Head of the Department
Senior Lecturer Gr. I
heroiraj@gmail.com
tcbamunu@tec.rjt.ac.lk

Teaching programs and modules

BPT 2205: Molecular Biology
BPT 2209: Molecular Biotechnology
BPT 3108: Seminar
BPT 3201: Molecular Microbiology
BPT 3209: Scientific Writing

Microbiology (Special): Faculty of Applied Sciences 2009-2017
Molecular Biology
Plant Pathology
Molecular Biotechnology
Molecular Microbiology
Immunology, Bioinformatics
Techniques and Strategies in Molecular Biology

Selected publications

Indexed & Peer-Reviewed Articles

1. Yapa, P.N., Du, W., Madhushan, A., Yan, K., Asad, S., Karunarathna, S. C., Bamunuarachchige, T. C. (2022) Potential of biofertilizers and natural soil amendments to mitigate heavy metal contents of soil in lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) farming. ScienceAsia 48 (2022): 326-334 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2022.045.
2. Yapa, P.N., Lakmali, J. P. D., De Zoysa, H. K. S., Silva, S., Manawadu, C., Herath, B. M. M. D., Madhushan, K.W.A., Perera, E.G., Ratnayakae, O.C., Kapilan, R., Rathnayake, A.I., Sirisena, U.G.A.I., Suhail, A., Karunarathna, Samantha C., Bamunuarachchige, T. C. (2022) Biofertilizers: An Emerging Trend in Agricultural Sustainability. Chiang Mai Journal of Science, 49 (3): 1-33pp.
3. Sammani, A. M., Dissanayaka, D. M., Wijayaratne, L. K., Bamunuarachchige, T. C., & Morrison, W. R. (2020). Effect of pheromones, plant volatiles and spinosad on mating, male attraction and burrowing of Cadra cautella (Walk.)(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Insects, 11(12), 845. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11120845. 
4. Yapa, P. N., Sandaruwan, M. K. D. D., Duminda, D. M. S., & Bamunuarachchige, T. C. (2020). Effect of bacterial biofertilizers, native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil amendments on soil and grain phosphorus availability of flooded rice in dry zone, Sri Lank. Vingnanam Journal of Science, 15(2).
5. Jayaratne, W.M.S.C., Abeyratne, A.H.M.A.K., De Zoysa, H.K.S., Dissanayake, D.M.R.B.N., Bamunuarachchige, T.C., Waisundara, V.Y., Chang, S.. (2020). Detection and quantification of Aflatoxin B1 in corn and corn-grown soils in the district of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Heliyon, 6 (10): 1-6pp, e05319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05319
6. D.M.S.K.Dissanayakaa, A.M.P.Sammani, L.K.W.Wijayaratnea, Bamunuarachchige, T.C. and W.R.Morrison (2020). Distance and height of attraction by walking and flying beetles to traps with simultaneous use of the aggregation pheromones from Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)(Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae). Journal of Stored Products Research. doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2020.101705
7. Bandara, M.M.K., Herath, H.M.V.G. , Wickramasinghe, H.A.M. and Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2017). Assessment of Morphological Characters of Selected Traditional Sri Lankan Rice Varieties (Oryza sativa L.) journal of Dry Zone Agriculture. 3 21-28pp.
8. Galhenage Ajith Udayantha, Mapa Mudiyanselage Krishanthi Bandara and Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2017). Evaluation of efficacy of mosquitocidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis – local strains Bt4 and Bt6e. International journal of innovative research and knowledge. 2:8 44-51pp.
9. Randima, G. D. D., Abeysinghe, K. G. D. De. A., Vandercone, R. P. G. and Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2016). Screening of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in captivity at elephant orphanage, Pinnawala and ETH, Udawalawe for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus type1 (EEHV 1) using direct amplification of pathogen DNA from trunk washes. Proc. of the Fourth Intl. Conf. Advances in Bio-Informatics, Biotechnology and Environmental Engineering- ABBE 2016. 27-32 PP doi: 10.15224/ 978-1-63248-091-0-07.
10. Fenando, H.K.D.H., Kajenthini, T.J.C., Rebeira, S.P., Bamunuarachchige, T.C. and Wickramasinghe, H.A.M. (2015). Validation of molecular markers for the analysis of genetic diversity of amylase content and gel consistency among representative rice varieties in Sri Lanaka. Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 26.
11. Alahakoon, U.I., Herath, H.M.V.G., Abeyrathna, P.K., Karunatilleke, R.W.M.V.W.N.C., Silva, U.K Y., Bamunuarachchige, T. C. and Bandara, J.M.R.S. (2007). Agrobacterium mediated transfer of Bacillus thuringiensis strain 6e cry gene to Ixora odorata var. Vulcan, a comparison of tissues. Tropical Agricultural Research, Volume 19, 2007.
12. Ekanayake, E.M.D.S.B., Vidanapathirana, A.K., Abeyrathna, P.K., Silva, U. K., Bamunuarachchige, T.C. and Bandara, J.M.R.S.B. (2007). Transformation of Metarhizium anisopliae by Agrobacterium mediated gene transfer and Electroporation. Tropical Agricultural Research, Volume 19, 2007.
13. Rajapaksha, K.H., Wickramasinghe, H.A.M., Bandara, J.M.R.S., Jayawardana, N.U., Senevirathne, D.M.A.N. and Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2007). Comparative structure modeling of metal regulatory transcriptional factor; MTF-1. Tropical Agricultural Research, Volume 19, 2007.
14. Perera, M.W.P., Bamunuarachchige, T.C.,Careem, R., Silva, U. K. Y. and Bandara J.M.R.S. 2002. Agrobacterium mediated transfer of synthetic cry 1 gene to rice calli of BG380. Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 14: 22-30.
15. Bamunuarachchige, T.C., Chandrananda, B.M.K.A., Ranathunga, R.A.K.M., Damayanthi, K.P.N. and Bandara, J.M.R.S. 2000. An Efficient Agrobacterium Binary Vector System to Transfer Bt 6e cry Gene. Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 12 56-63 (2000).

