Sharavana received his master’s degree in biotechnology in 2022 from the University of Mysore, India, supported by funding from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. As part of his master’s research, he worked at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology under the supervision of Dr. Krishnananda Chattopadhyay, where he investigated the liquid-liquid phase separation of α-synuclein inside yeast cells using various biophysical techniques.

Following this, he joined the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology as a Junior Research Fellow in Dr. Mahendran’s lab, where he employed high-resolution single-channel electrophysiology to quantitatively investigate nutrient and antibiotic permeation through outer membrane porins in pathogenic bacteria. These experiences deepened his interest in applying quantitative and single-molecule approaches to study complex biomolecular systems.

In February 2025, Sharavana began his PhD under the supervision of Professor Mark Wallace, focusing on the de novo design of nanopores. His research combines advanced deep learning tools with synthetic chemistry to engineer nanopores for single-molecule sensing. These sophisticated structures have potential applications in synthetic biology, particularly in mimicking complex cellular signalling processes.

Thesis Title:

Rational design of semi-synthetic de novo protein nanopores for single molecule sensing.

Research Interests:

• De novo protein design
• Protein nanopores as sensors
• Membrane protein purification
• Single-channel electrophysiology
• Synthetic Biology

PhD Supervisors: 

First Supervisor: Professor Mark Wallace

Second Supervisor: Dr Manuel Müller