Sagar Aryal- Founder of Microbe Notes

Dr. Sagar Aryal is a microbiologist, researcher, and science communicator who founded Microbe Notes in 2018. Dr. Aryal earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2025, supported by a DAAD Research Grant and a University Grants Commission (UGC) Nepal Ph.D. Fellowship. He is also co-founder and Research Head of the Department of Natural Products at the Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences (KRIBS), where he leads research on natural product discovery and microbial biodiversity.

His research interests include Actinomycetes, Myxobacteria, microbial taxonomy, and natural products, particularly the discovery of bioactive compounds with potential pharmaceutical applications. He isolated and identified Nocardia nepalensis, a novel bacterial species from Nepal, contributing to understanding microbial diversity in the region. Dr. Aryal has published more than 16 research articles in international journals and contributed three book chapters to established academic publications. He has presented scientific research findings and developed international research collaborations through visits to more than 18 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.

From 2023 to 2025, he served as the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Young Ambassador to Nepal. Since December 2025, he has served as an Editorial Board Member of Scientific Reports, a Nature Portfolio journal. In recognition of his scientific contributions, Dr. Aryal received the NAST Science and Technology Youth Award 2025 from the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology. He previously received the Frs. Locke and Stiller Research Award (LSRA) for the 2017-2018 cycle from St. Xavier’s College, Kathmandu, and a Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Research Grant for 2017-2018. Alongside his scientific career, Dr. Aryal has more than 15 years of experience in blogging, content writing, and search engine optimization (SEO).

Sagar Aryal

Education

  • Ph.D. in Microbiology (Feb 2018 – July 2025)
    Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
    Funded by: DAAD, Germany and UGC, Nepal
  • Master’s Degree (M.Sc.) in Microbiology (2011 – 2013)
    St. Xavier’s College, Maitighar, Kathmandu, Nepal (Tribhuvan University)
  • Bachelor’s Degree (B.Sc.) in Microbiology (2008 – 2011)
    St. Xavier’s College, Maitighar, Kathmandu, Nepal (Tribhuvan University)
  • One Year Bachelor’s Degree (B.Ed.) in Health (2013 – 2014)
    Bagmati Community College, Shantinagar, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) (Biology with Extra Math) (2006-2008)
    Himalayan White House International College, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • School Leaving Certificate (SLC)
    Kathmandu Don Bosco School, Kathmandu, Nepal

Work Experiences

  • Co-Founder (Feb 2017 – Present) and Research Head (Aug 2025 – Present)
    Department of Natural Products, Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences (KRIBS), Lalitpur, Nepal
  • Founder (June 2018 – Present)
    Microbe Notes (https://microbenotes.com)
  • Editorial Board Member (Dec 2025 – Present)
    Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio Journal) (https://www.nature.com/srep/about/editors) 
  • Lecturer (Mar 2017 – Jun 2019)
    Department of Microbiology, St. Xavier’s College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Teaching and Research Assistant (Mar 2016 – Mar 2017)
    Department of Microbiology, St. Xavier’s College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

Awards and Recognitions

  1. NAST Science and Technology Youth Award 2025 from Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Lalitpur, Nepal.
  2. ASM (American Society for Microbiology) Young Ambassador to Nepal: 2023-2025.
  3. Frs. Locke and Stiller Research Award (LSRA) Cycle 1 (2017-18), St. Xavier’s College, Kathmandu, Nepal.
  4. Best Proposal Award, 2018 Synthetic Biotechnology Training Course for Developing Countries, Beijing, China.
  5. SfAM Communications Award 2015, Applied Microbiology International, UK.

Research Grants

  1. DAAD Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degrees Research Grant 2019-2021.
  2. University Grant Commission (UGC) Nepal Ph.D. Fellowship 2019-2025.
  3. NAST Research Grant 2017-2018.

