Ohio State University-Main Campus · Microbiology & ImmunologyTuberculosis and Immune Dynamics Unit
Murugesan Rajaram · Columbus, Ohio
Research Focus
Dr. Murugesan Rajaram's lab at Ohio State University is focused on understanding how Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) interacts with the immune system, specifically macrophages, to survive and resist treatment. The lab aims to develop new therapies to combat tuberculosis by targeting the mechanisms that allow M.tb to evade the immune response. By studying the role of protein MDR1 and the host's innate immune response, the lab seeks to shorten treatment times and reduce drug resistance in TB.
tuberculosismacrophagesMDR1drug resistanceinnate immune responseheat shock factorMycobacterium tuberculosishost-directed therapy
Research Aims
3AIM 01Define the role of MDR1 in M.tb survival in macrophages.
AIM 02Determine whether HSF1 activation or MDR1 inhibition shortens the sterilization period of M.tb by TB drugs.
AIM 03Identify endogenous antimicrobials produced by macrophages in response to M.tb infection.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemouse modelsbiochemical assaysgenetic manipulationmacrophage activationgene expression analysisdrug efficacy testingPCRWestern blot
Output against the department
Publications109bottom 40% of dept.292nd of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.5kbottom 35% of dept.316th of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.