Carilion's Basic Science Research Lab

Basic Science Lab

The mission of Carilion’s Basic Science Research Lab (BSRL) is to create an environment that promotes the success of our researchers.

Most of the bench research in the BSRL belongs to two main focal areas: antimicrobial resistance and biofilms. We increasingly employ a One Health perspective. Dr. Jayasimha Rao is our senior researcher. Dr. Mark Frazier develops, conducts and assists with research. Dr. Ellie Nowak, Infectious Diseases physician, provides critical research capabilities and insights. Our lab works with Carilion Clinical Research staff, Carilion physicians and staff, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine students, Radford University Carilion faculty and students, Governor’s School students, and others.

Current projects include

• One Health: Evaluating antimicrobial resistance gene patterns in canine and human urine E. coli, Development of a canine model of recurrent uropathogenic E. coli infection for evaluation of a novel biologic therapeutic
• Designing Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) to reduce the occurrence of catheter-associated biofilms
• Using histotripsy to disrupt and prevent biofilm formation in catheters; translational research with bedside applications
• Local Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Pilot to determine presence and usefulness of microbial and antimicrobial targets significant to local public health
• Analysis of Acinetobacter isolates for antimicrobial resistance gene targets
• Investigation of Gram positive bacteria for biofilm formation and using natural enzymes and PNAs to affect formation
• Gut-Brain connection in C. difficile infections in the elderly
• Analyzing serum samples for neurovascular makers of traumatic brain injury
• Analyzing serum samples for vascular markers of stroke
• Maintaining Carilion-VT shared Neurosurgery Biorepository
• Processing blood and body fluids for clinical research

Projects under development include but are not limited to

• Evaluation of phage target in Providentia
• Phages in local waterways
• Projects with VTCSOM students

1. Development of a field-based rapid test for Mycobacterium species
2. Using novel focused ultrasound device for DNA extraction
3. Using phone-based interface to evaluate patient and environmental multidrug resistance data
4. Employing AI to detect multidrug resistant genes
5. Addressing biofilm formation in ventriculoperitoneal shunts
6. Investigation of Staphylococcus mediated biofilms to determine effective means of disruption

2024 Posters Presented 

1. Lauren Luther, Kathleen Linsenman, Kaylin Young, Troy Stallard, Lia W. Lehrer, BS, Nihita Kamireddy, Susan A. Tolliver, MBA, MT(ASCP)., Sara Reed Houser, MS., Jayasimha Rao, PhD, MVPHA, FVPHA. (2024) Pilot study utilizing wastewater-based epidemiology to determine presence of gram-negative enterobacterial targets in Southwest Virginia sewersheds [Poster presentation]. Carilion Research Day, Roanoke, VA.
2. Stevens, J. M., East, B. H., Frazier, M. W., Rogers, R. L., Lehrer, L. W., Tolliver, S. A., & Rao, J. (2024, October 11). Analysis of Community Wastewater Samples for the Presence of Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Targets [Poster presentation]. American Society for Microbiology Virginia Branch Meeting, Blacksburg, VA.
3. Lehrer, L., W., Linsenman, K., Stallard, T., Luther, L., Young, K., Kamireddy, N., Rogers, R. L., Tolliver, S., Reed Houser, S., & Rao, J. (2024, October 15). Pilot Study Utilizing Wastewater-Based Epidemiology to Determine Presence of Gram-Negative Enterobacterial Targets in Southwest Virginia Sewersheds [Poster presentation]. Infectious Diseases Society of America Conference, Los Angeles, CA.
4. Hannah Karp, Elizabeth Nowak, Gillian Su, Nihan Akguc, Michael Schulz, Nammalwar Sriranganathan, Jayasimha Rao. (2024, October 15). Novel Antisense Wide-Ragne Peptide Nucleic Acids Coated on Polystyrene Plates to Prevent Bacterial Biofilm. [Poster presentation]. Infectious Diseases Society of America Conference, Los Angeles, CA.
5. Gillian Su, Hannah Karp, Jayasimha Rao, Elizabeth Nowak, Nammalwar Sriranganathan, Michael Schulz. (2024, October 15). Gentamicin-Releasing Urinary Catheter for Preventing Catheter-Related Infections. [Poster presentation]. Infectious Diseases Society of America Conference, Los Angeles, CA.
6. Reed Houser, S., Rogers, R. L., Stevens, J., Lehrer, L. W., Tolliver, S., & Rao, J. (2024, September 19). Pilot Study Utilizing Wastewater-Based Epidemiology in Southwest Virginia Sewersheds [Oral presentation]. Virginia Public Health Association Conference, Richmond, VA.

