Doctoral Candidates

An inquisitive learner and passionate molecular biologist, microbiologist with a keen interest in Infectious Diseases and the increasing Antimicrobial Resistance. Besides research, I love Indian classical dancing in which I have had long-term training since I was three; while storybooks and music are my constant buddies.

This is me! Shritama Dutta from Kolkata, India. Life science fascinated me since school. The detailed intricacies of living organisms and how they interact in an evolutionary niche keep me spellbound. While pursuing my Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree in Biotechnology from SRMIST, India, I was particularly captivated by microbiology, complex infections, and how pathogens cross-talk. My zeal and curiosity to study infection medicine motivated me to pursue a master’s degree abroad in Molecular biology with a specialization in Microbiology at Lund University, Sweden. During my master’s thesis, I evaluated the modulatory role of the respiratory tract normal flora on the pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae infections (bacteria-bacteria interaction) and also the host immune responses to species of the normal flora alone and after stimulation with the pathogen (host-commensal/ host-pathogen interaction), mainly during infectious triggers that cause the transition from nasopharyngeal asymptomatic colonization as a biofilm to disease manifestation.

Presently as DC 9, my research focuses on investigating the efficacy of novel Human Milk Oligosaccharides and AMPs in gut-pathogen-commensal interactions, regulating mucosal barrier and immune functions and exhibiting potential anti-infective properties, during gastrointestinal tract infections – based on advanced high throughput invitro intestinal infection model.

I am delighted to embark on SSBB’s DC9 PhD adventure, as this project not only directly coincides with my research interests but also effectuates my aspiration to make people’s lives better by promoting novel approaches to antimicrobial therapy in treating infections worldwide.