This research develops small-molecule treatments for chikungunya virus using a lock-and-key approach targeting viral proteins. A key challenge—molecular orientation (enantiomers)—was addressed with a new synthesis method producing over 95% effective molecules. The optimized compound, BDGR-651, shows promise as a future antiviral treatment for this debilitating disease.

Malaria still kills hundreds of thousands annually, while drug and insecticide resistance spread. This research shows that limiting mosquito sugar supply alters their evolution, reducing malaria parasite burden over generations. Targeting mosquito sugar metabolism offers a novel, sustainable strategy for controlling malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

This research explores a novel malaria control strategy by manipulating mosquito sugar metabolism. By forcing Anopheles stephensi to adapt to low-sugar diets across generations, mosquitoes evolved reduced malaria parasite loads. Targeting mosquito nutrition offers a promising alternative to insecticides for controlling malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

This research investigates how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, a growing global health threat. By identifying resistant bacteria and analysing how they chemically modify antibiotics, the work aims to uncover resistance mechanisms. These insights are essential for preserving antibiotic effectiveness and safeguarding treatments against life-threatening infections.

This research investigates how MRSA loses its antibiotic resistance by shedding the SCCmec genetic element. Environmental stressors such as heat and dryness increase this vulnerability, while antibiotics alone reinforce resistance. Understanding these mechanisms could enable new strategies to reverse resistance and improve treatment options for life-threatening MRSA infections.

Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever is a deadly tick-borne virus affecting communities in Uganda and spreading with climate change. Through interviews and large-scale antibody testing, this research identifies how people are exposed to the virus, informing targeted prevention strategies such as awareness campaigns, tick control, behavioural change, and future vaccination planning.

Malaria infects hundreds of millions each year by using the parasite Plasmodium to invade the liver through the CSP protein. This research designs tightly binding antibodies to block infection at its earliest stage, improving vaccine effectiveness and offering a path toward preventing malaria before symptoms begin.

By stripping Salmonella of its molecular “effectors,” this research identifies interferon gamma as a key immune barrier preventing infection. A small set of SPV genes enables the bacterium to overcome this defense. Understanding these mechanisms reveals new targets for therapies against Salmonella, a major global health threat.

Tuberculosis remains deadly despite relying on decades-old antibiotics. This research uses computational methods to identify immune response similarities between TB and other diseases, enabling drug repurposing. By borrowing already approved treatments, this approach aims to restore immune balance, combat drug resistance, and accelerate the development of new TB therapies.

This research tackles antibiotic resistance by developing nano-scale microfluidic cultures that isolate and study previously unculturable bacteria. By screening rare microbes and directly testing their antimicrobial activity, the platform accelerates discovery of new antibiotics, offering a powerful tool against drug-resistant superbugs.