About

Shaily Mahendra is an Associate Professor and Samueli Fellow in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests focus on microbial interactions with chemical contaminants and nanoparticles, with applications spanning ecotoxicology, biodegradation, and disinfection. She employs microbiological, molecular biological, and isotopic tools to characterize microbial communities in both engineered and natural environments, aiming to optimize biological processes for improved wastewater treatment and bioremediation systems, explore biofuel production from industrial wastewater, and investigate mechanisms of transformation, toxicity, and trophic transfer of nanoparticles. Her work emphasizes understanding the implications and applications of biotechnology and nanotechnology to harness their benefits while minimizing environmental and public health liabilities. Mahendra has received recognition for her contributions, including the Paul L. Busch award for technology to clean water of pollutants. Her research projects include advanced water treatment technologies and their acceptance, reflecting her commitment to addressing critical environmental challenges through innovative scientific approaches.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Environmental chemistry
• Geology
• Environmental science
• Organic chemistry
• Geotechnical engineering
• Biology
• Ecology
• Geomorphology
• Soil science
• Environmental engineering

Selected publications

• Assimilation of cis-1,2-dichloroethene by aerobic 1,4-dioxane-metabolizing bacterium Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans CB1190

  Journal of Hazardous Materials · 2026-03-07 · 1 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Fungal proteomic response to PFAS mixtures: Defense or offense?

  Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters · 2025-07-22 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  The differential expression of molecular markers identified in response to environmental contaminants offer insights into early-stage resilience pathways that may support biological remediation approaches. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemically stable, persistent environmental pollutants, which are associated with multiple adverse health effects. While fungi possess oxidative enzymes with potential for PFAS biotransformation, the molecular basis of their tolerance and response remains poorly understood. This study investigated the proteomic response of Phanerochaete chrysosporium to 10 mg/L PFOA and an environmentally relevant concentration of a PFAS mixture. Although no measurable PFAS degradation was observed over a 25-day exposure period, significant differential protein expression of key stress-response proteins such as cytochrome P450s, glutathione S-transferases, heat shock proteins, peroxidases, and ABC transporters were noted, in both intra- and extracellular fractions. Functional enrichment revealed the activation of pathways related to posttranslational modification, protein turnover, membrane efflux mechanisms, catabolism, and signal transduction. Proteomic profiles were shaped more closely by exposure duration and localization than by compound identity. These findings highlight the early-stage adaptations and signaling mechanisms of wood-decaying fungi under PFAS stress, which precede observable chemical breakdown and offer critical insights into fungal responses that may be leveraged for future monitoring and bioremediation strategies. • Phanerochaete chrysosporium fungus was exposed to PFOA and a complex PFAS mixture • Strong proteomic response observed despite no measurable PFAS removal in 25 days • Time- and compartment-specific protein expression showed fungal stress adaptations • Detoxification proteins (P450s, GSTs, HSPs, transporters) differentially expressed • Candidate fungal biomarkers for environmental contaminant stress were identified

  PublisherDOI

• Magneto–thermal convective flow in fluid–porous region with heat source/sink effects: analytical study

  Ain Shams Engineering Journal · 2025-10-25

  articleOpen access

  This study unveils a detailed analytical exploration of interfacial convective movement within a hybrid fluid–porous setup exposed to a vertical magnetic field, accompanied by either internal heating or cooling mechanisms. The porous area is represented through Darcy’s law, while the boundary conditions feature a rigid, adiabatic lower boundary and a free, isothermal upper boundary. To investigate varying thermal settings, three distinct temperature profiles are analyzed: linear (Model 1), parabolic (Model 2), and inverted parabolic (Model 3). Closed-form expressions for the thermal Marangoni number (Mn) are established, facilitating a systematic assessment of the effects of depth ratio, heat source intensity, and magnetic field strength. An extensive discussion elaborates on how different parameters influence the eigenvalue in relation to the depth ratio, providing a comprehensive examination of the interconnections at work. The results highlight the intricate and substantial interactions between magnetic fields, thermal gradients, and surface tension effects, all of which collaboratively shape the stability and dynamic behavior of the fluid interface in focus. By employing advanced mathematical modeling techniques and cutting-edge computational simulations, this research offers invaluable insights into the fundamental mechanisms driving convection in layered fluid systems, which exhibit considerable potential applications across a wide range of engineering and industrial endeavors. Moreover, it has been noted that the impact of heat sources or sinks within the fluid layer is significantly greater than their effects observed in the porous layer when analyzing the eigenvalue. These phenomena are crucial for areas such as microgravity crystal growth, geothermal energy extraction, cryogenic applications, multilayer thermal insulators, and liquid metal energy storage solutions. The analytical outcomes align closely with previous studies, confirming the validity of the developed model.

