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Khawla Alharbi

Khawla Alharbi

Postdoc Research Associate
Vet Microbiology & Preventive Medicine
kalharbi@iastate.edu
515-294-4111
Patterson
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General

I am a molecular microbiologist and a postdoctoral research associate focused of studying how bacteria communicate, adapt, and interact with hosts and microbial communities to influence disease outcomes. My work is driven by a central question: how can we better understand bacterial behavior so we can prevent infection and reduce reliance on antibiotics?

My research began with studying bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis in broiler chickens, where I investigated how probiotics, vaccines, nutrition, gut health, and microbiome changes influence disease resistance. This work shaped my interest in connecting host-pathogen interactions with practical strategies that improve animal health, food safety, and One Health outcomes.

My work has expanded into bacterial signaling, quorum sensing, RaS-RiPP antimicrobial peptides, antimicrobial resistance, and rapid susceptibility testing in veterinary and zoonotic pathogens. I use animal disease models, molecular microbiology, microbiome analysis, antimicrobial assays, MIC testing, and interdisciplinary approaches to study infection from both mechanistic and applied perspectives.

My long-term goal is to build an independent research program that connects fundamental studies of bacterial communication and pathogenesis with real-world solutions, including antimicrobial peptides, microbiome-based interventions, antibiotic alternatives, and rapid AMR diagnostics.

 

Education & Certifications

  • University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA — 2025
    Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology
  • University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA — 2026
    Post-Master’s Certificate in Educational Statistics and Research Methods
  • King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — 2015
    M.Sc. in Medical Microbiology
  • King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia— 2010
    B.Sc. in Botany and Microbiology

Teaching

  • Teaching Assistant, Department of Biology, University of Arkansas (2022–2025)
     Principles of Biology (BIOL 10101)
  • Teaching Assistant, Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas (2021–2025)
     Domestic Animal Microbiology (POSC 24103) 
  • Lecturer, Prince Sattam University, Saudi Arabia (2015–2016)
    Bacteriology, General Microbiology, and Mycology.

Research Focus & Interests

Research Focus:

  • Investigating bacterial communication, antimicrobial peptide biology, antimicrobial resistance, host-pathogen interactions, and One Health approaches to infectious disease control.
  • Studying quorum sensing-regulated RaS-RiPP peptide induction in Streptococcus species, with emphasis on bacterial signaling, radical SAM-modified peptides, virulence regulation, biofilm formation, antimicrobial activity, and microbial competition.
  • Applying molecular microbiology, genetic approaches, reporter assays, antimicrobial activity assays, MIC testing, qPCR, and LC-MS/MS-based methods to characterize peptide regulation, function, and therapeutic potential.
  • Contributing to interdisciplinary studies that combine microbiology, artificial intelligence, peptide design, veterinary medicine, engineering, and diagnostic technologies to develop antimicrobial peptides and rapid antimicrobial resistance detection strategies.
  • Supporting studies targeting priority veterinary and foodborne pathogens, including Streptococcus suis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter.
  • Identifying prevention and mitigation strategies for bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) in broiler chickens through microbiome-informed, nutritional, probiotic, vaccine-based, and non-antibiotic interventions.

Research Interests

  • Microbial pathogenesis and host–pathogen interactions
  • Antimicrobial resistance and microbial ecology
  • Molecular microbiology and bacterial signaling systems
  • Poultry health and bacterial diseases affecting livestock
  • Development of antimicrobial peptides and alternative therapeutics
  • Probiotics, vaccines, and nutritional strategies for disease prevention
  • Gut microbiome and immune responses in animal health
  • One Health approaches to infectious disease prevention and food safety

Memberships

  • American Society for Microbiology
  • American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • Poultry Science Association
  • The Poultry Federation
  • International Association for Food Protection
  • American Association of Avian Pathologists

