Wadsworth Center scientists Drs. Rajendra K. Agrawal, Nilesh K. Banavali, and Soneya Majumdar presented research at the 20th Translational Control meeting, held September 1-5 at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
Dr. Agrawal presented the discovery of RTOF, a newly identified ribosome hibernation factor in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy, the team discovered and characterized how RTOF associates with the mycobacterial ribosome and may limit the binding of certain ribosome-targeting antibiotics. This work advances understanding of drug tolerance in dormant M. tuberculosis and may inform future approaches to identify therapeutic targets.
Dr. Banavali presented a poster on the binding of small molecules to prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes. His work combines high-resolution cryo-EM with structure-based computational analysis to examine medically important antibacterials in complexes with ribosomes from Borrelia burgdorferi, bacteria that cause Lyme disease, and Candida auris. The research supports efforts to develop more selective treatments for bacterial and fungal pathogens.
Dr. Majumdar, a postdoctoral fellow in the Agrawal Laboratory, presented her findings on the role of DnaK in ribosome hibernation in M. tuberculosis. Her poster described structural evidence from biofilm-derived ribosomes that points to a previously unrecognized function for DnaK in this process. The team’s participation in this international meeting highlights Wadsworth Center’s expertise in structural biology, infectious-disease research, and the application of cryo-EM to address antibiotic tolerance and antimicrobial drug development.