Kozhikode scientist wins German award

Benesh Joseph, a native of Kozhikode district, has won an award carrying a purse of over ₹19 lakh for his research that is expected to help develop new alternative drugs against multi-drug resistant and antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause various diseases.

It was instituted by the Adolf Messer Foundation, Germany. Dr. Benesh Joseph, principal investigator at Goethe University, Frankfurt, since 2013, was awarded the prize on September 19.

In an e-mail reply, Dr. Benesh told

The Hindu that the resistance to multiple drugs by bacteria was a major challenge for scientists who discover antibiotics. “The asymmetric outer membrane in the bacteria, which protects them against antibiotics, contains protein complexes essential for their growth and survival. The drugs target this membrane to make the bacteria ineffective.”

Existing methods to study the structure of such protein requires their separation from the cells, which inactivates their function. “Such proteins need to be investigated directly in the cells, which has remained a major challenge for scientists. I am using an advanced biophysical technique called electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, which can measure the changes in protein conformation and dynamics during function, the structure of these proteins can be investigated directly in the cellar environment.”

Dr. Benesh said the opportunity to study important drug targets in their functional form in intact cells promise discovery of new antibiotics that could combat multi-drug resistant bacteria.

According to the website of the Goethe University, the Adolf Messer Foundation has awarded the prize since 1994 to outstanding young scientists at the varsity in the field of experimental basic research. It honours innovative power, scientific curiosity and pioneering. The award was presented by Birgitta Wolff, president, Goethe University, and Ehrensenator Stefan Messer, chairman, Adolf Messer Foundation.

“If Joseph and the colleagues in the research field succeed in understanding the machinery in detail, then a strategy can be derived from this, either to eliminate it or to manipulate the machinery in such a way that novel active substances are absorbed and thus kill the bacterium,” says the website.

He hails from Maruthomkara village in Kozhikode district. Dr. Benesh is the son of the late K.A. Joseph and Molly Joseph. His wife is Remmia Mathews and son Jake Ben Joseph.