IISc, nine others win challenge to tackle drug-resistant infections

Bengaluru: Nine winners have been announced for the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Challenge 2024-25, held by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Bengaluru, and supported by the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF).

The initiative aims to foster the identification and development of world-class, AMR-focused innovative solutions to tackle antimicrobial resistance in India and benefit Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). The winners will be supported by C-CAMP and GAMRIF.

Launched in August 2024, the C-CAMP National AMR Challenge received around 200 applications from innovators and startups across India, seeking funding and ecosystem support for solutions to address AMR.

According to C-CAMP, AMR-associated deaths are projected to rise to 10 million per year globally by 2050.

The impacts of climate change, antimicrobial misuse and overuse across the food and agriculture industries, and the buildup of antimicrobial pollution in the environment due to effluents and poor waste management practices will be major contributors to this rise in AMR-related deaths. However, solutions to tackle the AMR burden in the environment remain limited, particularly in LMICs.

Prof Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, stated that antimicrobial resistance is a serious issue because of unchecked effluents from agriculture and industry reaching waterbodies, air, and land. "The problem has assumed alarming proportions across the entire world. I am heartened to see that innovators and scientists in India are developing cutting-edge innovations," he added.

Among the winners was the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), whose solution tackled AMR emergence through effluent treatment using robust catalytic enzyme mimetics.

The technology developed by Subinoy Rana's team is capable of effectively degrading residual antibiotics from effluent wastewater and also exhibits antibacterial activity through advanced photocatalytic processes.

The Foundation for Neglected Diseases Research (FNDR) developed a cartridge-based device to deplete antimicrobial residues from wastewater, using a patented mixture of activated charcoal and plant-based materials.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham developed an affordable point-of-testing (POT) device for monitoring AMR. The innovation, developed by Bipin Nair's team, is capable of detecting and identifying various clinically relevant pathogens for the rapid and accurate detection of specific bacteria.

Other winners included Bengaluru-based Biomoneta Research, D-NOME, Vividew Innovations, Diagopreutic, Mylab Discovery Solutions, and Huwel Life Sciences.