Sulagna Basu

Biography

Sulagna Basu is a Scientist at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata. She joined the Institute in 2006. Her current research focuses on the colonization of the neonatal gut with Gram negative bacilli and bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents in neonatal infections. Her laboratory has identified some of the currently widely disseminated antibiotic resistance determinants in bacteria causing neonatal infections. Sulagna Basu graduated from the University of Calcutta with B.Sc. in Chemistry. She earned her M.Sc. from the Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta. Dr. Basu received her Ph.D in 2003 from The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh . During this period her research revolved around the purification and characterization of a lectin from Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli . She received the ACBICON 2003 award for the work on Enteroaggregative E.coli.

Research Interest

The current research interest in our laboratory involves the colonization of the neonatal gut with Gram negative bacilli, neonatal infections due to Gram negative bacilli and drug resistance in Gram negative bacilli that cause neonatal infection. Highlight of research areas: Pattern of colonization of the neonatal gut with GNB and its association with neonatal sepsis The gut of a neonate is colonized by bacteria immediately after birth. Among the hundreds of bacteria that colonize the gut there are some potential pathogens. While not all colonization leads to infection, the pathogenicity of the aerobic Gram Negative Bacilli (GNB) may predispose the babies towards infection. The pattern of colonization of the neonatal gut and its association with sepsis is being studied. . It is anticipated that the study will provide an important explanation for gut organisms being responsible for sepsis in neonates. Additionally, we are also exploring the mechanisms related to pathogenesis in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae involved in neonatal infections. Antibiotic resistance mechanisms in Enterobacteriace and nonfermenters that cause neonatal infections The main focus of the studies is on carbapenemases and other ß lactamases. Carbapenems, a class of ß lactam antibiotics, are the last resort for the treatment of severe infections caused by ESBL producing organisms. However, the emergence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriacae has further restricted treatment options which were already limited in neonates. Mechanisms of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriace and nonfermenters that cause neonatal infections are being studied. Our group has identified some of the currently widely disseminated antibiotic resistance determinants