesses as specialization. This study program allows me to gain basic knowledge about cell biology and bioreactor operations. Moreover, this study program provide me a chance to work in various research institutions and biopharmaceutical industry.

2009-2010

Post Graduate Diploma

PGDNBT

LIFE SCIENCE FOUNDATION, INDIA

I studied a PGDBT course via online focuses on nanotechnology. This study program allows me to gain basic knowledge about nanobiotechnology concepts and their applications.