Seminar/ Colloquium

Title : Antimicrobial resistance is a global phenomenon and also occurs in ocular microbes.
Speaker : Dr S Shivaji, L V Prasad Eye Institute
Date : 09/03/2018, 03:30 PM (Friday), Seminar Hall, First Floor.

Abstract: 

Resistant to antimicrobials is a global phenomenon and is seen in bacteria, fungi and viruses. This emergence is due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics, over the counter availability of the drugs, availability of counterfeit and substandard drugs and irrational dose of the antibiotic. Coupled with the above man-made factors the bugs also develop several strategies to avoid the killing effect of the drugs like ability to inactivate the antimicrobial agent, ability to prevent the entry of the antibiotic, ability to activate efflux of the antibiotic, ability to modify the targets of the antibiotic, ability to acquire a plasmid which would confer resistance and the ability to form a biofilm. The ability to form a biofilm and become impervious to antimicrobials is a strategy encountered worldwide in a variety of pathogens. Thus, studies focused on the molecular basis of biofilm formation would help to devise strategies to hack biofilm and thus ovcercome antimicrobial resistance. The presentation would focus on ocular Escherichia coli and Candida albicans with respect to resistance to antibiotics, biofilm forming potential and identification of genes differentially expressed during biofilm formation and drug resistance. The results demonstrate that ocular microbes in the biofilm phase are more resistant to antimicrobials. Temporal expression of genes has helped to identify specific genes involved in the various stages of biofilm formation like attachment phase, proliferation phase, maturation phase and dispersal phase. This information could form the basis to identify potential targets to inhibit biofilm formation and thus help to reduce the disease burden.