Department of Biology

Ramji Bhandari

Research:

My research interests are to elucidate mechanisms underlying gene environment interactions and developmental origins of adult-onset and transgenerational health abnormalities. We take comparative, molecular, cellular, and bioinformatics analysis approaches and utilize cell/tissue culture and animal models (fish and rodents) in research. Current projects include epigenetic programming of embryo, germ cells and somatic cells, crosstalk between environment and epigenome and between epigenome and phenotype, epigenetic inheritance of phenotypic traits, CRISPR-dCas9-mediated epigenome editing, epigenetic responses to environmental stressors, mainly pharmaceuticals, pesticides, plasticizers, cannabinoids, and engineered nanoparticles.

Recent Publications:

Chakraborty, S., Dissanayake, M., Godwin, J., Wang, X., Bhandari, R.K. (2022). Ancestral BPA exposure caused defects in the liver of medaka for four generations. Science of the Total Environment. In press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159067

Lee, Y.H., Kim, M-S, Wang, M., Park, H.G., Bhandari, R.K., Wu, R.S.S., Lee, J-S. (2022). Epigenetic adaptation to ocean acidification in copepods. Nature Climate Change: S41558 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01477-4

Reh, B., Feng, Y., Wang, X., Bhandari, R.K. (2022). Effects of potassium perchlorate exposure on primordial germ cells of medaka fish. , Aquatic Toxicology): 106283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2022.106283

Nakamura, M., Nozu, R., Nakamura, S., Higa, M.,  Bhandari,  R.K., Kobayashi, Y., Horiguchi, R., Komatsu, R., Kojima, Y., Murata, R., Soyano, K., Ogawa, S., Hirai, T., Matsubara, H., Tokumoto, T.,  Kobayashi, T., Kagawa, H., Adachi, S., Yamauchi, K.,  Nagahama, Y. (2022). Morphological and physiological studies on sex change in tropical fish: Sexual plasticity of the ovaries of hermaphroditic and gonochoristic fish. Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies. 24 (1): 5-17. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/galaxea/24/1/24_G2021_S6R/_pdf

Faheem, M., Bhandari, R.K. (2021 ). Detrimental effects of bisphenol compounds on physiology and reproduction in fish. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 81: 103497 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2020.103497

Thayil, A.J., Wang, X., Bhandari, P., vom Saal, F.S., Tillitt, D.E., Bhandari, R.K. (2020). Bisphenol A and 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol-induced transgenerational gene expression differences in the brain-pituitary-testis axis of medaka. Biology of Reproduction. [in press] https://doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioaa169

Faheem, M., Bhandari, R.K. (2020). Detrimental effects of bisphenol compounds on physiology and reproduction in fish: a literature review. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology. [in press] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2020.103497 

Wang, X., Song, X., Bhandari, R.K. (2020). Distinct expression patterns of seven microRNAs during early embryonic development in medaka (Oryzias latipes). Gene Expression Patterns. [in press] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gep.2020.119133 

Song, X., Wang, X., Bhandari, R.K. (2020). Developmental abnormalities and epigenetic effects in medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryo induced by triclosan exposure. Chemosphere. [in press]  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127613 

Wang, X., Bhandari, R.K., (2020). DNA methylation reprogramming in medaka fish, a promising animal model for environmental epigenetics research. Environmental Epigenetics.6(1):dvaa008. https://doi.org/10.1093/eep/dvaa008  

Bhandari, R.K., Wang, X., vom Saal, F.S., Tillitt, D.E. (2020). Transcriptome analysis of testis reveals the effects of developmental exposure to bisphenol A or 17α-ethinylestradiol in medaka. Aquatic Toxicology. [In press] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2020.105553 

Leet, J.K., Richter, C.A., Cornman, R.S., Behringer, J.P., Bhandari, R.K., Nicks, D.K., Candrl, J.S, Zajicek, J.L., Blazer, V.S., Tillitt, D.E. (2020). Effects of early life stage exposure of largemouth bass to atrazine or a model estrogen (17α-ethinylestradiol). PeerJ. [In Press]

Wang X., Bhandari R.K. (2020). The dynamics of DNA methylation during epigenetic reprogramming of primordial germ cells in medaka (Oryzias latipes). Epigenetics. 15: 483-498. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1695341. [PMID: 31851575]

Khanal, S., Bhattarai, S.R., Sarkar, J., Bhandari, R.K., McDonald, J., Bhattarai, N.P. (2019). Nano-fiber integrated microcapsules: A nano-in-micro platform for 3D cell culture. Scientific Reports. 9:13951[PMID: 31562351]

Wang. X., Bhandari. R.K. (2019). DNA methylation dynamics during epigenetic reprogramming of medaka embryo. Epigenetics. 1-10. [PMID: 31010368]

Wang, X., Hill, D., Tillitt, D.E., Bhandari, R.K. (2019). Bisphenol A and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol induced transgenerational differences in expression of osmoregulatory genes in the gill of medaka (Oryzias latipes). Aquatic Toxicology. 211: 227-234. [PMID: 31048106]

Cleary, J.C., Tillitt, D.E., vom Saal, F.S., Nicks, D.K., Claunch, R.A, Bhandari, R.K. (2019). Transgenerational effects of developmental Atrazine exposure on reproductive axis of medaka. Environmental Pollution, 251: 631-650. [PMID: 31108297]

Smith, C.S., Vera, M.K.M., Bhandari, R.K. (2019). Developmental and epigenetic effects of Roundup and glyphosate exposure on medaka (Oryzias latipes). Aquatic Toxicology, 210:215-226. [PMID: 30875550]

Bhandari, R.K., Taylor J.A., Sommerfield-Sager J., Tillitt D.E., Ricke W.A., Vom Saal F.S. (2019). Estrogen receptor 1 expression and methylation of Esr1 promoter in mouse fetal prostate mesenchymal cells induced by gestational exposure to bisphenol A or ethinylestradiol. Environmental Epigenetics. 5:dvz012 doi: 10.1093/eep/dvz012 [PMID: 31463084]

Complete list of publications in google scholar

Classes:

Developmental Biology (BIO 464)
Molecular Approaches to Research: Transgenerational Inheritance (Bio 596)
Human Embryology and Teratology (Bio 614)