Pravindra Kumar

Prof. Pravindra Kumar's primary research interest lies in studying Bacterial enzymes and pathways involved in the degradation of toxic aromatic compounds, such as PCBs, dibenzofuran, chlorodibenzofurans, DDT, dyes, and plastics/plasticizers.

He focuses particularly on oxidoreductases enzymes due to their unique ability to catalyze challenging reactions, with a special emphasis on understanding their catalytic mechanisms and structural basis for guiding protein engineering.

Toxic substances, such as phthalate and terephthalate, commonly found in plastic bottles, packaging, personal care items, and industrial waste, leading to their detection in various aquatic environments.

Hiss recent work has resulted in determining the first crystal structures of key enzymes involved in the degradation of phthalates and terephthalate, leading to the successful engineering of oxidoreductases with remarkable abilities to metabolize these toxic compounds (J. Biol.

Notably, he successfully determined the crystal structure of a crucial bacterial enzyme (OXA-58) and identified a novel inhibitor that shows promise in combating antibiotic resistance (Antimicrob Agents Chemother.

In addition to his antimicrobial research, Prof. Kumar's laboratory has explored the antibacterial properties of chlorogenic acid, a natural compound found in various plant species, as a potential new class of antibiotics (Sci.

Prof. Pravindra Kumar's wide-ranging contributions to the understanding of enzymes, bacterial pathways, and potential drug targets have significant implications for both national and international issues.

Additionally, his antimicrobial work offers promising solutions to combat antibiotic resistance and emerging viral threats, benefiting global public health efforts.

[2] The discovery is reported to have opportunities in the development of a new class of antibiotics[3] as the compound clings to the chorismate mutase enzyme in the shikimate pathway which assists in the synthesis of aromatic amino acids and this could inhibit the growth of bacteria.