Publications

(Total: 58, h-index: 45, i10-index: 53) Google Scholar Citations  ~ 13,500 ( ~ 7000 citations in last 5 years)

PUBLICATIONS (after joining Yale)

*corresponding author; ^#Lab member, ^%Undergraduate student from our lab, ^†equal contribution           

• M. Wissink^†, C. Shen^†#, J. Wang, R. Egas, P. Smid, F. Elling, K. Becker, M. Pabst, M. Jetten, J. Liu, N. Malvankar*, C. Welte* Electrode-associated growth of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea reveals structure of OmcZ-type cytochrome nanowires. Nature Comm. (2026) in press.

• S. Yalcin^#* and & N. Malvankar* Wired for life: Electron nanowires help methane-producing microbes grow. Science Advances 17,38 (2026) in press

• W. Parson*, P. Dahl^# & N. Malvankar Coherent electron transfer in cytochrome nanowires at 300K. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters  16, 8037–8045 (2025)   Selected for the cover.  Yale Highlight  Yale Today Yale Today-2, Bioengineer.org , and Yale Best of the Week

• C. Shen#, A. Salazar-Moralez#, Y. Gu#, F. Samatey#, J. Erwin#, A. Coelho#, S. Yalcin#, N. Malvankar*. A widespread and ancient bacterial machinery assembles cytochrome omcS nanowires essential for extracellular electron transfer. Cell Chemical Biology  32, 239-254.e7 (2025). Selected for the Cover. Tweetorial Yale Highlight YaleNews - Insights & Outcomes

• P. Dahl#, J. Neu#, Y. Gu#, C. Shipps#, V. Batista, N. Malvankar* Ultrahigh-mobility microbial cytochrome nanowires generate power from humidity. Preprint under review (2024)
  Link: https://tinyurl.com/omczU DOI:34T10.21203/rs.3.rs-4724466/v1

• J. Erwin#, C. Shen#, A. Salazar-Morales#, N. Malvankar*. A widespread porin-cytochrome complex kickstarts microbial metabolism and nanowire formation. Preprint under review (2024) Link: https://tinyurl.com/omcABC DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-5369439/v2

• P. Dahl^# & N. Malvankar*. The Jekyll-and-Hyde electron transfer of Hydrogen bonds. Nature Chemistry (2024)

• M. Schoelmerich..C. Shen^#, N. Malvankar..J. Banfield* Borg extrachromosomal elements of methane-oxidizing archaea’s conserved genetic repertoires Nature Comm. 15, 5414 (2023) BioRxiv (2024) Tweetorial-1, 2 

• P. Portela^†#, C. Shipps^†#, C. Shen^#, V. Srikanth^#, C. Salgueiro*, N. Malvankar*. Widespread extracellular electron transfer pathways for charging microbial cytochrome nanowires via periplasmic cytochromes PpcABCDE Nature Comm. 15, 2434 (2024) One-sentence Summary DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-46192-0.Press: EurekAlert! Yale Insights, Portugal News, Popular Mechanics, SciTechDaily, Physics World.  Behind the Paper in Nature Research Communities (Citations > 90)

• A. Potapova, W. Garvey, P. Dahl^#, S. Guo, C. Schwechheimer, M. Trebino, K. Floyd, J. Liu, N. Malvankar and F. Yildiz* Outer membrane protein OmpU and vesicles promote Vibrio cholerae biofilm matrix assembly. mBio e0330423 (2024) DOI:10.1128/mbio.03304-23. Press: Life Science

• Y. Gu^#*, MJ Guberman-Pfeffer^#, V. Srikanth^#, C. Shen^#, F. Giska, K. Gupta, Y. Londer^#, F. Samatey^#, V. Batista, N. Malvankar*. Structure of Geobacter cytochrome OmcZ identifies mechanism of nanowire assembly & conductivity. Nature Microbiology­ 8, 284–298 (2023) PDB: 7LQ5 EMDB-23481.DOI:10.1038/s41564-022-01315-5 Raw Cryo-EM Data: EMPIAR-11439. (Citations > 150)  Press: Protein Data Bank’s Molecule of the Month. EurekAlert! MicroBites, Scientias (Dutch & English). Interesting engineering (Full article). Behind the Paper in Nature Research Communities

• D. Phan, P. Dahl^#, S. Koundal, M. Pedram, E. Deniz, H. Benveniste, N. Malvankar and K. Kahle* Aberrant brain biomechanics initiates ventricular dilation in congenital hydrocephalus Neurosurgery 69(1), 32 (2023).