Recent Publications

1. Sahanapriya Gubbewad, Jayashima Rao, Meenakshi S Devarmani, Sujatha Ingin Shetty, Chandrakanth Kelmani R. Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis: Assessment of sociodemographic characteristics among the reproductive age women. Indian Journal of Applied and Pure Biology. Accepted for the publication in Volume 40 number 02, May 2025 (IJAPB).
2. Lia Willow Lehrer, Anna Marie Lewis, Susan Tolliver, Marcia Degen, Rekha Singh, Sara Houser, Jayasimha Rao. An Evaluation of a New Rapid qPCR Test for the Detection of 2019-Novel Coronavirus Nucleocapsid (N1) Gene in Wastewater in Roanoke and Salem VA Sewersheds. Journal of Water and Health (2024) 22 (8): 1419–1428, doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.085.
3. Peter Vikesland, Ayella Maile-Moskowitz, Connor Brown, Monjura Rumi, Nazifa Moumi, Haniyyah Majeed, Carla Finkielstein, Alessandro Ceci, Raul Gonzalez, Kang Xia, Lauren McDaniel, Anthony Baffoe-Bonnie, Jayasimha Rao, Liqing Zhang, Amy Pruden. Can Wastewater-based Surveillance Relate Antimicrobial Use to Resistance Patterns? Metagenomic Analysis of Two Neighboring Treatment Plants, 31 May 2024, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4420801/v1]
4. Binuk Samarasinghe, Kaung Lin, Christopher Blankenship, Thomas Ausburne, Kathleen Linesman, Jayasimha Rao, and Chet Bhatta. (2023). The absence of nosemosis in eastern bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) from regions of Roanoke and New River Valley. Banisteria, the natural history of Virginia. 57: 127–136. https://virginianaturalhistorysociety.com/2023/07/11/number-57-2023/.
5. Ryan Morse, Christopher Childers, Elizabeth Nowak, Jayasimha Rao and Eli Vlaisavljevich. Catheter-Based Medical Device Biofilm Ablation Using Histotripsy: A Parameter Study.  Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 2023-09-01, Volume 49, Issue 9, Pages 2152-2159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.06.010
6. Jayasimha Rao, Nicholas K. Stornelli, Nathan A. Everson, Lauren F. McDaniel, Mariana Gomez De La Espriella, Jason R. Faulhaber, S. Michelle Todd, Kevin K. Lahmers, and Roderick V. Jensen. (2022). Complete Genome Sequence of Providencia stuartii CMC-4104, isolated from a human splenic abscess, containing multiple copies of NDM-1 and PER-1 carbapenem resistance genes. Microbiol Resour Announc. Aug 4;e0051422. https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00514-22. Infectious Diseases, Carilion Clinic and the Fralin Life Science Institute, VT, and FDA CVM Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program Infrastructure Grant

2024 - Abstracts Accepted for National Conferences

1. Hannah Karp, Elizabeth Nowak, Gillian Su, Nihan Akguc Col, Michael Schulz, Nammalwar Sriranganathan, and Jayasimha Rao. Novel Antisense Wide-Range Peptide Nucleic Acids Coated on Polystyrene Plates to Prevent Bacterial Biofilm.  IDWeek 2024, October 16-19, 2024, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. Poster Session Title: Novel Agents. Friday October 18, 2024 Time: 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM Pacific Time Location: Hall J & K. Submission ID: 1804748
2. Gillian Su, Hannah Karp, Michael Schulz, Jayasimha Rao, Elizabeth Nowak, Nammalwar Sriranganathan, Gentamicin-releasing polydopamine catheter coating to prevent urinary catheter-related infections. IDWeek 2024, October 16-19, 2024, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. Poster Session Title: Novel Agents. Friday October 18, 2024, Time:  12:15 PM - 1:30 PM Pacific Time and Location: Hall J & K. Submission ID: 1829299H.
3. Lia W. Lehrer, Kathleen Linsenman, Troy Stallard, Lauren Luther, Kaylin Young, Nihita Kamireddy, Susan A. Tolliver, Sara Reed Houser, and Jayasimha Rao. Pilot Study Utilizing Wastewater-Based Epidemiology to Determine Presence of Gram-Negative Enterobacterial Targets in Southwest Virginia Sewersheds. IDWeek 2024, October 16-19, 2024, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. Poster Session Title: Public Health, Friday October 18, 2024, Time:  12:15 PM - 1:30 PM Pacific Time and Location: Hall J & K Submission ID: 1825668.
4. Justin Howe, Ryan Morse, Jayasimha Rao, Eli Vlaisavljevich. Histotripsy Treatment of Biofilms on Orthopedic Implants: In Vitro Feasibility Study using Cobalt-Chrome and Titanium Surgical Implant Materials. Histotripsy Symposium 2024.

Congratulations to VTCSOM student, Lili Ladner, whose work in the BSRL is included in Endothelial deletion of EPH receptor A4 alters single-cell profile and Tie2/Akap12 signaling to preserve blood–brain barrier integrity, October 5, 2023,120 (41) e2204700120: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2204700120