Garima Shekhawat Poster 2024
Ms Garima Shekhawat
Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, India
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase B as Vaccine Candidate Against Tuberculosis
Poster Abstract
Purpose and motivation
Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). Due to the emergence of drug resistance and the coexistence of TB with HIVAIDS, the management of TB has become very challenging worldwide. So, there is an urgency to develop new effective drugs and vaccines to combat TB.
Work Done
In this study, we used Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protein tyrosine phosphatase B (PtpB), secreted into the host cell. By interacting with host signal transduction processes in macrophages, PtpB attenuates host immune defences. Thus it could be a potential vaccine candidate against tuberculosis. Here, we performed computational analyses to study the M.tb PtpB immunogenicity and vaccine potential by in-silico producing a multi-epitope subunit vaccine against TB.
Results
The computationally prepared multi-epitope subunit vaccine is predicated as nonallergic with significant immunogenicity to generate an immune response in the host. Also, the analysis of docking this with an immunological receptor reveals its potential to serve as a good vaccine candidate against TB.
Conclusion
In this work, we studied the importance of Ptp B in vaccine development against TB and found positive vaccine potential using our computation approaches. Thus, this study can be extended to develop and validate as a vaccine against TB in vivo.
Biography
Garima is an integrated M.Sc. microbiology and life sciences graduate from Central University of Rajasthan, India, spanning from 2016 to 2021. For her bachelor’s thesis in 2019, supervised by Dr. Deeksha Tripathi, she had the opportunity to contribute to the development of a vaccine candidate against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Specifically, she focused on the PtpB secretory protein, employing in-silico methods such as molecular docking, simulations, allergenicity, and immunogenicity tests. Her work was selected for presentation at the International Conference on Frontiers in Biochemistry and Biotechnology: Strategies to Combat Human Diseases in 2020, held in Delhi, India, among other 40 poster presentations.
In her master’s thesis in 2021, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Inshad A. Khan, Garima worked on the development of a drug target for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), focusing on its efflux pump NorA, utilizing in-silico methods. Presently, she is keen to delve into research on TB and HIV co-infections, cancer, COVID-19, antimicrobial resistance, and one health, while remaining open to addressing other pressing issues.
Outside of her academic pursuits, Garima is described as a nature-loving, travel enthusiast who is detail-oriented and a data nerd. She is always curious to learn, adaptable, optimistic, and looks forward to potential opportunities and collaborations in her field.
