Amplify Fellow
Overview
Karishma is an agricultural biotechnologist specialising in applications of nanotechnology to improve animal health. Her PhD with Prof Neena Mitter was a part of a multi-disciplinary research project facilitated by the Queensland Government Research Partnerships (~3.6 M) at QAAFI in partnership with AIBN, School of Global Animal health, Washington State University (WSU) and industry partner Zoetis. This research, for the first time, established silica nanomaterials as carriers and self-adjuvants for vaccine delivery against Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus.
As an Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellow at QAAFI she is leading the research on developing next generation nanopesticides with improved safety and performance. She is exploiting nanotechnology along with molecular tools to develop innovative sustainable solutions for real-world problems like sheep blowfly/lice and fire-ants.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Publications
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Journal Article: RNAi-Based Biocontrol of Pests to Improve the Productivity and Welfare of Livestock Production
Menezes, Pia S., Yan, Yakun, Yang, Yunjia, Mitter, Neena, Mahony, Timothy J. and Mody, Karishma T. (2022). RNAi-Based Biocontrol of Pests to Improve the Productivity and Welfare of Livestock Production. Applied Biosciences, 1 (3), 229-243. doi: 10.3390/applbiosci1030015
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Journal Article: Synergistic effect of two nanotechnologies enhances the protective capacity of the Theileria parva Sporozoite p67C antigen in cattle
Lacasta, Anna, Mody, Karishma T, De Goeyse, Ine, Yu, Chengzhong, Zhang, Jun, Nyagwange, James, Mwalimu, Stephen, Awino, Elias, Saya, Rosemary, Njoroge, Thomas, Muriuki, Robert, Ndiwa, Nicholas, Poole, Elisabeth Jane, Zhang, Bing, Cavallaro, Antonino, Mahony, Timothy J, Steinaa, Lucilla, Mitter, Neena and Nene, Vishvanath (2021). Synergistic effect of two nanotechnologies enhances the protective capacity of the Theileria parva Sporozoite p67C antigen in cattle. Journal of Immunology, 206 (4), 686-699. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000442
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Mody, Karishma T., Zhang, Bing, Li, Xun, Fletcher, Nicholas L., Akhter, Dewan T., Jarrett, Sandy, Zhang, Jun, Yu, Chengzhong, Thurecht, Kristofer J., Mahony, Timothy J and Mitter, Neena (2021). Characterization of the biodistribution of a silica vesicle Nanovaccine carrying a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus protective antigen with in vivo live animal imaging. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 8 606652, 1-11. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.606652
Grants
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BioClay: Safe guarding Queensland through reduced on-farm pesticide usage.
(2020–2023) Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships
Supervision
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Innovative RNAi for ectoparasites of livestock
Doctor Philosophy
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Topical RNAi for sustainable Animal Health
Doctor Philosophy
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The application of genome editing to improve the disease resilience of livestock species
Doctor Philosophy
Available Projects
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Topical RNAi for Sustainable Animal Health
The aim of the project is to develop a sustainable solution using clay particles to deliver RNA to protect Queensland’s sheep from flystrike and lice infestation. Current control measures mainly rely on vaccination or chemical control, causing issues of residue and toxicity. Both of these pathogens have developed resistance to nearly all control chemicals used in the past. This project will deliver a clean-green formulation to counter chemical resistance, improve animal welfare, reduce residues in products, allowing better responses to market demands.
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Applications of RNAi for developing sustainable solution for Fire-ants
The project: Insect parasites cause significant damage to livestock and are primarily responsible for significant economic losses. Conventional pesticides have issues of resistance and toxicity, and there is increasing market requirement and price premiums for low-chemical and welfare-friendly production systems. We aim to explore our RNAi delivery platform to protect animals from insect parasites that cause damage. This project will result in real-world outcomes, by translating and expanding our current biotechnologies to an industry-ready tool for animal protection.
The student: will learn valuable techniques and strong skills in experimental design, molecular biology (cloning, PCR, qRTPCR, sequencing, RNA/DNA extractions), bioinformatics, material science and the application of RNAi in animal protection. The student will work closely with Dr Karishma Mody and other members of the Mitter laboratory at UQ.
Location: UQ Mitter Laboratory, QAAFI, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, UQ St Lucia campus.
