Shabarinath Srikumar

Shabarinath Srikumar is an Assistant Professor in Poultry Microbiology at the Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University, within the College of Agriculture. He previously served as an Assistant Professor in Food Science at the United Arab Emirates University and a Senior Research Fellow at University College Dublin. His research focuses on microbial pathogenesis, host-microbial interactions, and foodborne bacterial ecology.

Dr. Srikumar holds a Ph.D. in Fisheries from Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (2007), an M.Sc. in Fishery Science from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (2003), and a B.Sc. in Fisheries Science from Kerala Agricultural University (2001).

His research interests include antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and bacterial ecology. Key projects involve studying Salmonella survival in milk, the role of iron metabolism in bacterial persistence, and the applications of natural products like propolis and essential oils in food preservation. He has secured grants from institutions such as NIFA and the USDA Agricultural Research Service to support his work.

Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding multidrug-resistant pathogens, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella Typhimurium, and their interactions with environmental and food matrices. His work integrates genomic, transcriptomic, and biochemical approaches to unravel bacterial adaptation mechanisms.

Dr. Srikumar collaborates on projects involving the microbiome of food production facilities and the development of novel antimicrobial strategies using nanoparticles and plant-derived compounds. His research underscores the importance of translational science in addressing global food safety challenges.