Abstracts / Extended Abstracts (National & International)

1. HMD Tharaka, PN Yapa, Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2019). Development of sausages from immature jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) with rice bran fermented with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. 4th International Research Symposium on Pure and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
2. Kuruppuarachchi, KAPP, Dissanayake, DMJC and Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2018). Determination of the prevalence of bla genes isolated from UTI patients in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka by specific primer PCR. Proceedings of the South Asian Biotechnology Conference, 2018.
3. JAAWL Jayasekara, KGD De A Abeysinghe, DMJC Dissanayake, RPG Vandercone, Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2017). Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Fecal Matter of Wild Elephants (Elephas maximus). Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium, Sri Lanka. Published by Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Sri Jayawardenepura.
4. Mayadunne, S., Bandara, M.M.K., Dissanayaka, DMJC and Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2016). Use of partial mecA, femA and 16SrDNA sequences for the identification of Clinical Isolates of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus IRSUW, Uwawellassa University, Sri Lanka.
5. MMK Bandara, Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2016). Isolation and identification of naphthalene degrading bacteria from a polluted environment. IRSPAS, University of Kelaniya. 34pp.
6. Abeysinghe GD, Dayarathne A, Udayantha GA, Dissanayake DM, Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2014) Towards Safe and Efficient Bt Mosquitocides; Determining Cry and Cyt Protein Profiles and the Production of Type IB Exotoxin by Local Bt Strains 4 and 6E.WinC, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka.
7. M.M.K. Bandara, D.S. Kekulandara, D.M.R.B.N. Dissanayake, W.L.G. Samarasinghe and Bamunuarachchige, T.C. (2013). Efficiency of Callogenesis and Amenability to Agrobacterium Mediated Transformation of Selected Traditional Sri Lankan Rice Varieties. Proceedings of International Symposium on Agriculture and Environment 2013University of Ruhuna Sri Lanka.
8. Zakeel. M.C.M., Priyadarshani, W.G.K.C., Wickramasinghe, H.A.M., Bamunuarachchige, T.C., Weerasinghe, P.A. and Marker, F.M.M.T. (2013). Microbial production of L-histidine from different substrates using soil-borne bacteria isolated from Puliyankulama, Anuradhapura. Proceedings of the young scientists forum symposium 18th January 2013.
9. Kolin Harinda Rajapaksha; Sarath Bandara; Bamunuarachchige, T.C.; Prasanna Kumara Aberathne; Amal Nayanagith Senavirathne (2008) Comparative Modeling of Human Metallothionein Isoform-3 (MT-3) Abstracts from the 4th Annual USHUPO Conference, Bethesda, MD, USA.
10. Rajapaksha. K.H. Bandara. J.M.R.S , Bamunuarachchige T.C, Jayawardana N.U. 2008). Simulation of chromic renal failure among farm families in cascade irrigation systems in Sri Lanka associated with elevated dietary cadmium levels, 5th annual meeting of integrative bioinformatics, leucorea lutherstadt wittenberg, Germany. http://www.imbio.de/conference08/posterabs.php.
11. Bandara J.M.R.S., Bamunuarachchige, T.C., Rajapaksha, K.H., Ariyasinghe, D.S.C.L., Bandara, J.M.R.B. and Abeysekara, T. (2007). Cadmium and chronic renal failure in Sri lanka. Proceedings of the 2nd international conferance on forensic science and medical science, July 28-29, 2007. Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand.
12. Rajapaksha, K.H., Karunatilleke, R.W.M.V.W.N.C., Umemura F., Alahakoon U.I., Gunawardana,.A., Abeyrathne.P.K., Wickramasinghe, H.A.M., Bamunuarachchige, T.C. and Bandara,J.M.R.S. (2006). A 56 kDa Protein Suppressor of Shoot Formation in Indica Rice calli.(Chromatin and Epigenetic Regulation of Transcription: PENNSTATE Summer Symposium in Molecular Biology 2007,The Pennsylvania State University, June 19-22,2007).
13. Bamunuarachchige, T.C., (2006). Importance of calreticulin in the callus regeneration ability of indica rice varieties (Oryza sativa ssp. indica). Proceedings of the 4th annual CDB symposium: Logic of development: New strategies and concepts, , April 10-12, 2006, Center for Developmental biology, Riken, Kobe, Japan.

