IISER Pune Scientist Recognized by EMBO for Malaria Drug Resistance Research

PUNE: Krishanpal Karmodiya, faculty member in the department of biology at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, earned a spot in the prestigious European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) global investigator network. This recognition highlights his groundbreaking contributions to understanding drug resistance in plasmodium falciparum, the malaria-causing parasite.
Karmodiya’s fascination with malaria began during his PhD at JNCASR Bangalore in 2003, where he explored the parasite’s enzymes. “The complexity of malaria—how the parasite survives in the human body, its drug resistance, and lack of effective vaccines—drew me in,” he said. Over the years, his focus narrowed to plasmodium falciparum and its drug resistance mechanisms, particularly artemisinin, the primary drug used to treat malaria.
Artemisinin resistance poses a significant threat to malaria treatment. Without understanding how resistance works, we risk losing one of our most effective treatments, he added.
A release by IISER Pune stated that Karmodiya’s team at IISER Pune made significant strides, notably in ana lysing over 2,000 parasite genomes to uncover resistance pathways. A recent genome sequencing project of isolates from Midnapur in India — where artemisinin resistance was first reported — identified novel mutations linked to resistance.
The complexity of plasmodium falciparum, with its genetic diversity, remains a challenge. “Resistance can manifest in different ways, making it hard to study. By leveraging advanced sequencing technology, we have been able to detect patterns and gain deeper insights,” Karmodiya said. Despite these advances, a definitive marker for drug resistance in Indian isolates remains elusive.
His research has practical implications for combating malaria. According to ministry of health and family welfare, there were 1,76,522 malaria cases and 83 deaths in 2022. In 2023, as per Maharashtra state health department’s state bureau of health intelligence vital statistics, a total of 109 deaths were certified to have been caused due to malaria, of which 69 were among men.