Vikram Poria

Vikram is a postdoctoral research associate in the Gibson lab. He is a microbiologist with over seven years of research experience in metabolomics, host–microbe interactions, and molecular interaction analysis. His work integrates experimental microbiology, molecular assays, and computational approaches to investigate how microorganisms interact with eukaryotic hosts and how these interactions can be leveraged for functional and translational applications. During his doctoral research, he focused on microbial metabolite profiling and functional characterization of bioactive compounds, linking metabolic signatures to host responses, and pathogen suppression. He has applied chromatographic and spectrometric analyses alongside bioinformatic tools to understand microbial ecological dynamics. As part of the DBT Network Programme on Anthrax Diagnosis and Control in India, he contributed to the validation of peptide- and aptamer-based diagnostic systems using molecular docking, in vitro binding assays, and nanoparticle-based detection platforms. His research interests at Stowers center on dissecting eukaryote–microbe interactions at molecular and cellular resolution, combining microscopy, functional assays, and computational modeling to understand mechanisms underlying symbiosis and host specificity. He is motivated to uncover fundamental principles governing microbe-driven biological processes.