Faculty
shikha.gaikwad@mitwpu.edu.in Bio
"Dr. Shikha Vikrant Gaikwad is a distinguished microbiologist and senior educationist with over 18 years of academic and research experience. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biosciences and Technology, Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune, where she also coordinates postgraduate program of Microbiology. She has doctorate degree in Microbiology. Her expertise spans in the fields of Agriculture, Health care, Plant growth Promontory Bacteria (PGPB), Biocontrol agents, Biostimulants, Bioprocess Technology, Circular Economy, and Metabolomics, Plant–Microbe Interactions.
Dr. Gaikwad has made notable contributions to microbial biosurfactants, focusing on their isolation, optimization, and sustainable applications in agriculture and bioremediation. Her research further explores bioactive microbial metabolites such as β-glucans and melanin, emphasizing their potential in drug delivery, immunotherapy, and cosmetic biotechnology. She has pioneered eco-friendly bioprocesses, including hydrodynamic cavitation-based polymer extraction and biosurfactant-assisted remediation of polluted environments.
She has successfully led several funded research projects under BCUD-SPPU, ONGC Chair MIT, and MIT-WPU Innovation and Seed Grant programs, resulting in international publications, patents, and culture depositions with CSIR–NCL and NCBI. Dr. Gaikwad’s goals focus on advancing research-integrated learning, fostering curriculum innovation aligned with global education standards, and promoting sustainable biomanufacturing and environmental stewardship in line with UN SDGs (SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, SDG 13 – Climate Action, and SDG 15 – Life on Land), promoting sustainable biomanufacturing and environmental stewardship. She aims to mentor young researchers and strengthen interdisciplinary education for societal benefit.
Subject Taught
Research Methodology, Bioprocess Engineering, Integrated Nutrient Management and Biocontrol, Bioanalytical Techniques, Biology for Engineers, Applied and Enviromental Microbiology, Industrial Microbiogy, Food and Dairy Microbiology, Microbial Taxonomy and Diversity, Ecology, Evolution and Waste Water Microbiology, Microbial Genetics, Microbiology, Bioanalytical Techniques, Microbial Biotechnology, Environmental Microbiology: Scope and Applications, Advanced Microbiology.
Research Interests
Bacterial Metabolites (Poly hydroxybutyrate (PHB)-Bioplastic, Melanin, Biosurfactants), Yeast metabolites (beta Glucans),Bacterial-Metabolomics, Bioprocess Engineering, BIopolicy E3, Plant and Microbial Interactions, Circular Economy, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Plant and Microbe Interactions, Biostimulants formulation and application as an Integrated nutrient-Pest management Strategies (INM), Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR), Sustainable Technology for Extraction of Metabolites such as by using Cavitation
Research Papers
The Sources, Biosynthesis, Extraction, and Characterization of β-Glucans. Shradha Chaudhari, Shikha Gaikwad, Satish Polshettiwar, Shraddha Ram, Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology for publication in year: 2025 ;Vol : 18 ; issue : 1.
Bioformulation of Bacillus proteolyticus MITWPUB1 and its biosurfactant to control the growth of phytopathogen Sclerotium rolfsii for the crop Brassica juncea var local, as a sustainable approach Mukadam H, Gaikwad SV, Kutty NN and Gaikwad VD (2024),Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 12:1362679. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1362679
Extraction of Environment Friendly Biodegradable Poly-Hydroxy Butyrate using Novel Hydrodynamic Cavitation Method” A. A. Lad, V. D. Gaikwad, S. V. Gaikwad, A. D. Kulkarni and S. P. Kanekar, Nature Environment and Pollution Technology. Year 2024. Vol. 23 pp. 475-483 2024, https://doi.org/10.46488/NEPT.2024.v23i01.043
Isolation, Screening of Micrococcus luteus S2B1 Bacteria and Optimization of its Biosurfactant Producing Conditions, Shikha V. Gaikwad, Esha S. Waghdhare, Priyanka S. Nawal, and Vikrant D. Gaikwad , 2nd International Conference & Exposition on Mechanical, Material, and Manufacturing Technology (ICE3MT 2022) AIP Conf. Proc. 2943, 050002 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0183321.
Treatability study of slurry bioreactor technology for bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soil. Vikrant Gaikwad and Shikha Gaikwad, in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, 25 (3): pp 1429- 1434, (2019).
