Tharushi Anne

Lab Technician

BSc (Honours) in Zoology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

Tharushi Anne holds a B.Sc. (Honours) in Zoology from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, with a broader academic foundation in Chemistry and Microbiology, graduating as a Gold Medallist for the highest academic performance in the batch. Her undergraduate studies emphasized entomology, immunology, physiology, toxicology, molecular genetics, cell biology, and marine science. She began her academic career as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Zoology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, supporting undergraduate teaching and laboratory instruction. She currently serves as the Lab Technician at the School of Biomedical Science, APIIT, in collaboration with the University of Staffordshire, UK, where she sets up, calibrates, and manages laboratory equipment and runs practicals in Cell Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Bioinformatics, and Molecular Biology. Her research interests lie in entomology and computational biology, where she works at the interface of experimental and computational approaches. Her work combines biochemical bioassays, electrophysiological techniques such as electroantennography, and enzyme inhibition studies in insect systems with in silico methods to investigate mechanisms of bioactivity and explore potential drug and insecticide targets.

Recent publications

Royal Entomological Society Behaviour SIG Conference (UK, 2026) Conference Proceedings: Integrating electroantennography and in silico odorant receptor binding: Sustained-release oviposition deterrence of Piper nigrum essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions against Corcyra cephalonica

12th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Approaches (iCMA) 2026 - Gold Medal, Best Poster Conference Proceeding: Assessing bio-effectiveness, chemical characteristics, and insecticidal activity of Piper nigrum corn essential oil-loaded nanoemulsions against Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton)

Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology (2026) Journal Article: In vivo insecticidal and biochemical efficacy of Acorus calamus essential oil nanoemulsions, with in silico evaluation of acetylcholinesterase inhibition against Sitophilus oryzae (L.)