Dr. Kannapiran Ponraj, PhD
Research Associate | Cytochrome P450 Biochemistry & Drug Metabolism
Research Focus
My research focuses on how dynamic enzyme ensembles and protein-protein interactions shape drug disposition, particularly in the context of chronic environmental exposures such as alcohol. Building on quantitative proteomics of human liver and detailed multienzyme P450 kinetics, I investigate how changes in the composition and interactions of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters lead to non-additive and often unpredictable effects on drug clearance. This systems view of xenobiotic metabolism directly supports the development of safer and more effective pharmacotherapies.
Current Position
May 2023 – Present
Research Associate
Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
Past Positions
July 2014 – July 2025
Assistant Professor (Sr. Grade)
Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi, India
Department of Biotechnology
Jan 2012 – Jan 2014
DBT-Research Associate
ICGEB, New Delhi, India
Structural & Computational Biology Group
Education
2005 – 2011
PhD in Biochemistry
University of Hyderabad, India
2004 – 2005
Adv. Diploma in Bioinformatics
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
2001 – 2003
MSc in Biotechnology
Indira Gandhi Agricultural University
1997 – 2001
BSc in Agriculture
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Research Contributions
Drug Metabolism & P450 Systems
Investigating dynamic enzyme ensembles and protein-protein interactions in drug disposition, with focus on alcohol-induced remodeling of hepatic P450 enzymes.
DNA Topology & Repair
Topoisomerase II isoforms in DNA damage and repair, HIV-1-associated Topo IIβ kinase as pharmacological target for viral replication.
Plant Redox Biochemistry
Dehydroascorbate reductases in ascorbate recycling, discovery of DHAR moonlighting as membrane-integrated ion channel.
Machine Learning in Biology
Ensemble frameworks using stacked generalization and gradient boosting for biological sequence prediction and quantitative analysis.
Expertise
P450 Biochemistry
Drug Metabolism
Enzymology
Molecular Biology
Virology
Redox Biology
Bioinformatics
Python
Machine Learning
Data Science
Awards & Honors
2025, 2026 Judge, SURCA – WSU
2024
Early Career Scientist Travel Award – ASPET
2016-Present
Reviewer – Multiple Journals
2012-2014
Research Associateship for Training in Life Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India
2005-2010
Fellowship for Doctoral Research, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India
2004-2005
Fellowship for Post-Graduate Studies in Bioinformatics, Jawaharlal Nehru University – Dept. of Biotechnology, India
2001-2003
Fellowship for Post Graduate Studies in Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India
Selected Publications
Preprint|Open Access
A New Fluorogenic Substrate for CYP1A2 and Its Application in Studying the Effects of Alcohol Exposure on Liver Drug Metabolism
Published 2026 — bioRxiv
DOI: 10.64898/2026.02.21.703381
A fluorogenic CYP1A2 substrate is applied to investigate alcohol-associated changes in liver drug metabolism.
Preprint|Open Access
The role of CYP3A-CYP2E1 interactions in activation of CYP3A enzymes by chronic alcohol exposure
Published 2026 — bioRxiv
DOI: 10.64898/2026.02.06.703602
This study examines CYP3A-CYP2E1 interactions as a mechanistic basis for alcohol-associated CYP3A activation.
Journal Article|Open Access|Peer Reviewed
A new naphthalene-based fluorogenic substrate for cytochrome P450 4A11
Published 2025 — Biochemical Journal, 482(12), 839–857
DOI: 10.1042/BCJ20253130
A naphthalene-based fluorogenic substrate was developed for CYP4A11 activity assays and P450 functional analysis.
Journal Article|Open Access|Peer Reviewed
Effects of Chronic Alcohol Intake on the Composition of the Ensemble of Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes and Transporters in the Human Liver
Published 2025 — Journal of Xenobiotics, 15(1), 20
DOI: 10.3390/jox15010020
Chronic alcohol intake alters the hepatic ensemble of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters in human liver samples.
Journal Article|Peer Reviewed
Non-additivity of the functional properties of individual P450 species and its manifestation in the effects of alcohol consumption on the metabolism of ketamine and amitriptyline
Published 2024 — Biochemical Pharmacology, 230, 116569
DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116569
This work examines non-additive P450 behavior and alcohol-linked changes in ketamine and amitriptyline metabolism.
Journal Article|Peer Reviewed
Plant dehydroascorbate reductase moonlights as membrane integrated ion channel
Published 2023 — Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 741, 109603
DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2023.109603
This study reports a membrane-associated ion-channel role for plant dehydroascorbate reductase.
Journal Article|Peer Reviewed
Predicting quorum sensing peptides using stacked generalization ensemble with gradient boosting based feature selection
Published 2022 — Journal of Microbiology, 60(7), 756–765
DOI: 10.1007/s12275-022-2044-9
A stacked generalization ensemble with gradient boosting feature selection was used to predict quorum sensing peptides.
Journal Article|Peer Reviewed
Comparative kinetic analysis of ascorbate (Vitamin-C) recycling dehydroascorbate reductases from plant and humans
Published 2022 — Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 591, 110–117
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.12.103
This article compares kinetic properties of plant and human dehydroascorbate reductases involved in vitamin C recycling.
Journal Article|Peer Reviewed
HIV-1 associated Topoisomerase IIβ kinase: A potential pharmacological target for viral replication
Published 2013 — Current Pharmaceutical Design, 19(26), 4776–4786
DOI: 10.2174/1381612811319260008
This article discusses HIV-1 associated Topoisomerase IIβ kinase as a possible pharmacological target for viral replication.
Journal Article|Peer Reviewed
Distinct roles of Topoisomerase II isoforms: DNA damage accelerating α, double strand break repair promoting β
Published 2008 — Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 470(1), 27–34
DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2007.10.017
This work describes distinct functional roles of Topoisomerase II isoforms in DNA damage and double-strand break repair.
Journal Article
Transformation and regeneration of Solanum melongena using Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Published 2005 — Journal of Plant Biology – New Delhi, 32(1), 29–32
Record: 10.5555/20073020617
This early work reports Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and regeneration of Solanum melongena.