Travel Grants and Conferences

  1. 40th Annual Meeting of the Society for Actinomycetes Japan (SAJ40), September 9-10, 2026, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan (Oral Presentation).
  2. Microbial Solutions for a Changing World Conference, November 25-27, 2025, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (Oral Presentation).
  3. Kathmandu Humboldt Kolleg 2025, October 28-31, 2025, Kathmandu, Nepal (Oral Presentation).
  4. Conference on Recent Trends in Science, Technology, and Innovation, March 19-21, 2025, Pokhara, Nepal (Oral Presentation).
  5. FEMS 2023, July 9-13, 2023, Hamburg, Germany (Poster Presentation).
  6. FEMS 2019, July 7-11, 2019, Glasgow, Scotland, UK (Poster Presentation).
  7. Tuberculosis: Mechanisms, Pathogenesis and Treatment, Jan 17-21, 2019, Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, Alberta, Canada (Poster Presentation).
  8. Annual Applied Microbiology Conference 2018, July 9-11, 2018, Brighton, England, UK (Participation).
  9. Annual Applied Microbiology Conference 2017, July 3-6, 2017, Gateshead, England, UK (Invited Speaker).
  10. Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development: Issues, Challenges and Prospects, January 20-21, 2017, Secunderabad, India (Guest Speaker, Oral Presentation).
  11. International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance (IMED) 2016: November 4-7, 2016, Vienna, Austria (Poster Presentation).
  12. World Congress and Expo on Applied Microbiology 2015: August 18-20, 2015, Frankfurt, Germany (Media Partner and Participation).

Professional Memberships

  1. Applied Microbiology International (AMI) – Full Annual Membership (June 2020 – Present)
  2. Microbiology Society – Full Concessionary Membership (Oct 2017 – Present)
  3. International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) – Regular Society Membership (Jan 2020 – Present)
  4. The Society for Actinomycetes Japan – Full Membership (2025 – Present)
  5. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) – Global Outreach Contributing Membership (Nov 2012 – Present)
  6. Public Communication of Science and Technology network (PCST) – Full Membership (Feb 2026 – Present)
  7. British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) – Member (March 2021 – Present)
  8. European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) – LMIC Membership (June 2026 – Present)
  9. Biotechnology Society of Nepal (BSN) – Lifetime Membership

