Manju Y Krishnan, Ph.D.
Sr Principal Scientist,Division Of Microbiology
Understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis persistence in search of
robust drug targets
RESEARCH FOCUS
Persistent infections take a toll on human health across the world. Bacterial persisters are a transiently antibiotic-tolerant subpopulation that are often slow-replicating or non-replicating, and are able to resume growth up on removal of a lethal stress. Persisters are therefore responsible for lengthy treatments, relapse and chronic infections. Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is tough to be eliminated from the host because of the remarkable ability of the bacilli to become persisters that are phenotypically drug tolerant. Persistence of M. tuberculosis demands for the long duration of anti-tubercular therapy, in order to prevent relapse. The main objectives of my research group are to understand the mechanisms of persistence in tuberculosis, identify and validate drug targets and to develop assays and models to screen for novel antitubercular agents with special focus on persisters.
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