Manoj Kumar
Position
- Postdoc Research Associate
Professional Bio
Dr. Manoj Kumar is a postdoctoral research associate at Iowa State University with over a decade of experience in immunology, molecular diagnostics, and pathogen research. His work focuses on developing and characterizing 3D Matrigel-based and Air Liquid interface (ALI) cultures of porcine respiratory cells, and applying advanced microscopy and histological tools to investigate respiratory pathogens. He is also involved in automating high-throughput PCR workflows to detect E. coli and its toxins using 384-well qPCR platforms.
Dr. Kumar’s previous work in Singapore and India included immunological characterization of dengue virus, development of recombinant subunit vaccines against Bacillus anthracis, and lateral flow and ELISA-based assays for mycotoxins. He has contributed to diagnostic and vaccine development projects under high-containment (BSL-3) lab settings and has published in several peer-reviewed journals. His research integrates classical microbiology, vaccine immunology, and molecular diagnostic technologies to address emerging public and veterinary health challenges.
Dr. Manoj Kumar is a postdoctoral research associate at Iowa State University with over a decade of experience in immunology, molecular diagnostics, and pathogen research. His work focuses on developing and characterizing 3D Matrigel-based and Air Liquid interface (ALI) cultures of porcine respiratory cells, and applying advanced microscopy and histological tools to investigate respiratory pathogens. He is also involved in automating high-throughput PCR workflows to detect E. coli and its toxins using 384-well qPCR platforms.
Dr. Kumar’s previous work in Singapore and India included immunological characterization of dengue virus, development of recombinant subunit vaccines against Bacillus anthracis, and lateral flow and ELISA-based assays for mycotoxins. He has contributed to diagnostic and vaccine development projects under high-containment (BSL-3) lab settings and has published in several peer-reviewed journals. His research integrates classical microbiology, vaccine immunology, and molecular diagnostic technologies to address emerging public and veterinary health challenges.
Contact
Email
fnum@iastate.edu
Phone
515-294-4111
Patterson Hall
1800 Christensen Dr
Ames
,
IA
50011-1134
Social Media and Websites
Education
- BSc in Zoology, Jiwaji University, India
- MSc in Biotechnology, Jiwaji University, India
- PhD in Biological Science, Bharathiar University, India
Work Experiences
| Timeline | Positions |
| 2011 | Project Trainee, Defence Research and Development Establishment, DRDO, India |
| 2013-2014 | Research Scholar, Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center, India. |
| 2015-2020 | Research Fellow, Defence Research and Development Establishment, DRDO, India |
| 2020-2023 | Senior Project Associate, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology, India |
| 2023-2024 | Post-doctoral, DUKE-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore |
| 2024-present | Postdoc Research Associate, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University |
Research Interests
- Development and characterization of 3D and air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures of porcine respiratory cells for functional and molecular profiling.
- Investigation of influenza virus interactions with porcine respiratory organoids to study host-pathogen dynamics.
- Application of histological analysis and advanced imaging techniques, including confocal and light sheet microscopy, to analyze organoid responses.
- Investigation of dengue virus pathogenesis through viral propagation, neutralization assays (PRNT), and immune profiling in mast cell-deficient mice using multicolor flow cytometry.
- Development and immunological evaluation of recombinant subunit vaccines against Bacillus anthracis, including antigen design, expression, and efficacy assessment in murine models.