This year’s two Grants of the President of the Russian Federation have been awarded to Skoltech scientists who study ways to combat bacterial infections, currently a hot-button issue for scientists and healthcare professionals.
Ilya Osterman, a principal research scientist at the Skoltech Center of Life Sciences (CLS), has won a Doctor of Science Grant for the project titled “Finding and studying the producers of new antibiotics-protein synthesis inhibitors” and aiming to identify producers of new protein synthesis inhibitors, study the molecular basis of their action, and propose ways to use them in the fight against bacterial infections.
“Ever since the discovery of penicillin, microorganisms have been the primary source of new antibiotics. Recent discoveries of new antibiotics suggest that this source is still of high interest. Over half of the known antibiotics can disrupt protein synthesis. New protein synthesis inhibitors open the door to the development of new antibacterial drugs, thereby helping to overcome drug resistance and providing new insights into ribosome functioning,” Osterman says.
Olga Sindeeva, a research scientist at the Skoltech Biomaterials Laboratory, has won a Candidate of Science Grant for the project “Smart antibacterial films for external use and surface modification of prostheses and implantable devices”.
The project purports to create “smart” bandages and surface modification coatings for implants. The coatings are designed as “smart” biodegradable films that comprise microcontainers arranged in a regular pattern and filled with antibacterial drugs, enabling either extended small-dose or fast large-dose release of antibiotics. The “smart” bandages and coatings can help customize therapy for a specific inflammatory process behavior in individual patients.
“Implant-associated infections which often necessitate implant removal and lead to permanent disability stand out from all other types of bacterial infections. They are especially difficult to manage, as the biofilms formed by the bacteria on the implanted item’s surface are inaccessible for systemic antibiotic therapy. Although the severity and course of infection may vary between patients, all cases require early local antibiotic therapy.
I am very pleased and honored to have received funding for this project. This financial support is extremely timely and important, since our new Biomaterials Laboratory led by Professor Gleb Sukhorukov closely collaborates with leading Moscow clinics authorized to use our materials in clinical practice,” Olga Sindeeva comments.
Our congratulations to the winners!
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