The Hindu Business Line : Dept of Biotechnology undertakes study to scan microbes for antibiotics

Mumbai, Sept 10 Unique and extreme agro-climatic regions such as hot arid deserts, cold mountainous areas or even the sea, for instance, could soon be hunting grounds for scientists looking for micro-organisms or microbes that could lead to the development of medicines.

As part of a proposed study spearheaded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and aimed specifically at developing new and effective antibiotics, scientists will screen for bio-molecules from diverse microbes collected from different ecological niches, a DBT source told Business Line.

The project is expected to get operational by the year-end.

The plan envisages partnerships between government-run scientific institutions and an industry-partner, such as a pharmaceutical company, to isolate bio-active molecules from microbes. These bio-actives would be further studied to isolate a lead that could be developed into a potential drug, the source said.

The screening will be for anti-cancer, anti-infective, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammation and anti-microbacterial activity. And it is significant, given the demand for new and more effective antibiotics, as bacterial resistance increases to existing antibiotics, the source said, referring to instances where antibiotics fail to cure patients as they may have developed resistance to the drug. The global sales of oral antibiotics is estimated at over $25 billion.

8 eco-niches identified

The proposed DBT study has identified eight “ecological niches” or regions with specific agro-climatic conditions in the country, the source said. Microbes got from soil or water habitats in a hot or arid region, for instance, may lead to a molecule that could be effective in a high-temperature, the source explained. Marine samples have in the past revealed interesting insights, a scientist familiar with the development said.

Scientists scan and isolate microbes and then use technologies such as a high-throughput machine to identify the bio-active molecule in them, the source said. At least 25 per cent of all global medicines come from plant extracts, he added, explaining that scanning microbes for leads was not a new thing. The DBT-funded study is interesting as extreme and unique regions are being covered, he said.

The DBT is also putting in place agreements on intellectual property, besides issues such as revenue-sharing in the event the research leads to drug development and commercialisation, the DBT source said.