RAJKUMAR KULANDAISAMY

About

Dr. Rajkumar Kulandaisamy is a Postdoctoral Associate in the laboratory of Joan A. Steitz in the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale School of Medicine. His research focuses on RNA biology and virus–host interactions, with particular interest in the highly abundant Kaposi’s sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV) long noncoding PAN RNA and its role in regulating viral gene expression and nuclear mRNA export during lytic infection. Using molecular biology, biochemical, and structural approaches, his work aims to uncover how viral noncoding RNAs manipulate host cellular machinery to promote infection and gene expression.
Dr. Kulandaisamy earned his PhD in Biophysics from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, where he investigated the catalytic mechanism of peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and explored potential therapeutic targets for tuberculosis. He previously completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Microbiology at Bharathidasan University. His research broadly aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms of RNA-mediated regulation in both viral and cellular systems.

Employment

• Yale School of Medicine Postdoctoral Associate
  2023 - Present
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences Senior Research Fellow
  2022 - 2023
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences Junior Research Fellow
  2017 - 2022
• National Institute of Immunology Project Trainee
  2017 - 2017
• Aravind Medical Research Foundation Summer Intern
  2016 - 2016

Education

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences Ph.D
  2018 - 2023
• Bharathidasan University M.Sc.,
  2015 - 2017
• Bharathidasan University B.Sc.,
  2012 - 2015

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (13)

• Structural and dynamic basis of tRNA recognition by Mycobacterium tuberculosis peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase
  2026 DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.7386661
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• In Silico Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Small Molecules Targeting Peptidyl tRNA Hydrolase for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
  ACS Omega 2025 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c01747
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• Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence-associated small RNA MTS1338 is posttranscriptionally regulated by the ribonuclease YbeY
  FEBS LETTERS 2025 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.70089
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• Ethyl acetate extract of Ruta graveolens: a specific and potent inhibitor against the drug-resistant EGFR_T790M mutant in NSCLC
  FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY 2025 DOI: 10.3389/FPHAR.2025.1570108
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• Redefining NSP12 activity in SARS-CoV-2 and its regulation by NSP8 and NSP7
  MOLECULAR THERAPY NUCLEIC ACIDS 2025 DOI: 10.1016/J.OMTN.2025.102452
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• Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 nsp7 or nsp8 with nsp12 causes severe constriction of RNA entry channel: Implications for novel RdRp inhibitor drug discovery
  Biophysical Journal 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.11.1441
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• A comprehensive proteomic profiling of urinary exosomes and the identification of early non-invasive biomarker in patients with coronary artery disease
  JOURNAL OF PROTEOMICS 2024 DOI: 10.1016/J.JPROT.2023.105059
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• Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 nsp7 or nsp8 with nsp12 causes severe constriction of RNA entry channel: Implications for novel RdRp inhibitor drug discovery
  BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL 2024
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• Interaction of SCoV-2 NSP7 or NSP8 alone may cause constriction of the RNA entry channel in NSP12: Implications for novel RdRp inhibitor drug discovery
  bioRxiv 2023 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.26.550660
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• New biochemical insights of CCA enzyme role in tRNA maturation and an efficient method to synthesize the 3'-amino-tailed tRNA
  BIOCHIMIE 2023 DOI: 10.1016/J.BIOCHI.2023.01.007
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