As an experienced microbiologist and dentist, Dr. Bandara's research focuses on discovering, developing, and validating novel molecular and microbiological methodologies for next-generation diagnostic applications and instrumentation. Driven by the fact that microbial communal interactions in natural ecosystems remain largely unravelled, his core research aims to elucidate the physical and chemical interactions of microbes in competitive polymicrobial environments, specifically fungal-bacterial biofilm communities. By deeply understanding the physiology of the microbial communal lifestyle, his work seeks to define novel molecular pathways that can be targeted for translational research.

In particular, his work characterises how the human fungal pathogen Candida responds to various bacterial quorum sensing molecules (QSMs) using an inter-kingdom, fungal-bacterial interaction model system. Through these studies on polymicrobial biofilms and their internal fungal-bacterial interactions, Dr. Bandara aims to uncover how these complex relationships influence antimicrobial therapy and the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). By harnessing this information, his research seeks to design targeted therapies to disrupt and treat resilient polymicrobial biofilm infections. Furthermore, these ecological insights can be strategically translated to shift the eco-balance in favour of beneficial organisms across wider settings ranging from clinical interventions like managing device-associated and healthcare-associated infections, to industrial and environmental applications such as water purification, biofuel generation, and sustainable agriculture.