Supervisors: Dr Karishma Mody (k.mody@uq.edu.au) & Prof Neena Mitter (n.mitter@uq.edu.au)
Note: We work on a range of different insect targets like fire-ants and sheep/cattle parasites with industry partners. If this projects interest you, please send me an email. We can discuss further details.
Publications
Journal Article
-
RNAi-Based Biocontrol of Pests to Improve the Productivity and Welfare of Livestock Production
Menezes, Pia S., Yan, Yakun, Yang, Yunjia, Mitter, Neena, Mahony, Timothy J. and Mody, Karishma T. (2022). RNAi-Based Biocontrol of Pests to Improve the Productivity and Welfare of Livestock Production. Applied Biosciences, 1 (3), 229-243. doi: 10.3390/applbiosci1030015
-
Lacasta, Anna, Mody, Karishma T, De Goeyse, Ine, Yu, Chengzhong, Zhang, Jun, Nyagwange, James, Mwalimu, Stephen, Awino, Elias, Saya, Rosemary, Njoroge, Thomas, Muriuki, Robert, Ndiwa, Nicholas, Poole, Elisabeth Jane, Zhang, Bing, Cavallaro, Antonino, Mahony, Timothy J, Steinaa, Lucilla, Mitter, Neena and Nene, Vishvanath (2021). Synergistic effect of two nanotechnologies enhances the protective capacity of the Theileria parva Sporozoite p67C antigen in cattle. Journal of Immunology, 206 (4), 686-699. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000442
-
Mody, Karishma T., Zhang, Bing, Li, Xun, Fletcher, Nicholas L., Akhter, Dewan T., Jarrett, Sandy, Zhang, Jun, Yu, Chengzhong, Thurecht, Kristofer J., Mahony, Timothy J and Mitter, Neena (2021). Characterization of the biodistribution of a silica vesicle Nanovaccine carrying a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus protective antigen with in vivo live animal imaging. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 8 606652, 1-11. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.606652
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Nanotechnology for plant disease management
Worrall, Elizabeth, Hamid, Aflaq, Mody, Karishma, Mitter, Neena and Pappu, Hanu (2018). Nanotechnology for plant disease management. Agronomy, 8 (12) 256, 285. doi: 10.3390/agronomy8120285
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Zhang, Bing, Cavallaro, Antonio S., Mody, Karishma T., Zhang, Jun, Deringer, James R., Brown, Wendy C., Mahony, Timothy J., Yu, Chengzhong and Mitter, Neena (2016). Nanoparticle-based delivery of Anaplasma marginale membrane proteins, VirB9-1 and VirB10 produced in the Pichia pastoris expression system. Nanomaterials, 6 (11) 201, 201. doi: 10.3390/nano6110201
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Mody, Karishma T., Mahony, Donna, Cavallaro, Antonino S., Zhang, Jun, Zhang, Bing, Mahony, Timothy J., Yu, Chengzhong and Mitter, Neena (2016). Correction: Silica Vesicle Nanovaccine Formulations Stimulate Long-Term Immune Responses to the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus E2 Protein (vol 10, e0143507, 2015). Plos One, 11 (1) e0146631, 1-1. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146631
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Mody, Karishma T., Mahony, Donna, Cavallaro, Antonino S., Zhang, Jun, Zhang, Bing, Mahony, Timothy J., Yu, Chengzhong and Mitter, Neena (2015). Silica vesicle nanovaccine formulations stimulate long-term immune responses to the bovine viral diarrhoea virus e2 protein. PLoS One, 10 (12) e0143507, 1-16. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143507
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Mahony, Donna, Mody, Karishma T., Cavallaro, Antonino S., Hu, Qiuhong, Mahony, Timothy J., Qiao, Shizhang and Mitter, Neena (2015). Immunisation of Sheep with Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus, E2 Protein Using a Freeze-Dried Hollow Silica Mesoporous Nanoparticle Formulation. Plos One, 10 (11) e0141870, e0141870. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141870
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Mody, Karishma T., Mahony, Donna, Zhang, Jun, Cavallaro, Antonino S., Zhang, Bing, Popat, Amirali, Mahony, Timothy J., Yu, Chengzhong and Mitter, Neena (2014). Silica vesicles as nanocarriers and adjuvants for generating both antibody and T-cell mediated immune resposes to Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus E2 protein. Biomaterials, 35 (37), 9972-9983. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.08.044
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Mody, Karishma T., Mahony, Donna, Cavallaro, Antonino S., Stahr, Frances, Qiao, Shi Zhang, Mahony, Timothy J. and Mitter, Neena (2014). Freeze-drying of ovalbumin loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticle vaccine formulation increases antigen stability under ambient conditions. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 465 (1-2), 325-332. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.01.037
