SWEDISH SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES NETWORK

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Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University:

Postal Address: Institutionen för medicinsk biokemi och mikrobiologi (IMBIM), Box 582, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
Visiting address: Uppsala Biomedicinska Centrum (BMC), Husargatan 3, ing. C11
Fax: +46-18-471 4209
Web page: http://www.imbim.uu.se/

Contact person: Associate professor Göte Swedberg, phone: +46 (0)18 471 4619. Personal web page.

Research carried out within the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology concerns the mechanisms, primarily at the molecular and cellular levels, that together enable life and that regulate functional processes in living organisms. The projects deal primarily with mammalian cells, viruses and bacteria. Many of the current projects are based upon studies of the interaction between macromolecules, and of the signals that arise from this interaction. The department runs a graduate training program connected to the research projects.

Research connected to South Asia

Göte Swedberg has recently started a research project on Molecular analysis of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in India. This project has been given SEK 600 000 as a Swedish Research Links grant 2004 (Asian–Swedish research partnership programme) for the three-years period 2005–07 by Sida and the Swedish Research Council.
Project description: The objectives are to characterize the molecular basis of methicillin resistant S. aureus  (MRSA) in India in order to device diagnostic methods to study the distribution and spread of resistant bacteria in hospitals as well as in the community. Methodology: Methicillin resistant isolates will be analysed by Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST). The influence of fem (factors for methicillin resistance) genes will be analysed by molecular cloning, mutagenesis studies and determination of peptidoglycan structure. The significance of the project rests in understanding the molecular basis of resistance will help in identifying spread of resistant bacteria in the community and device sensible ways of using available antibiotics.

The collection and PFGE analysis of samples for the project will be done in India, and molecular biology techniques will be introduced and used in the Indian lab. Regular workshops will also be held alternating between India and Sweden. The research partners in India are Gayathri Arakere (Senior researcher) and Savitha Nadig (project assistant) from Sir Dorabji Tata Centre for Research in Tropical Diseases in Bangalore, but the ambition is also to engage PhD candidates in the project.