Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, May 14: A team of Indian researchers at the BRIC-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) has identified a promising new method to combat the global crisis of antibiotic resistance — by targeting porins, protein channels that control antibiotic access into bacteria.

Published in the prestigious journal Small, the study is a collaborative effort between RGCB, IIT Madras, and TIFR Hyderabad. The research zeroes in on how bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae — a high-priority pathogen according to the WHO — alter porins to block antibiotic entry and evade treatment.

Led by Dr. Mahendran’s team at RGCB, the scientists focused on a specific porin, CymAKp, which facilitates the uptake of cyclic sugars. Their findings suggest that exploiting such porins can enhance the transport of antibiotics into bacteria, potentially restoring drug efficacy.

RGCB Director Prof. Chandrabhas Narayana called the work a major step forward: “This interdisciplinary research opens exciting new avenues to outsmart bacterial resistance by enabling antibiotics to reach their targets more effectively.”

Backed by the Department of Biotechnology, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, and RGCB’s own funds, this discovery could pave the way for next-generation treatments that tackle antibiotic resistance at its root.