Research Paper Publications

  1. Aryal, S., Adhikari, R., Regmi, B., & Joshi, D. R. (2025). Antimicrobial potential of actinomycetes from high altitude Nepalese soils. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 33915. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09357-5
  2. Aryal, S., Neupane, L., Adhikari, R., Regmi, B., & Joshi, D. R. (2025). Nocardia nepalensis sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from forest soil in Pokhara, Nepal. The Microbe, 100282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microb.2025.100282
  3. Aryal, S., Adhikari, R., Regmi, B., & Joshi, D. R. (2025). Antibacterial Compounds of Actinomycetes Isolated From Altitude Soils. Journal of Nepal Health Research Council, 22(4), 784–791. https://doi.org/10.33314/jnhrc.v22i04.5552
  4. Aryal, S., Haeckl, F. J., Adhikari, R., Regmi, B., & Joshi, D. R. (2025). Antifungal Metabolites from High-Altitude Soil Actinomycetes Isolated from Nepal. Nepal Journal of Biotechnology, 13(1), 1–10.https://doi.org/10.54796/njb.v13i1.355
  5. Aryal, S., Neupane, L., Adhikari, R., Regmi, B., Koirala, N., & Joshi, D. R. (2020). Novel Streptomyces sp. reported in 2018: A Meta-Analysis. Anti-Infective Agents, 19(5), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.2174/2211352518666200423083354
  6. Aryal, S., Karki, G., & Pandey, S. (2015). Microbial Diversity in Freshwater and Marine Environment. Nepal Journal of Biotechnology, 3(1), 68–70. https://doi.org/10.3126/njb.v3i1.14236
  7. Shrestha, B., Nath, D. K., Maharjan, A., Poudel, A., Pradhan, R. N., & Aryal, S. (2021). Isolation and Characterization of Potential Antibiotic-Producing Actinomycetes from Water and Soil Sediments of Different Regions of Nepal. International journal of microbiology, 2021, 5586165. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5586165
  8. Sapkota, A., Thapa, A., Budhathoki, A., Sainju, M., Shrestha, P., & Aryal, S. (2020). Isolation, Characterization, and Screening of Antimicrobial-Producing Actinomycetes from Soil Samples. International journal of microbiology, 2020, 2716584. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/2716584
  9. Rijal, M., Neupane, B., Bhandari, P., & Aryal, S. (2015) Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in Elderly Patients with Diabetes Attending a Tertiary Care Center. J Trop Dis 3: 162. https://doi.org/10.4172/2329891X.1000162
  10. Adhikari, A., Münch, C., En-Nosse, N., Rayamajhee, B., Karki, G., Gc, B., Oli, P., Fromm, L., Schwarz, J., Sapre, S., Mehl, J., Aryal, S., Tappe, D., & Keller, C. (2026). Clinical, Molecular, and Immunological Characteristics of Scrub Typhus in Nepal. Open forum infectious diseases, 13(8), ofag390. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofag390
  11. Lamichhane, G., Acharya, A., Marahatha, R., Modi, B., Paudel, R., Adhikari, A., Raut, B. K., Aryal, S., & Parajuli, N. (2022). Microplastics in environment: global concern, challenges, and controlling measures. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 20(4), 4673–4694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04261-1
  12. Dawadi, S., Thapa, R., Modi, B., Bhandari, S., Timilsina, A. P., Yadav, R. P., Aryal, B., Gautam, S., Sharma, P., Thapa, B. B., Aryal, N., Aryal, S., Regmi, B. P., & Parajuli, N. (2021). Technological advancements for the detection of antibiotics in food products. Processes, 9(9), 1500. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9091500
  13. Rao, K., Verma, P., Kumar, K., Verma, M. K., Siddiqui, A. H., Singh, S., Dhakar, J. S., Kuru, C. I., Sharma, P. K., Soni, N. O., & Aryal, S. (2020). Review on newly identified coronavirus and its genomics organization. SSR Inst. International Journal of Life Sciences, 6(2), 2509–2519. https://doi.org/10.21276/SSR-IIJLS.2020.6.2.5
  14. Baniya, A., Singh, S., Singh, M., Nepal, P., Adhikari, M., Aryal, S., & Adhikari, A. (2019). Isolation and Screening of Antibiotics Producing Streptomyces spp from the Soil Collected around the Root of Alnus nepalensis from Godawari. Nepal Journal of Biotechnology, 6(1), 46–56. https://doi.org/10.3126/njb.v6i1.22337
  15. Gautam, B., Pokhrel, S., Aryal, S., & Basnet, A. (2017). Efficacy of Toothpaste in Reducing Micro-Flora Isolated from Toothbrush. Kathmandu University Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 13(2), 71–78. https://doi.org/10.3126/kuset.v13i2.21285

Book Chapter Publications

  1. Ghimire, T. R., Bhattarai, A., Ojha, N., Pant, P., & Aryal, S. (2020). Wildlife diplomacy and gifting in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya Region: A chronological history and opinion of Nepalese literates. In Springer eBooks (pp. 419-433). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36275-1_21
  2. Pandey, S., Aryal, S., & Byanjankar, A. (2016). Microorganisms: The building blocks of biodiversity. In Biodiversity: An overview (pp. 8-22). New Delhi, India: Oxford Book Company.
  3. Karki, G., & Aryal, S. (2016). Microbial diversity and ecosystem functioning. In Environmental Aspects of Biodiversity (pp. 159-167). New Delhi, India: Oxford Book Company.

New Paper Article Publications

  1. Nipah alert on myRepublica (https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/nipah-alert/).
  2. Outbreak on The Kathmandu Post (https://kathmandupost.com/opinion/2018/02/13/outbreak).

Sagar Aryal in the News

  1. Likeminded researchers all over the world – our experiences of FEMS (https://www.the-microbiologist.com/careers/likeminded-researchers-all-over-the-world-our-experiences-of-fems/1511.article)
  2. One day workshop organised in Kathmandu on Single Cell Protein (https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2018/02/23/one-day-workshop-organised-in-kathmandu-on-single-cell-protein).

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