Mycobacteria Research Laboratory at Birkbeck commemorating World Tuberculosis Day 2014
A new video is being launched as part of awareness-raising activity
To mark World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, which falls on 24 March 2014, Dr Sanjib Bhakta, a Reader in Molecular Microbiology and Director of the Mycobacteria Research Laboratory at Birkbeck, will be involved in a conference, lectures and launching a new video.
Dr Bhakta said: “Tuberculosis is a major public health threat. Every year about nine million people get sick with TB and three million of them don’t get the care they need. We should find, treat and cure them. Every 20 seconds someone dies from this dreadful disease, and rates of TB infection in London are now the worst across Western Europe, with 3426 new diagnoses in 2012. Therefore, it is vital that we use events like World Tuberculosis Day to highlight the work that is being done to find new cures, to share knowledge, and to inspire a new generation of scientists who will take up this research.”
Dr Bhakta has produced a new film, explaining a technique developed in his laboratory for quickly and effectively testing the susceptibility of whole TB bacteria to different new molecules as well as existing drug compounds. The technique, known as HT-SPOTi, enables research teams to grow TB cultures much more rapidly and naturally than was previously possible, thereby significantly decreasing the time taken to test new drug compounds by direct observation of the results, to what is known as the gold standard.
On 26 March, Dr Bhakta will be chairing an international summit on tuberculosis in London, with speakers covering topics including identifying new targets for anti-tuberculosis drug therapies and the search for new, shorter treatments for pulmonary tuberculosis. After the conference, Dr Bhakta will write a report for the journal Virulence.
On 21 March, Dr Bhakta gave a World TB Day lecture at St Mary’s School, Buckinghamshire. Dr Bhakta has been working with St Mary’s School for over three years, offering pupils insights into a career in scientific research. In this year’s lecture, Dr Sanjib spoke about his research into the anti-tubercular properties of common, over-the-counter painkillers.
The Indian Development Foundation has elected Dr Bhakta as an Honorary Consultant for UK-India TB Research and Awareness, and he is also the Antibiotic Action Champion 2014 for Antibiotic Action.
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