This is our third and final episode showcasing members of
this year’s AR Health Ventures Accelerator (ARHVA) program. Dr. Gyan Sahukhal sits down with us to discuss tackling staph infections and the challenges of treatment due to biofilm. His therapeutic approach targets regulators of biofilm formation and reduces complications from these types of infections. This is a major public health issue, often found in hospital settings, where they can range from mild skin conditions to severe, life threatening infections like sepsis, pneumonia, and osteomyelitis. Sahukhal highlights the role of biofilms in these infections, especially on implanted medical devices, where biofilm formation makes the bacteria highly resistant to both the immune system and conventional antibiotics. His research focuses on targeting global regulatory proteins, like MSAB and SARA, which are essential for biofilm formation. By disrupting these proteins, the researchers hope to prevent biofilm formation and make the bacteria more susceptible to conventional antibiotics. Sahukhal expresses optimism about the future impact of the research, which could help address the growing challenge of biofilm-associated infections in medical settings.