• D. Phan…P. Dahl^#.. N. Malvankar .. K. Kahle* Impaired neurogenesis alters brain biomechanics in a neuroprogenitor-based genetic subtype of congenital hydrocephalus. Nature Neuroscience 25, 458–473 (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01043-3 (Citations > 100) Press: News-1,2, Boston Children’s Hospital

• H. Xing, Y. Huang, B. Kunkemoeller, P. Dahl^#, O. Muraleetharan, N. Malvankar, M. Murrell, T. Kyriakides*. Dysregulation of TSP2-Rac1-WAVE2 axis in diabetic cells leads to cytoskeletal disorganization, increased stiffness & dysfunction. Sci. Rep. 12, 22474 (2022). DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-26337-1 Press: Yale News

• J. Neu^#†, C. Shipps^#†, M. Guberman-Pfeffer^#, C. Shen^#, V. Srikanth^#, J. Spies, N. Kirchhoffer, S. Yalcin^#, G. Brudvig, V. Batista, N. Malvankar* Microbial biofilms as living photoconductors due to ultrafast electron transfer in cytochrome OmcS nanowires. Nature Comm. 13, 5150,1-12 (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32659-5 (Citations > 75)   One-sentence Summary.    Press Release, Yale Today, Interesting Engineering,  Yale Highlight, Brookhaven National Lab Dutch New Scientist (translation). Interesting Engineering (PDF). Yale Today and Chemistry World.  Selected as Editor’s Highlight among the 50 best papers in Inorganic & Physical Chemistry.

• P. Dahl^#, S. Yi^#, Y. Gu^#, A. Acharya, J. Neu^#, P. O’Brien^#, U. Morzan, S. Chaudhuri, M. Guberman-Pfeffer^#, D. Vu^%, S.E. Yalcin^#, V. Batista & N. Malvankar* A 300-fold conductivity increase in microbial cytochrome nanowires due to temperature-induced restructuring of hydrogen bonding networks. Science Adv. 8, eabm7193 (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm7193 (Citations > 90). Press: EurekAlert!,  International Center for Theoretical Physics, Yale Scientific, Selected for Monthly Yale News.

• D. Shapiro^%, G. Mandava^%, SE Yalcin^#, P. Arranz-Gibert, P. Dahl^#, C. Shipps^#, Y. Gu^#, V. Srikanth^#, A. Salazar-Morales^#, J. O’Brien^#, K. Vanderschuren, D. Vu^%, V. Batista, N. Malvankar*^† and F. Isaacs*^† (co-last) Protein nanowires with tunable functionality & self-assembly using sequence-controlled synthesis Nature Comm. 13, 829 (2022). (Citations > 90) Press: Yale Scientific.  DOI:10.1038/s41467-022-28206-x  

• Y. Gu^#†, V. Srikanth^#†, A. Salazar-Moralez^#, R. Jain^#, J. O’Brien^#, S. Yi^#, R. Soni, F. Samatey^#, S. Yalcin^#, N. Malvankar* Structure of Geobacter pili reveals secretory rather than nanowire behavior. Nature 597, 430 (2021) DOI:10.1038/s41586-021-03857-w (Citations >230) One-sentence Summary;  Tweetorial;  News & Views, PDB: 6VK9; EMDB-21225. Raw EM Data: EMPIAR- 10797. Animations: Structure Tour. Press: Protein Data Bank’s Molecule of the Month. Proteopedia,Yale News, EurekAlert! Yale Today, Best of the Week, Live Science, Spanish News Top Profes, Recommended by Faculty Opinions as Exceptional.

• C. Shipps^#, H. Ray Kelly, P. Dahl^#, S. Yi^#, D. Vu^%, D. Boyer, C. Glynn, M. Sawaya, D. Eisenberg, V. Batista & N. Malvankar*. Intrinsic electronic conductivity in atomically resolved amyloid crystals reveals micrometer-long hole hopping via stacked tyrosines. PNAS 118, e2014139118 (2021).(Citations > 80) Press: Yale, Yale Today, Research Outreach. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014139118

• M. Guberman-Pfeffer^#, N. Malvankar* Making protons tag along with electrons Biochem. Journal 478, 4093–4097 (2021). DOI:10.1042/BCJ20210592. Selected for the Cover.

