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Smruthi Karthikeyan is an Assistant Professor in Environmental Science and Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She earned her Bachelor of Technology from Anna University in 2012, followed by a Master of Science from Columbia University in 2014, and a Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2020. Her research focuses on the interface of microbial ecology and computational biology, aiming to develop integrated wet-lab and multi-omic approaches for understanding complex microbial communities and their impact on environmental and human health. Karthikeyan's lab emphasizes the importance of studying the uncultured majority of microbial diversity in natural environments. Her team employs techniques such as isotopic tracer-based mass spectrometry and 'meta-omic' analysis to understand the genetic and metabolic diversity of microorganisms. She aims to uncover the functional roles of specific microbes and the dynamics of microbial communities in various environmental conditions, including their responses to anthropogenic stresses such as drought and antibiotic exposure. Overall, her work seeks to enhance the understanding of microbial interactions within ecosystems and explore the implications for biodiversity and disease prevention.
California Institute of Technology • Pasadena, CA
Conducted research in microbial ecology and computational biology.
California Institute of Technology • Pasadena, CA
Assumed the role of Assistant Professor with a focus on environmental science and engineering.
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