Microbial therapeutics are rapidly reshaping modern medicine, with live biotherapeutics emerging as a promising frontier. By harnessing the power of beneficial microbes, these innovative treatments offer new hope for conditions that resist conventional drugs, including metabolic disorders and antimicrobial-resistant infections. As the demand for safer, more effective alternatives grows, understanding this field becomes increasingly vital. The upcoming book, Live Biotherapeutics: Advancing Microbial Medicine, will provide a comprehensive and accessible overview of the science, applications, and future potential of live biotherapeutics in transforming healthcare.
Das, Bhabatosh: -
Prof. Bhabatosh Das is a leading microbiologist and currently serves as a Professor at the BRIC-Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad. With a distinguished career in microbial genetics and functional genomics, he heads the Functional Genomics Laboratory, where his team focuses on the development of human microbiome-based biotherapeutics for metabolic disorders and strategies to combat extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacterial infections by re-sensitizing resistant pathogens.
Prof. Das holds an M.Tech. in Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, and earned his Ph.D. in Microbial Genetics from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata. He further expanded his research portfolio through postdoctoral training at the CNRS-Institute of Integrative Biology for the Cell, France, where he specialized in microbial genomics and host-pathogen interactions.
His scientific contributions have earned national and international recognition. He was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, and also a Fellow of the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology. In acknowledgment of his impactful work, he has been awarded two prestigious international fellowships, including one from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), funded by the Government of Japan.
Prof. Das has an extensive research output, with over 160 peer-reviewed publications, two edited books, and more than nine Indian patents to his credit. His scholarly work spans a range of topics including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), host-microbiome interactions, and functional genomics, and has contributed significantly to shaping the understanding of microbiome-based interventions in health and disease.
In recognition of his outstanding research in the life sciences, Prof. Das received the SR-National Bioscience Award for Career Development (2023) from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India--one of the highest national honors for scientists in the field of biosciences.
His current research focuses on microbial genomics to elucidate the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance and the development of next-generation biotherapeutics. Through translational research, he aims to bridge the gap between fundamental science and clinical application, addressing critical public health challenges such as multidrug resistance and metabolic disorders.
Prof. Das continues to inspire the scientific community through his dedication to excellence in research, mentorship, and innovation in translational microbiology and biotechnology.