  PublisherDOI

• Correction to “A Readily Scalable, Clinically Demonstrated, Antibiofouling Zwitterionic Surface Treatment for Implantable Medical Devices”

  Advanced Materials · 2025-07-29

  erratumOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Predictive modeling of non-solvent-induced phase inversion in mixed matrix membranes for phosphate recovery

  Journal of Membrane Science · 2025-12-23

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Proteomics insights into the fungal-mediated bioremediation of environmental contaminants

  Current Opinion in Biotechnology · 2024-10-10 · 8 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Laccase Immobilized on Arginine-Functionalized Boron Nitride Nanosheets for Enhanced Atrazine Degradation

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2024-08-12 · 14 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Enzyme-mediated systems have been widely employed for the biotransformation of environmental contaminants. However, the catalytic performance of free enzymes is restricted by the rapid loss of their catalytic activity, stability, and reusability. In this work, we developed an enzyme immobilization platform by elaborately anchoring fungal laccase onto arginine-functionalized boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS-Arg@Lac). BNNS-Arg@Lac showcased ∼75% immobilization yield and enhanced stability against fluctuating pH values and temperatures, along with remarkable reusability across six consecutive cycles, outperforming free natural laccase (nlaccase). A model pollutant, atrazine, was selected for a proof-of-concept demonstration, given the substantial environmental and public health concerns in agriculture runoff. BNNS-Arg@Lac-catalyzed atrazine degradation rate was nearly twice that of nlaccase. Moreover, BNNS-Arg@Lac consistently demonstrated superior atrazine degradation in synthetic agricultural wastewater and various mediator systems compared to nlaccase. Comprehensive product analysis unraveled distinct degradation pathways for BNNS-Arg@Lac and nlaccase. Overall, this research provides a foundation for the future development of enzyme-nanomaterial hybrids for degrading environmental chemicals and may unlock new potential for green and efficient resource recovery and waste management strategies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Enhanced Atrazine Degradation Using Laccase Immobilized on Arginine-Functionalized Boron Nitride Nanosheets

  ChemRxiv · 2024-02-05 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Fungal enzyme-mediated systems have been widely employed for the degradation of environmental contaminants. However, the use of free enzymes is limited by the rapid loss of their catalytic activity, stability, and reusability, which further restricts their catalytic performance. In this work, we developed an enzyme immobilization platform by elaborately anchoring the fungal laccase onto arginine-functionalized boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS-Arg@Lac). BNNS-Arg@Lac showcased enhanced stability against fluctuating pH values and temperatures, along with remarkable reusability across six consecutive cycles, outperforming free natural laccase (nlaccase). As a demonstration, a model pollutant of atrazine (ATR) was selected for proof-of-concept applications, given substantial environmental and public health concerns in agriculture runoff. By applying BNNS-Arg@Lac, the ATR degradation rate was nearly doubled that of nlaccase. Moreover, BNNS-Arg@Lac consistently demonstrated superior ATR degradation capabilities in synthetic agricultural wastewater and various mediator systems compared to nlaccase. Comprehensive product analysis unraveled distinct degradation pathways for BNNS-Arg@Lac and nlaccase, further elucidating the mechanism of the laccase-catalyzed ATR treatment. Overall, this research provides a foundation for the future development of enzymatic catalysts in tackling pollution problems and may unlock new potential for green and efficient environmental remediation and waste management strategies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Enhanced in situ bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes: from in situ microcosms to full-scale application

