Projects

Proline-rich AMPs (PrAMPs) are intracellular acting AMPs rich in proline and arginine.  They are known to enter Gram-negative bacteria via inner membrane transporters and inhibit bacterial protein synthesis by targeting ribosomes without damaging membranes.

We are studying Apidaecin, an 18 aminoacid long PrAMP of honey bee origin, which is the first known antibiotic that binds to bacterial ribosomes during the termination of protein synthesis. 

We are also studying PR-39, a 39 amino acid long PrAMP of porcine origin to understand its uptake mechanisms. 

Histone derived AMPs (HDAPs) are a class of AMPs discovered in fish and amphibians, and are seen to originate from fragments of histones. While it has been shown that HDAPs are not lytic in nature, their intracellular targets as well as mechanisms of action are yet to be elucidated.

We are studying Buforin, a HDAP of Toad origin to understand its antimicrobial properties and decipher its mechanism of action. 

Plants express diverse kinds of AMPs but there have been limited studies to understand them. We are working with Neem (Azadirachta indica), a plant used extensively in Indian traditional medicine for its antimicrobial properties. Using a combination of bioinformatics and biochemical approaches, we aim to identify and characterize the antimicrobial peptides expressed in Neem.