PI: Prof. Sumathi Suresh, Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering

Tata Fellow: Bhushan Gandhi (2015-17)

Contamination of surface, ground and drinking water by viruses is a growing concern in all parts of India and other developing countries. Enteric viruses are known to cause infections of the gastrointestinal tract in human beings and are mostly transmitted through consumption of improperly treated drinking water. The proposed project is focused on using various types of plant lectin matrices for the speedy recovery and subsequent detection of viruses in water samples, with high reliability and sensitivity. The current research project is based on the specificity of lectin-virus interactions and the aim is to use immobilised plant lectins to capture viruses which may be present in small numbers in contaminated water.