Wiriya completed her PhD in Chemistry at Stanford University where she studied bacterial biofilms, the communities of bacteria that can come together within a slimy matrix to shelter bacteria from human immune systems and antibiotics in many common infections. Her research led to the discovery of a new, naturally modified cellulose in biofilms of E. coli that bears implications for the treatment of urinary tract infections as well as the development of novel biosynthetic materials.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Wiriya explored her interest in soil microbes, hoping to elucidate their detailed mechanisms in nutrient recycling to effectively utilize them for sustainable agriculture. She continued her work at Northwestern University as a postdoctoral fellow where she used high resolution Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry in the Aristilde Lab to study molecular mechanisms in microbes as well as their links to environmental processes.
Wiriya is now Lecturer, Department of Chemisty, Mahasarakham University, Thailand.