Selected Publications

  1. Alharbi, K., Asnayanti, A., Meuter, A., & Alrubaye, A. A. K. Synergistic effects of early-life Enterococcus faecium spray application and dietary Bacillus-based probiotic supplementation on gut integrity, immune response, and bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis in broilers. Poultry Science. Under review. 2026.
  2. Perera, R., Asnayanti, A., Alharbi, K. S., Do, A., Ben Larbi, M., Anthney, A. P., F. V. Assumpcao, A. L., Arsi, K., Kumar-Phillips, G., Santamaria, J. M., Erf, G. F., Kalapala, T., Pillai, S. D., Jesudhasan, P., & Alrubaye, A. A. K. (2025). Leveraging Electron Beam-Inactivated Multi-Strain Staphylococcus Vaccine for Preventing BCO Lameness in Broiler Chickens. Vaccines, 13(9), 946. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines1309094
  3. Do, A. D. T., Alharbi, K., Perera, R., Asnayanti, A., & Alrubaye, A. (2025). Preliminary Investigation of Cecal Microbiota in Experimental Broilers Reared Under the Aerosol Transmission Lameness Induction Model. Animals, 15(24), 3641. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15243641.
  4. Zulfiqar, Z., Asif, M.A., Alharbi, K., Yao, H., Zhu, X., Wang, Z., Sun, H., Cui, Y., Liu, B., Huang, S. and Shi, Y., 2025. Dietary perennial ryegrass improves meat quality: insights into the gut-muscle axis in geese. npj Science of Food, 9(1), p.258.
  5. Zulfiqar, Z., Asif, M.A., Al-Mitib, L., Alharbi, K., Hossain, T., Yao, H., Zhu, X., Wang, Z., Sun, H., Cui, Y. and Liu, B., 2025. Zn glycine mitigates the LPS-induced hepatic injury and inflammation through NrF2/NFκB signaling in geese. Poultry Science, p.105772.
  6. Alharbi, K., Dang Trieu Do, A., Alqahtani, A., Perera, R., Thomas, A., Meuter, A., & Alrubaye, A. A. K. 2025. Assessing the Impact of Spraying an E. faecium Probiotic at Hatch and Supplementing Feed with a Triple-Strain Bacillus-Based Additive on BCO Lameness Incidence in Broiler Chickens. Animals, 15(12), 1765.
  7. Alharbi, K., Anthney, A., Perera, R., Do, A.D.T., Asnayanti, A., Onyema, R., Reichelt, S., Meuter, A., Jesudhasan, P., Alrubaye, A. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Probiotic and Multivariant Vaccination Strategies in Mitigating BCO Lameness Using a Hybrid Challenge Model. Animal. 2025.
  8. Alharbi, K., Ekesi, N., Hasan, A., Asnayanti, A., Liu, J., Murugesan, R., Ramirez, S., Rochell, S., Kidd, M.T. and Alrubaye, A., 2024. Deoxynivalenol and fumonisin predispose broilers to bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis lameness. Journal Poultry Science, p.103598.
  9. Alharbi, K., Asnayanti, A., Do, A.D.T., Perera, R., Al-Mitib, L., Shwani, A., Rebollo, M.A., Kidd, M.T. and Alrubaye, A.A.K., 2024. Identifying Dietary Timing of Organic Trace Minerals to Reduce the Incidence of Osteomyelitis Lameness in Broiler Chickens Using the Aerosol Transmission Model. Animals, 14(11), p.1526.
  10. Alharbi, K., Asnayanti, A., Hasan, A., Vaught, W.J., Bühler, K., Van der Klis, J.V., Gonzalez, J., Kidd, M.T., and Alrubaye, A., 2024. Investigating the effect of 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol-glycosides and phytogenic antioxidants against bacterial chondronecrosis induced by aerosol transmission model. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 34(1), 100507.
  11. Asnayanti, A., Alharbi, K., Do, A.D., Al-Mitib, L., Bühler, K., Van der Klis, J.D., Gonzalez, J., Kidd, M.T. and Alrubaye, A.A., 2024. Early 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3- glycosides supplementation: An efficient feeding strategy against bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis lameness in broilers assessed by using an aerosol transmission model. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 33(3), p.100440.
  12. Perera R, Alharbi K, Hasan A, Asnayanti A, Do A, Shwani A, Murugesan R, Ramirez S, Kidd M, Alrubaye AAK. Evaluating the Impact of the PoultryStar®Bro Probiotic on the Incidence of Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis Using the Aerosol Transmission Challenge Model. Microorganisms. 2024; 12(8):1630.
  13. Assumpcao, A., Arsi, K., Asnayanti, A., Alharbi, K., Do, A.D.T., Read, Q., Perera, R., Shwani, A., Hasan, A., Pillai, S., Donoghue, A., Rhoads, D., Jesudhasan, P. and Alrubaye, A.A.K., 2024. Electron beam-killed-Staphylococcus vaccine-controlled lameness in broiler chickens. Vaccine. 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12111203.
  14. Do, A.D.T., Anthney, A., Alharbi, K., Asnayanti, A., Meute, A., Russo, K., Sobotik, E., and Alrubaye, A., 2024. Assessing the impact of spraying an Enterococcus faecium based probiotic on day-old broiler chicks at hatch on the incidence of bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis lameness using a Staphylococcus challenge model. Animals (Basel). 2024 May 2;14(9):1369. doi: 10.3390/ani14091369.
  15. Do, A.D.T., Asnayanti, A., Alharbi, K., Perera, R., Lawal, A., Ault, A., Rochell, S., Corray, S., and Alrubaye, A., 2024. Evaluation of protease plus a precision-biotic on body weight gain and feed conversion ratio in broilers from 0 to 42 days of age. Ger. J. Vet. Res. 4 (4): 52-60. https://doi.org/10. 51585/gjvr.2024.4.0109
  16. Asnayanti, A., Hasan, A., Alharbi, K., Hassan, I., Bottje, W., Rochell, S.J., Rebollo, M.A., Kidd, M.T. and Alrubaye, A.A., 2024. Assessing the impact of Spirulina platensis and organic trace minerals on the incidence of bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis lameness in broilers using an aerosol transmission model. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, p.100426.
  17. Asnayanti, A., Do, A.D.T., Alharbi, K., and Alrubaye, A., 2023. Inducing Experimental Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis Lameness in Broiler Chickens Using Aerosol Transmission Model. Journal of Poultry Science. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.103460.

 

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