, an assistant professor in the 91社区鈥檚 Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, has recently been awarded an Outstanding Investigator grant from the (NIH). He is the first faculty member from USF to receive this prestigious award.
鈥淭his is a monumental milestone in my life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is recognition that my scientific peers think my work is worth taxpayers' money. It is an honor I will value forever.鈥�
Eswara鈥檚 research, which has been published in meritorious journals like mBio, PLoS Genetics, and more recently in , aims to shed light on the largely-mysterious process of bacterial cell division especially in such as Staphylococcus aureus. Eswara and his team have discovered specific proteins which, upon their depletion, rapidly halt cell reproduction.
鈥淲e are identifying new protein targets, as well as the drugs to target them,鈥� Eswara said. 鈥淭he idea is to develop compounds to act as antibiotics or help other commercial antibiotics work better when combined.鈥�
This research is increasingly relevant in a world where antibiotic-resistant bacteria like methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is becoming more prevalent. The ominous rise in antibiotic resistance will make surgical procedures, for example, the routine caesarean section and advanced open heart surgeries more risky as they provide a window of opportunity for bacteria to enter and establish themselves. The same is true for drugs that weaken the immune system such as the chemotherapy drugs used for treating cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, by the year 2050, illnesses caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms will kill 10 million people every year, and push millions more into extreme poverty.
This grant, also called as Maximizing Investigator鈥檚 Research Award for Early Stage Investigators or shortly MIRA-ESI, provides five years of funding, nearly $1.9 million, in support of Dr. Eswara鈥檚 research. It is intended for investigators who are relatively early in their careers and show substantial promise. This award is different from more common grants because, rather than providing funding for a specific project, it gives the investigator the creative flexibility to study a variety of topics with minimal administrative burden.
鈥淭his is aimed to fund people rather than projects 鈥� it gives me the freedom to follow the projects in whichever direction they may take me,鈥� Eswara said.
With this funding, Eswara intends to continue and expand his current line of research and start new interdisciplinary collaborations to help find solutions to the existing and emerging problems in the field.
鈥淢y interest is to identify new factors and mechanisms involved in bacterial cell division, because what we know is not comprehensive at all, by any measure,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot has been overlooked especially in non-model organisms because of lack of technology or genetic tools. I鈥檓 glad the NIH continues to support this type of research. Basic biology is important.鈥�
This grant will enable Eswara to make new discoveries to advance the field of bacterial cell division and develop new antibacterial compounds.