Samyabrata Sen

Samyabrata (Sam) Sen is a Ph.D. student in Biology at the School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, where he is advised by Dr. Abhishek Shrivastava. His research centers on the Type IX Secretion System (T9SS), a molecular machinery that powers gliding motility in bacteria like Flavobacterium johnsoniae and mediates key interactions between gut commensals like Bacteroides and their host. By combining microbiological experiments with computational analysis, Sam works to uncover the mechanisms that govern bacterial movement, adhesion, and decision-making, with implications for microbiome stability and human health.

Beyond the bench, Sam has developed open-source tools to accelerate microbial research, most notably RABiTPy, an AI-powered Python software for rapid bacterial tracking and analysis, published in BMC Bioinformatics. His interdisciplinary background spans Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for mutation detection in crops, bioethanol production from agricultural waste, and computational siRNA design, experiences that equip him to approach complex biological questions from multiple angles.

A recipient of the 2025 Biodesign Fusion Award for Sustainability, Sam is equally committed to science communication and education, teaching undergraduate biology and microbiology courses at ASU. He aims to bridge experimental and computational approaches to advance our understanding of microbial behavior and its broader consequences for health and the environment.