Mahesh Premarathna

Dr. Mahesh Premarathna is a Research Fellow at the Microbial Biotechnology Research Program of the National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS), Sri Lanka, where he has established a strong academic and research career marked by excellence, innovation, and multidisciplinary contributions. He obtained his B.Sc. (Hons.) specializing in Biotechnology from Wayamba University of Sri Lanka in 2019 and completed his Ph.D. in Microbial Biotechnology at the University of Peradeniya in 2023, with his doctoral thesis titled “Microbial Biofilms and their Network Interactions”. Following his doctoral studies, he served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China, and currently holds appointments as Adjunct Associate Professor at the National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China, and Visiting Lecturer at the Department of Biotechnology, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. His research excellence has been recognized through awards such as the Best Scientist in the Country (in Philosophy) by the AD Scientific Index 2025, and his expertise has led to invitations to speak at high-profile international conferences, including Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2022, the International Academic Symposium on Microbial Stress Tolerance and Response 2023, and Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2024 in Guangzhou, China. His prolific contributions include numerous peer-reviewed publications, international presentations, and service as a reviewer for respected scientific journals. Dr. Premarathna serves as the Editor-in-Chief of “SciSpark”, an Editor of “Insights@NIFS”, and an Editor of “Current Trends in Biological Sciences”. He is an active member of the Sri Lankan Society for Microbiology, the Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka, and the Institute of Biology, Sri Lanka. At NIFS, Dr. Premarathna conducts pioneering research on microbial biofilms, investigating polymicrobial interactions, advancing both fundamental understanding and innovative cross-disciplinary applications, particularly in agriculture, ecosystems and the environment, astrobiology, and medicine. He is also deeply committed to academic mentorship, guiding both undergraduate and postgraduate students. While his primary research centers on biofilm microbiology, his academic interests extend broadly to molecular biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, microfluidics, soil carbon sequestration, astrobiology, agriculture, environmental sciences, food science, biofilm-based medicines, and philosophy, reflecting his truly multidisciplinary approach to scientific inquiry.