1. Abeysinghea, G., De Zoysa, H.K.S., Bamunuarachchige, T.C., and Zakeel, M.C.M. (2022) Cold-tolerant and cold-loving microorganisms and their applications. In Soni, R., Suyal, D., Yadav, A., and Goel, R. (Eds.), Trends of Applied Microbiology for Sustainable Economy (pp. 185-205). Academic Press. ISBN 9780323915953.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91595-3.00006-9.
2. Weerasekera, A. C., Samarasinghe, K., De Zoysa, H. K. S., Bamunuarachchige T.C., & Waisundara, V. Y. (2021). Cinnamomum zeylanicum: Morphology, Antioxidant Properties and Bioactive Compounds. In Waisundara, V. Y. (Ed), Antioxidants. DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.97492.
3. Bamunuarachchige, T.C., Wickramasinghe, HAM, Dissanayaka, DMJC and Wickramarathna, NAD (2011). GM probiotics in Monograph on probiotics, Min-Tze Liong(ed). Springer-Verlag Berlin-Heidelberg-New York.
4. Bamunuarachchige, T.C., D.M.J.C., Dissanayaka, N.A.A.D, Wickramarathna, G.A. Udayantha (2011). Bacillus thuringiensis Biopesticides: Key strains and toxins, Mass culture, formulation strategies and improvements, in Bioprocess science and technology Min-Tze Liong (ed). Nova science publishers, New York, USA

1. Bamunuarachchige, T. C. and Herath, H.M.V.G. (2005). Agricultural biotechnology – applications, Open University publications: September 2005.

Awards and external recognitions

Awards:

• Dr A.W.R. Joachim Memorial Award for best GPA 2002 (PGIA)

Scholarships:

• NSF Scholarship for most meritorious student (PGIA) 1999-2000

Memberships:

• Member American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAS)
• Working Committee member, Committee for Biotechnology and Bioethics: National Science Foundation (NSF) 2013-2017

Reviewing:

• Invited reviewer: Pannel of reviewers for Presidential awards for patents
• Invited Reviewer: Sri Lanka Inventors Commission
• Lead Reviewer for the World Bank-funded research projects under the AHEAD program
• Research proposal reviewer for NSF and NRC

Current and Previous Funded Projects

Development Projects:

• Lead Writer: World bank funded competitive grant for Quality and Innovation Grants (QIG) external degree programs. Grant value 80,000 £.
• 2020: ADB funded competitive grant for university partnerships (MSU, USA). Grant value 250,000 USD

Research Projects:

• 2014-2015: University Research Grants Study of the genetic background and the related gene expression of drought tolerance in selected Sri Lankan traditional rice varieties.
• 2012-2013: WHO Grant 2012/288967-0 SO 10 Task 21.5 – 2012-2013
  Development of environmentally friendly bio control method for the control of Mosquito larvae.”
• 2009-2010: University Research Grants
  Socio conomic impact of CKDu in the North Central Province.
• 2008-2010: WHO APW grant number- SE/SRLWCD001/RB07/ER 1.3.7
  Study of Bti cerotype H14 and local strains for control and prevention of disease burden of mosquito vectors.
• 2007-2010: NSF grant RG/2007/BT/06- “18s rRNA/rDNA based molecular characterization of locally isolated Aspergillus oryzae and the elucidation of alpha amylase gene expression based altered carbohydrate metabolism during fermentation” In collaboration with Dr Mangalika Wickramasinghe.

Postgraduate research students

Current students
PhD:

M.Phil:

• Mr D.M.S.K. Dissanayaka
• Ms A.M.P. Sammani

Past students
PhD:

• Mrs P.N. Yapa
• Mr G.A. Udayantha

M.Phil:

• Mrs P.N. Yapa
• Mrs M.M.K. Bandara
• Mr M.C.M. Zakeel

Administrative & Other Activities within the University

Head – Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, July 2021-to date
Dean – Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, 2019 January- August
Head – Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, 2018-2019
Program Coordinator – Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, – 2016-2018
Head – Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, 2012-2015
Program Coordinator – B.Sc. online Degree program, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, 2008-2011