International research project to develop predictive tools for discovering antibiotics against drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.
IIT (ISM) Dhanbad has secured an international research grant worth Rs 1.38 crore from the Gates Foundation, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA. The funding will support research aimed at developing predictive tools for antibiotic discovery against Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterial pathogen responsible for serious infections and associated with growing antimicrobial resistance.
The project, titled ‘Predictive Tools for Antibiotic Discovery in Klebsiella pneumoniae’, has been awarded to Prof Niladri Patra, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. The grant agreement was signed for USD 144,242, equivalent to Rs 1,38,77,326. The research project will continue until September 30, 2028.
The primary objective of the research is to develop computational and predictive tools that can accelerate the identification of potential antibiotic candidates against Klebsiella pneumoniae. The bacterium has emerged as a major public health concern because it can cause severe infections and develop resistance to multiple antibiotics. This resistance makes conventional treatment increasingly challenging and highlights the need for new approaches to antibiotic discovery.
Commenting on the achievement, Prof Patra said the research would use computational and predictive approaches to accelerate antibiotic discovery and contribute towards addressing the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.
Prof Patra completed his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2013 after obtaining his MSc from IIT Delhi in 2008. He had also worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He had joined IIT (ISM) Dhanbad as a teacher in December 2017.
Author
Related Stories
Most Read
- 1Argentina’s ‘Vanishing Sea’: Rare Low Tide
- 2Effect of the 12 August 2026 Solar Eclipse on the 12 Zodiac Signs, Know Who Will Benefit and Who Will Have to Be Careful
- 3Powai: Minor Girl Sexually Assaulted by Six Men, All Accused Arrested Within 24 Hours
- 4HC finds peon’s dismissal over tea and biscuits amounted to ‘injustice’
- 5Brace for 29 June: a Capricorn Full Moon, Mercury retrograde and Jupiter’s leap into Leo
