Email: rsdassan@webmail.cmb.ac.lk

    Phone: (9411) 2503 367

    Fax : (9411) 2503 367

    Office: 109

Academic Record:

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 2001. University of   Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

• B.Sc Special Degree in Chemistry (Second class upper division) 1993. University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.   

Research Interests:

Molecular evolution and phylogeny of fungi, nematodes and mosquitoes gene families. Identification and characterization of fungi and nematodes genes. Molecular analyses of human beta Thalasseamia

Research Publications:

(1) R.S. Dassanayake and Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene. Evolutionary selective trends of insect/mosquito antimicrobial defensin peptides containing cysteine- stabilized alpha/beta motifs. Peptides. 2007; 28 :62-75.

(2) Samaranayake YH, Dassanayake RS, Cheung BP, Jayatilake JA, Yeung KW, Yau JY, Samaranayake LP. Differential phospholipase gene expression by Candida albicans in artificial media and cultured human oral epithelium.APMIS. 2006 ;114:857-66.

(3) Dassanayake RS, Y.H. Samaranayake, Y.Y.U. Yau, Samaranayake LP. Genetic Relatedness of Oral Candida tropicalis isolates from diverse geographic regions evaluated by DNA fingerprinting with PCR. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2006: 24 :186-94 .

(4) R. S. Dassanayake, B. G. D. N. K. de Silva,  Eric H. Karunanayake, Y. I. N. Silva Gunawardene, W. G. S. Ariyawansha. Ribosomal DNA second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) sequences depicted evolutionary trend in the Anopheles culicifacies (Diptera :Culicidae) complex .(Submitted: Journal of Vector Borne Disease)

(5) Samaranayake YH, Dassanayake RS, Jayatilake JA, Cheung BP, Yau JY, Yeung KW, Samaranayake LP. Phospholipase B enzyme expression is not associated with other virulence attributes in Candida albicans isolates from patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. J Med Microbiol. 2005;54:583-93.

(6) Dassanayake RS, Samaranayake LP, Berges T, Cao L. Characterization, Heterologous Expression and Functional Analysis of Mevalonate Decarboxylase Gene (ERG19) of Candida albicans. Mol Gen Genet. (2002:267; 281- 290).

(7) Dassanayake RS, Chandrasekharan, NV, Karunanayake  E.H. Trans- Spliced Leader RNA, 5S-rRNA Genes and novel variant orphan spliced-leader of the lymphatic filarial nematode Wuchereria bancrofti, and a sensitive polymerase chain reaction based detection assay. Gene. (2001 16;269:185-93).

(8) Dassanayake RS, Ellepola ANB, Y.H. Samaranayake, Samaranayake LP. Molecular Profiles of Flucanazole Resistance and Susceptible Oral Candida albicans. APMIS (2002: 110: 315- 24).

(9) Dassanayake RS, Samaranayake LP. Characterization of the genetic diversity in superficial and systemic human isolates of Candida parapsilosis by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). APMIS. 2000;108:153-60.

(10) Leung WK, Dassanayake RS, Yau JY, Jin LJ, Yam WC, Samaranayake LP. Oral colonization, phenotypic, and genotypic profiles of Candida species in irradiated, dentate, xerostomic nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors. J Clin Microbiol.2000;38:2219-26.

(11) Dassanayake RS, Samaranayake LP. Genomic diversity of Oral Candida krusei isolates as revealed by DNA fingerprinting and electrophoretic karyotyping. APMIS. 2000:108; 697-704.

(12) Waltimo TMT, Dassanayake RS, Orstavik D, Haapasalo MPP Samaranayake LP. Phenotypes and randomly amplified DNA (RAPD) profiles of Candida albicans isolates from root canal infections in a Finnish population. Oral Microbiol  Immunol. 2001: 16; 106-112.

(13) Herath HMTB, Dassanayake RS, Priyadarshani AMA, de Silva S, Wannigama, GP Jamie, J. Isoflavonoids and a pterocarpan from Gliricidia sepium. Phytochemistry. 1998; 47: 117-119.

(14) Samaranayake YH, Samaranayake LP, R.S. Dassanayake, Yau JYY, Tsang, Cheung WK, Cheung BPK, Yeung KWS. Genotypic shuffling of sequential clones of C. albicans in  HIV-infected individuals with and without symptomatic oral candidiasis. J Med Microbiol.2003; 52:349-359.

(15) Samaranayake YH, Samaranayake LP, Yau JYY, R.S. Dassanayake, Li TK, Anil S. Phenotypic diversity of oral C. albicans isolated on single and     sequential visits in an HIV-infected Chinese cohort. APMIS. 2003, 111: 329-337.

Books

R. S. Dassanayake, Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene. High Throughput Techniques in Post Genomic Era. 2006

Book Chapters

Dassanayake RS, Samaranayake LP. Application of Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA to Evaluate genome diversity of Fungi: a Review of Protocols.2003. The Humana press INC, 999 Riverview Drive, Suite 208, Totowa, NJ 07512.

R. S. Dassanayake, Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene. DNA microarray. M.Sc. in Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology, Open University of Sri Lanka.

R. S. Dassanayake, Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene. Proteomics. M.Sc. in Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology, Open University of Sri Lanka.

R. S. Dassanayake, Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene. Homology modeling. M.Sc. in Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology, Open University of Sri Lanka.

Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene R. S. Dassanayake. Molecular genetic manipulation of insects. M.Sc. in Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology, Open University of Sri Lanka.

Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene R. S. Dassanayake. Gene transfer in bacteria. M.Sc. in Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology, Open University of Sri Lanka

Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene R. S. Dassanayake. Molecular genetics of development 1 (Insect body plan gene regulation in development, Homeobox coding motif in homeotic gene). M.Sc. in Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology, Open University of Sri Lanka.

Y.I.N. Silva Gunawardene R. S. Dassanayake. Molecular genetics of development 2

(Ecdysteroid hormone regulation, Juvenile hormone regulation, Sex determination in Insects). M.Sc. in Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology, Open University of Sri Lanka.

Reviews

Dassanayake RS, Samaranayake LP. Amplification-based nucleic acid scanning techniques to assess the genetic polymorphism in Candida (Critical review in Microbiology, 2003:29, 1-24).

Awards:

• Presidential research award - 2001

• prize for the best research presentation in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology. International Association for Dental Research (Southeast Asia), 2002, Hong Kong.

• Awarded the “ Hayley’s studentship in Chemistry “ for being placed 1^st on merit” at the following examinations (i) General Science Qualifying (GSQ) Examination (1^st year, 1990) (ii) Special Degree Part II Examination (3^rd year, 1992).

   

Professional Employment

Jan 05- To date  :Senior lecture in Chemistry, Department of Chemistry,  Faculty of  Science, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Mar’02 -Dec 04: Senior lecture in Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty o Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Feb 01-Feb 02:   Research Associate, Department of Microbiology, Queen Marry Hospital,  Faculty of  Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Sep’95- Feb’02: Lecturer (Probationary) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Jan’ 94- Aug 95: Research Assistant, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Hantana, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Jan’ 93- Dec’ 93: Temporary Assistant Lecturer in Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of  Peradeniya,  Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Curriculum Vitae