Effect of Orifice Shape on Water Disinfection Efficacy. Vikrant Gaikwad, Shikha Gaikwad and Vivek Ranade, in Pollution Research, 35 (4): pp 765-771, (2016)
Biosurfactants: Types, detection methods, importance and applications. Rohit Nikam, Nikhil Shah, Shikha Gaikwad, and Vaijayanti Sapre, in Indian Journal of Microbiology Research, 3 (1): pp 5-10, (2016)
Structural and Functional Diversity of Rhizobacterial Strains Isolated from Rhizospheric Zone of Different Plants of Sholapur-Maharashtra Region, India, Shikha Gaikwad and Vaijayanti Sapre, in International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 4(9): pp 263-273, (2015).
Decolonization of pulp paper mill effluent by endophytic strains Bacillus spp and Pseudomonad spp of Mimosa pudica using batch reactor, in the International Conference on Clean and Green Environment-2009, Indo-Italian Embassy, MIT College of Engineering, SSPU, Pune, Maharashtra, 3rd-4th Dec.,2009
Integrated Disease Management: An ecofriendly way to control Pathogenicity of phytopathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in the International Conference on Clean and Green Environment-2008, Indo-Italian Embassy, MIT College of Engineering, SSPU, Pune, Maharashtra, 20th-21st Mar., 2008
Antibacterial activity of medicinal plant Crateava nurvala (bark) against bacterial strains causing U.T.I. in Asian Journal of Chemistry, Shikha Chandra and Chandra Prakash Gupta, 13 (3): pp 1181-1187, (2001).
Microbial Synthesis of Melanin by Bacillus proteolyticus MITWPUME1: Isolation, Characterization, and Potential Application, Viraj Vivek Gaonkar, Sonam Shrirang Shinde, Humaira Mushtaq Mukadam, Firdaus Alimuddin Sayyed, Kunal Sanjay Sasane, Shikha Vikrant Gaikwad, Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology 2025; vol : 18; issue : 10. https://doi.org/10.52711/0974-360X.2025.00700
Unlocking The Immunotherapeutic Potential Of Beta Glucan In Skin Melanoma: An In-Silico Study Targeting PD-L1, Shradha Chaudhari, Shikha Gaikwad, Satish Polshettiwar and Dishank Purandare, Bulletin of Pharmaceutical Research 2025;15(S2) ISSN: 2249-6041 (Print); ISSN: 2249-9245(Online)
Beta Glucans: The 21st Century's Multifunctional Key to Drug Delivery Shradha Pramod Chaudhari , Shikha Vikrant Gaikwad , Satish Arunrao Polshettiwar, Pranali Prakash Polshettiwar, International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology. 2025;15(3):1433-444. doi: 10.25258/ijddt.15.3.67.
Books Published
1)Mukadam H, Gaikwad SV, Kutty NN and Gaikwad VD (2024), Bioformulation of Bacillus proteolyticus MITWPUB1 and its biosurfactant to control the growth of phytopathogen Sclerotium rolfsii for the crop Brassica juncea var local, as a sustainable approach. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 12:1362679. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.136267, ISSN 1664-8714 ISBN 978-2-8325-5036-6 DOI 10.3389/978-2-8325-5036-6.
2)Tapping Significance of Microbial Surfactants as a Biopesticide and Synthetic Pesticide remediator. London, United Kingdom: IntechOpen, 2023. Shikha Gaikwad,https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/tapping-significance-of-microbial-surfactants-as-a-biopesticide-and-synthetic-pesticide-remediator-a,DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.
3)Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence of Escherichia coli in the Purview of Public Health Monitoring, in Escherichia coli Infections - An Update. London, United Kingdom: IntechOpen, 2022 [Online]. P. Dhumal, S. Bajpai, N. Garge, A. Bhatt, F. Rampurwala, N. Sulaimani, S. Gaikwad, U. Roy, M. Mishra, and R. Deshmukh, www.intechopen.com/online-first/84577, doi: 10.5772/intechopen.108299. (https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/antimicrobial-resistance-and-virulence-of-escherichia-coli-in-the-purview-of-public-health-monitorin)
Teaching and Research Experience
17 Yrs
Google Scholar Link
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&authuser=2&user=pD4ECgoAAAAJ
linked In Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-shikha-gaikwad-84652a25/
Researcher Id Link
https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/LZE-1449-2025
Vidwan Link
admissions@mitwpu.edu.in