  Bioremediation Journal · 2024-06-04 · 1 citations

  article

  Concentrations greater than 20 mg/L of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (cVOCs) including tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) have been present in site groundwater for more than four decades. To promote a faster clean-up time, an in situ bioremediation approach was evaluated using In-Situ Microcosms® (ISMs) followed by a full-scale in situ bioremediation approach. The ISM study evaluated slow-release versus quick-release carbon substrates with and without bioaugmentation using the chlorinated ethene degrading culture, SDC-9™. After a three-month incubation period, the ISMs were retrieved. The ISMs amended with a carbon source with or without bioaugmentation displayed greater than a 93% reduction in TCE, which corresponded to an increase in cDCE in all the ISMs. The Dehalococcoides population and gene abundances associated with chlorinated ethene biodegradation (tceA, bvcA, vcrA) increased three orders of magnitude in the bioaugmented ISMs over the natural attenuation ISM and carbon source only amended ISMs. Additionally, the SDC-9™ and AquaBupH®, an enhanced emulsified oil substrate (EOS®) and buffer, amended ISM unit showed the highest level of vinyl chloride and similar level of ethene to the SDC-9™ and EHC®, a controlled-release, organo-iron substrate, ISM. However, the AquaBupH and SDC-9™ ISM displayed the highest level of acetate, demonstrating active fermentation processes. The results of the ISM study indicated that a combined approach of biostimulation along with bioaugmentation effectively promoted conditions conducive to reductive dechlorination. The full-scale in situ bioremediation system coupled biostimulation with bioaugmentation using SDC-9™ to successfully reduce chlorinated ethenes in groundwater. The slow-release carbon substrate, EOS-100® served as a sustained carbon source along with CoBupH (buffering agent similar to AquaBupH), facilitating the production of hydrogen, through volatile fatty acid fermentation. This led to the reduction of chlorinated ethenes over the subsequent three years, showcasing minimal rebound in contaminant levels. Two rounds of bioaugmentation notably increased the Dehalococcoides population, accelerating the biodegradation processes, which is setting up the site for monitored natural attenuation. This study shows that using ISMs to guide full-scale bioremediation design resulted in an effective cVOC biodegradation system that led to quicker and more sustainable clean-up.

  PublisherDOI

• On the Disproportionate Contribution of Membrane Electron Donor Functionality in Membrane Biofouling

  ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces · 2024-02-15 · 5 citations

  article

  This study set out to uncover which interfacial properties have the greatest impact on membrane organic fouling, biofouling, and fouling resistance. A relatively simple manipulation of the basic equations used in determining Lifshitz–van der Waals (LW) and Lewis acid–base (AB) surface tensions for solid materials reveals that the high electron accepticity of water makes the electron donicity of membrane and biofouling materials the key component governing their interfacial free energy of adhesion (ΔG132), which defines the favorability (or unfavorability) of one material (1) adhering to another (2) when immersed in a liquid (3). Various biofoulant and membrane LW and AB surface tensions were systematically characterized. Static bacterial adhesion, alginic acid filtration, and wastewater filtration tests were conducted to determine the fouling propensities of three different polymeric membrane materials. Experimental results of microbial adhesion, alginate fouling, and biofouling tests all correlated well with membrane electron density, where higher electron density produced less organic fouling or biofouling. These combined theoretical and experimental results confirm the importance of surface electron donicity in determining the fouling propensity of polymeric membranes.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• CAREER: Enzyme Expression in Microbial Communities Oxidizing Emerging Water Contaminants: An Integrated Research and Education Plan

  NSF · $400k · 2013–2019

• Copper Nanoparticle Interactions with Nitrogen-Cycling Bacteria

  NSF · $300k · 2011–2015

Frequent coauthors

• Eric M.V. Hoek

  University of California, Los Angeles

  40 shared

• Leonard H. Rome

  University of California, Los Angeles

  29 shared

• Meng Wang

  27 shared

• Lisa Alvarez‐Cohen

  University of California, Berkeley

  26 shared

• Phillip B. Gedalanga

  California State University, Fullerton

  23 shared

• Jens Blotevogel

  Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

  17 shared

• Valerie A. Kickhoefer

  17 shared

• Kung‐Hui Chu

  Texas A&M University

  16 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Environmental Science and Engineering

  University of California, Los Angeles

  2009

• M.S., Environmental Science and Engineering

  University of California, Los Angeles

  2004

• B.S., Environmental Science

  University of California, Los Angeles

  2002

Awards & honors

• Paul L. Busch Award for technology to clean water of polluta…