On November 22, the Microbiology Society announced its 2023 Prizes, and we were delighted to see Lister Fellows Dr Tanmay Bharat and Professor Ravi Gupta receive the accolade.
Translational Microbiology Prize 2023: Professor Ravi Gupta
2021 Lister Fellow, Ravi Gupta, was given the Translational Microbiology Prize for his work in the field of global HIV drug resistance at molecular and population levels.
His group also studies on HIV reservoirs in cells, particularly macrophages. This understanding is relevant to both anatomical compartments where HIV virus replication occurs, as well as in the design of HIV therapies.
Since the start of the Covid pandemic, Ravi’s research has broadened to include study the evolution of the virus, included validating and introducing the SAMBA II point of care test into clinical practice at Addenbrooke’s.
“This award means a lot to our group; we and our collaborators have aimed to use lab science to answer questions that arise when we care for patients, and vice versa by taking insights from the lab to understand diseases.”
Ravi has also just been featured in the Clarivate list of the world’s most highly cited scientists.
Ravi Gupta works between the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, South Africa, and the UK. Since 2019, he has been Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Diseases. You can find out more about his lab’s research on their website.
Fleming Prize 2023: Dr Tanmay Bharat
Another of our 2021 Fellows, Dr Tanmay Bharat, wins the Fleming Prize.
He thanked the “talent, hard-work and endless optimism” of his colleagues in the laboratory.
“I am particularly grateful to have recognition from the microbiology community, because in addition to our work on biofilms, one of the major areas of our research on prokaryotic surface layers is in desperate need of wider attention, and this prestigious award will help immensely in that respect.”
Tanmay’s lab studies cell surfaces of prokaryotes at the atomic level using electron tomography and associated techniques. We’ve all been stunned by the incredible images he has shown us during his talks.
Surface molecules mediate cellular interactions with the environment, playing important roles in key processes including cell adhesion, biofilm formation and antibiotic tolerance in pathogenic bacteria. Studying the surface molecules which allow pathogenic bacteria, such as P. aeruginosa, to evade antibiotic treatment through formation of biofilms has important biomedical applications for improving treatment of infections.
Tanmay is based at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. You can visit his lab’s microsite here.
It brings us at the Lister great joy to play a role in supporting biomedical scientists such as Tanmay and Ravi. We send them our warmest congratulations.
You can read more on the 2023 Prizes on the Microbiology Society’s website.