• S. E. Yalcin^#* & N. Malvankar* Novel imaging methods help identify structure & function of Geobacter nanowires in biofilms in Roadmap on emerging concepts in the physical biology of biofilms: from surface sensing to community formation. Physical Biology 18, 051501 (2021). (Citations > 100)

• SE Yalcin^#†*, J. O’Brien^#†, Y. Gu^#, K. Reiss, S. Yi^#, R. Jain^#, V. Srikanth^#, P. Dahl^#, W. Huynh^%, D. Vu^%, A. Acharya, S. Chaudhuri, T. Varga, V. Batista & N. Malvankar* Electric field stimulates highly conductive microbial OmcZ nanowires. Nature Chemical Biology 16, 1136–1142 (2020). (Citations > 225) One-sentence Summary.  News & Views in Nature Chemical Biology; DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-0623-9 Press: PDB’s Molecule of the Month. Yale, Scientific American, Live Science, Oxford Instruments, Nature Portfolio, NBC-SYFY, Yale Today, Yale News, Behind the Paper in Nature Research Communities American Society of Microbiology Podcast (@ 16:30 min.). In 98 percentiles across all journals (4^th in NCB)

• S. Yalcin^#*, B. Legg, M. Yeşilbaş, N. Malvankar* and J. Boily* Direct observation of anisotropic water film growth on minerals driven by defects and surface tension. Science Adv. 6, 30, eaaz9708 (2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz9708 (Citations > 55) Press: Yale News

• S. Yalcin^#*, N. Malvankar* The blind men & the filament: Understanding structures & functions of microbial nanowires. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology 59, 193-201 (2020). (Citations > 115)

• F. Wang^† & Y. Gu^†#, JP O’Brien^#, S. Yi^#, S. Yalcin^#, V. Srikanth^#, C. Shen^#, D. Vu^%, N. Ing, A. Hochbaum*, E. Egelman* & N. Malvankar*.  Structure of microbial nanowires reveals stacked hemes that transport electrons over micrometers. Cell 177, 1-9 (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.029 Animations: Structure Tour PDB: 6EF8 EMDB-9046. (Citations > 650) Press: New York Times, Protein Data Bank’s Molecule of the Month. Proteopedia structure highlight, Yale News; EurekAlert! Nature Chemical Biology, Yale Scientific, and Proteopedia methods highlight

• J. P. O’Brien^# and N. Malvankar* A simple and low-cost procedure for growing Geobacter sulfurreducens cell cultures and biofilms in bioelectrochemical systems. Current Protocols  43: A.4K.1-A.4K.27 (2016). DOI: 10.1002/cpmc.20  (Citations > 40). Selected in Commonly used methods for cell culture

• N. Malvankar, V. Rotello, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Reply to ‘Measuring conductivity of living Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms’. Nature Nanotechnology 11, 913-914 (2016) (Citations > 30)

PUBLICATIONS (before joining Yale)

• Y. Tan, R. Adhikari, N. Malvankar, S. Pi, J. Ward, T. Woodard, K. Nevin, Q. Xia, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Expressing the Geobacter metallireducens pili in Geobacter sulfurreducens yields pili with surprisingly high conductivity. mBio 8: e02203-16 (2017). (> 180 citations)

• Y. Tan, R. Adhikari, N. Malvankar, J. Ward, K. Nevin, T. Woodard, J. A Smith, O. Snoeyenbos-West, A. Franks, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Low conductivity of Geobacter uraniireducens pili suggests a diversity of electron transfer mechanisms in Geobacter. Frontiers in Microbiology 7, 980 (2016) (> 135 citations)

• Y. Tan, R. Adhikari, N. Malvankar, S. Pi, J. Ward, T. Woodard, K. Nevin, Q. Xia, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Synthetic biological protein nanowires with high conductivity. Small 12, 4481-4485 (2016). (> 180 citations)

• K. Xiao, N. Malvankar, E. Martz, C. Shu, D. Lovley, X. Sun. Low energy atomic models suggesting a pilus structure that could account for conductivity of Geobacter sulfurreducens pili. Scientific Reports 6, 23385 (2016). (> 80 citations) Animations: Interactive 3D        

• R. Adhikari, N. Malvankar, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Conductivity of individual Geobacter pili. RSC Adv. 6, 8354 (2016). (> 250 citations)

• J. Yun, N. Malvankar, T. Ueki, D. Lovley. Functional environmental proteomics: Elucidating the role of a c-type cytochrome abundant during uranium bioremediation International Society of Microbial Ecology Journal 10, 310 (2016). (> 45 citations).