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Mahony, D., Cavallaro, A. S., Mody, K. T., Xiong, L., Mahony, T. J., Qiao, S. Z. and Mitter, Neena (2014). In vivo delivery of bovine viral diahorrea virus, E2 protein using hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Nanoscale, 6 (12), 6617-6626. doi: 10.1039/C4NR01202J
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Mesoporous silica nanoparticles as antigen carriers and adjuvants for vaccine delivery
Mody, Karishma T., Popat, Amirali, Mahony, Donna, Cavallaro, Antonino S., Yu, Chengzhong and Mitter, Neena (2013). Mesoporous silica nanoparticles as antigen carriers and adjuvants for vaccine delivery. Nanoscale, 5 (12), 5167-5179. doi: 10.1039/c3nr00357d
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Freeze-drying of protein-loaded nanoparticles for vaccine delivery
Mody, Karishma, Mahony, Donna, Mahony, Tim and Mitter, Neena (2012). Freeze-drying of protein-loaded nanoparticles for vaccine delivery. Drug Delivery Letters, 2 (2), 83-91. doi: 10.2174/2210304x11202020083
Conference Publication
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Topical RNAi for Sustainable Animal Health
Mody, Karishma T., Zhang, Bing, Li, Xun, Jain, Ritesh, Li, Peng, James, Peter, Mahony, Timothy J., Xu, Zhiping and Mitter, Neena (2020). Topical RNAi for Sustainable Animal Health. TropAg 2019, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 11-13 November 2019. Basel, Switzerland: MDPI. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2019036170
Other Outputs
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Development of nanoparticle based vaccine delivery systems
Mody, Karishma (2015). Development of nanoparticle based vaccine delivery systems. PhD Thesis, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2015.934
Grants (Administered at UQ)
-
BioClay: Safe guarding Queensland through reduced on-farm pesticide usage.
(2020–2023) Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowships
PhD and MPhil Supervision
Current Supervision
-
Innovative RNAi for ectoparasites of livestock
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
-
Topical RNAi for sustainable Animal Health
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
-
The application of genome editing to improve the disease resilience of livestock species
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Possible Research Projects
Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.
-
Topical RNAi for Sustainable Animal Health
The aim of the project is to develop a sustainable solution using clay particles to deliver RNA to protect Queensland’s sheep from flystrike and lice infestation. Current control measures mainly rely on vaccination or chemical control, causing issues of residue and toxicity. Both of these pathogens have developed resistance to nearly all control chemicals used in the past. This project will deliver a clean-green formulation to counter chemical resistance, improve animal welfare, reduce residues in products, allowing better responses to market demands.
-
Applications of RNAi for developing sustainable solution for Fire-ants
The project: Insect parasites cause significant damage to livestock and are primarily responsible for significant economic losses. Conventional pesticides have issues of resistance and toxicity, and there is increasing market requirement and price premiums for low-chemical and welfare-friendly production systems. We aim to explore our RNAi delivery platform to protect animals from insect parasites that cause damage. This project will result in real-world outcomes, by translating and expanding our current biotechnologies to an industry-ready tool for animal protection.
The student: will learn valuable techniques and strong skills in experimental design, molecular biology (cloning, PCR, qRTPCR, sequencing, RNA/DNA extractions), bioinformatics, material science and the application of RNAi in animal protection. The student will work closely with Dr Karishma Mody and other members of the Mitter laboratory at UQ.
Location: UQ Mitter Laboratory, QAAFI, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, UQ St Lucia campus.
Supervisors: Dr Karishma Mody (k.mody@uq.edu.au) & Prof Neena Mitter (n.mitter@uq.edu.au)
Note: We work on a range of different insect targets like fire-ants and sheep/cattle parasites with industry partners. If this projects interest you, please send me an email. We can discuss further details.