• N. Malvankar, M. Vargas, K. Nevin, P. Tremblay, K. Evans-Lutterodt, D. Nykypanchuk, E. Martz, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Structural basis for metallic-like conductivity in microbial nanowires mBio  6 (2), e00084-15 (2015). DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00084-15 (> 225 citations)  Selected for the Cover Animations: Interactive 3D  Press: EurekAlert. Brookhaven National Lab

• News article highlighting this work

• N. Malvankar*, G. King, D. Lovley. Centimeter-long electron transport in marine sediments via minerals. International Society of Microbial Ecology Journal 9, 527-531 (2015) (> 70 citations)

• Xi Yu, N. Malvankar, V. Rotello. Impedance spectroscopy of ionic ligand modulated gold nanoparticles assembly and their application in volatile gas sensing. Small  11, 3814-3821 (2015). (> 15 citations)

• D. Lovley, N. Malvankar. Seeing is believing: Novel imaging techniques help clarify microbial nanowire structure and function. Environmental Microbiology 17, 2209 (2015). (> 105 citations).

• N. Malvankar* and D. R. Lovley. “Electronic conductivity in biofilms: Physical meaning, mechanisms, and measurement methods” Book Chapter in “Biofilms in bioelectrochemical systems: From laboratory practice to data interpretation.” Willey, NY (2015). Book Preview (> 115 citations).

• F. Liu, A. Rotaru, P. Shrestha, N. Malvankar, K. Nevin, D. Lovley^. Magnetite compensates for the lack of a pilin-associated c-type cytochrome in extracellular electron exchange. Environmental Microbiology 17 (3), 648-655 (2015). (> 500 citations).

• N. Malvankar*, S.Yalcin, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Visualization of charge propagation along individual pili using electrostatic force microscopy. Nature Nanotechnology­­ 9, 1012-1017 (2014). (> 265 citations).DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2014.236 In 98 percentiles in all journals (9^th in journal). Press: EurekAlert!

• N. Malvankar and Derek R. Lovley. 2014. “Microbial Nanowires for bioenergy applications.” Current Opinion in Biotechnology 27, 88-95 (2014).  (> 400 citations)

• X. Liu, P. Tremblay, N. Malvankar, K Nevin, D Lovely, M Vargas. Geobacter sulfurreducens with Pseudomonas aeruginosa pili localizes OmcS on pili but is deficient in Fe (III) oxide reduction & current production. Applied & Environmental Microbiology 80, 1219 (2014). (> 150 citations)

• P. Shrestha, N. Malvankar, J. Werner, A. Franks, A. Rotaru, M. Shrestha, F. Liu, K. Nevin, L. Angenent, D. Lovley. Correlation between microbial community and granule conductivity in anaerobic bioreactors for brewery wastewater treatment. Bioresource Technology 174, 306 (2014). (> 160 citations)

• S. Chen, A. Rotaru, N. Malvankar, F. Liu, K. Nevin, D. Lovley. Promoting interspecies electron transfer with biochar. Scientific Reports 4, 5019 (2014). (> 850 citations)

• C. Leang, N. Malvankar, A. Franks, K. Nevin D. Lovley. Engineering Geobacter sulfurreducens to produce a highly cohesive conductive matrix with enhanced capacity for current production. Energy and Environmental Science, 6:1901-1908 (2013). (> 200 citations)

• M. Vargas, N. Malvankar, P. Tremblay, C. Leang, J. Smith, P. Patel, O. Synoeyenbos-West, K. Nevin, D. Lovley. Aromatic amino acids required for pili conductivity and long-range extracellular electron transport in Geobacter sulfurreducens. mBio, 4: e00105-13 (2013). (> 385 citations). Selected as Editor’s Pick. Press:  Commentary in mBio. Physics World,

• P. Shrestha, A. Rotaru, M. Aklujkar, F. Liu, M. Shrestha, Z. M. Summers, N. Malvankar, D. Flores, D. Lovley. Syntrophic growth with direct interspecies electron transfer as the sole mechanism for energy exchange. Environmental Microbiology Reports, 5:904-910 (2013). (> 160 citations)

• N. Malvankar*, T. Mester, M.  Tuominen, D. Lovley. Supercapacitors based on c-type cytochromes using nanostructured networks of living bacteria. ChemPhysChem, 13, 463 – 468 (2012). (> 225 citations). Selected for the Cover. Press: Inside Science

• N. Malvankar*, M. T. Tuominen and D. R. Lovley. Biofilm conductivity is a decisive variable for the high-current density of Geobacter sulfurreducens microbial fuel cells. Energy and Environmental Science 5, 5790-5797 (2012). DOI: 10.1039/C2EE03388G (> 260 citations).

• News article highlighting above papers

• N. Malvankar*, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Lack of involvements of c-type cytochromes in long-range electron transport in microbial biofilms & nanowires. Energy and Environmental Science, 5, 8651-8659 (2012). (> 325 citations).  Note: This article focuses on monomeric cytochromes, not nanowires.

• N. Malvankar*, J. Lau, K. Nevin, A. Franks, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Electrical conductivity in mixed-species biofilms. Applied & Environmental Microbiology, 78, 5967 (2012). DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01803-12 (> 145 citations)

• N. Malvankar*, D. Lovley. Microbial nanowires: A new paradigm for biological electron transfer & bioelectronics. ChemSusChem 5, 1039-1046 (2012) (> 400 citations) Highlighted in Angew. Chem.

• N. Malvankar, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Comment on ‘‘On electrical conductivity of microbial nanowires and biofilms’’ Energy and Environmental Science 5, 6247:6249 (2012). (> 120 citations)

• F Liu, A Rotaru, P Shrestha, N. Malvankar, K Nevin, D Lovley. Promoting direct interspecies electron transfer with activated carbon. Energy & Environmental Science, 5, 8982 (2012). (> 1050 citations)

• Morita, M., N. Malvankar, Franks, A.E., Summers, Z.M., Giloteaux, L., Rotaru, A.E., Rotaru, C., & Lovley, D.R., Potential for direct interspecies electron transfer in methanogenic wastewater digester aggregates. mBio 2 (4), e00159-00111 (2011). (> 600 citations)

• N. Malvankar, M. Vargas, K. Nevin, A. Franks, C. Leang, B. Kim, K. Inoue, T. Mester, S. Covalla, J. Johnson, V. Rotello, M. Tuominen, D. Lovley. Tunable metallic-like conductivity in microbial nanowire networks. Nature Nanotechnology 6, 573 (2011). DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.119 In 99 percentiles across all journals, (Ranked 1^st in the journal) (> 1125 citations)  News & Views, On the Cover; Press: Physics World, New Scientist, Physics Today

• D. Lovley, T. Ueki, T. Zhang, N. Malvankar, P. Shrestha, K. Flanagan, M. Aklujkar, J. Butler, L. Giloteaux, A. Rotaru, D. Holmes, A Franks, R. Orellana, C. Risso, K. Nevin. Geobacter: The physiology, ecology, & practical applications. Adv. in Microbial Physiology., 59:1-100 (2011). (> 950 citations)

• Z. Summers, H. Fogarty, C. Leang, A. Franks, N. Malvankar, D. Lovley. Cooperative exchange of electrons within evolved syntrophic co-culture. Science 330,1413-1415 (2010). (> 1200 citations) Press: EurekAlert!

• D. Patra, N. Malvankar, E. Chin, M. Tuominen, Z. Gu, V. M. Rotello. Conductive microcapsules via self-assembly & crosslinking of gold nanowires at liquid interfaces. Small, 6: 1402–1405 (2010) (> 35 citations)

• A. E. Franks, N. Malvankar, K.P. Nevin. Bacterial biofilms: the powerhouse of a microbial fuel cell. Biofuels 1:589-604 (2010). (> 155 citations)

• N. Malvankar Investigations of electron transport and storage mechanisms in microbial biofilms. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2010).

PATENTS ISSUED/PENDING

• N. Malvankar*, S. Yalcin^# Systems and methods for forming biological nanowires and applications thereof. Patent No. 12612434 Issued 4/2026. Press: Highlight in Yale Magazine (Cover, Inside Cover), Yale Scientific

• F. Isaacs, N. Malvankar*, D. Shapiro^%, S. Yalcin^#, G. Mandava^%. Compositions and methods for making and using protein nanowires with tunable functionality. Filed on 1/25/2022.

• N. Malvankar*, S. Yalcin^#, P. Dahl^# Drugs to control bacterial growth & adhesion by targeting electron transfer via pili. Disclosure filed on 11/7/22.

• N. Malvankar*, S. Yalcin^#, G. Mandava^% , Faster, Reliable & Scalable DNA Sequencing using Protein Nanowires. Disclosure filed on 11/8/22.

• D. Lovley, N. Malvankar, R. Adhikari, Y. Tan, J. Ward, K. Nevin Microbial nanowires with increased conductivity & reduced diameter. Patent no. 11066449. Issued on 7/20/21.