IIIT-Delhi, French researchers develop AI tool to outsmart drug-resistant superbugs
IIIT-Delhi
) and France's Inria Saclay have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system that can recommend effective combinations of existing antibiotics to fight
superbugs
.
Superbugs are germs like bacteria and fungi that cause hard-to-treat infections. Most superbugs are bacteria that have developed antibiotic resistance - the ability to survive antibiotic medications.
The project, jointly led by Professor Angshul Majumdar and Dr Emilie Chouzenoux, is part of a broader
India-France research collaboration
between Deep Light (Delhi) and CentraleSupelec, a French engineering school, said an official statement of IIIT-D.
The team includes engineer Stuti Jain and graduate researchers Kriti Kumar and Sayantika Chatterjee, it added.
"This is an excellent example of how AI and international collaboration can come together to solve real-world medical challenges and our method makes it possible to use existing knowledge more effectively and opens the door to smarter, faster responses to
antimicrobial resistance
(AMR)," Prof. Majumdar told PTI.
AMR occurs when bacteria adapt to antibiotics, rendering them ineffective. Prof. Majumdar said the misuse of antibiotics, particularly in countries like India, is a major contributor to the crisis.
"We often take antibiotics even for viral infections, which don't require them. Over time, bacteria evolve and adapt. As a result, even simple infections like urinary tract infections or wounds can become resistant to treatment," he added.
The AI system that the team developed goes far beyond traditional rule-based models. It analyzes real-world clinical decisions from leading Indian hospitals and combines this with bacterial genome data and the chemical structure of antibiotics to recommend optimal treatment options.
The system was successfully tested on multi-drug resistant strains like Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Prof. Majumdar shared a harrowing case from AIIMS, Kalyani, where a young patient's artificial hip joint became infected and was unresponsive to even last-resort antibiotics.
"It was a simple muscle infection, but it became untreatable. The patient from a poor family was left bedridden and without options," he said. "This is the reality of AMR - it can devastate lives even when the infection seems ordinary."
The professor said the AI model offers combination therapy suggestions, mirroring how doctors treat advanced cases today.
"Instead of recommending one antibiotic, our system can propose a cocktail of drugs based on the genome sequence of the bacteria," said Majumdar.
"Doctors can ask for five or ten possible options for a specific strain and the AI suggests viable treatments," he added.
While the model is currently focused on bacterial infections, it can be retrained to tackle viral infections or even lifestyle diseases like hypertension, where drug resistance is emerging.
"Our core motivation was to address infectious diseases - a problem that plagues countries in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America far more than it does the West," said Majumdar.
"There's less funding for this kind of work, but the impact is massive," he added.
The team hopes that their model would eventually be embedded in hospital systems and public health frameworks, particularly in regions with limited access to advanced diagnostics.
With AMR recognized as one of the most pressing global health threats of the 21st century, this AI-powered solution may offer doctors a timely, data-driven ally in the battle to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
20 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Obese and want to lose weight? Wegovy is not the long-term answer, according to leading weight loss surgeon
Getty Images Doctor warns that Wegovy may cause weight regain without lifestyle changes. (Representative Image) A leading New Zealand bariatric surgeon has warned that Wegovy, a newly available weight-loss drug that regulates your appetite and contains semaglutide, is not a standalone solution to obesity and could prove harmful without proper support. Dr Rowan French, a Waikato-based bariatric surgeon, said the drug, recently made available in New Zealand, may trigger initial weight loss, but long-term results depend heavily on accompanying lifestyle changes. Also Read: What happens near the Sun? NASA's Parker probe sends closest-ever photos of the Sun, unveils space weather origins'People need to know that it's likely, particularly for someone who's living with severe obesity... their problem is a lifelong one,' Dr French told RNZ. 'While it can be controlled, there's a good chance they will never fully be cured of that.' Wegovy contains semaglutide, a synthetic version of a gut hormone (GLP-1) that regulates insulin and appetite. While it mimics some effects seen after bariatric surgery, such as reduced hunger, it is delivered via weekly injections into the systemic bloodstream rather than through natural gut pathways. French explained that this difference, combined with the way the body builds tolerance to GLP-1 (a phenomenon called tachyphylaxis), means the drug may lose its effectiveness faster than surgery. 'In other words, as time goes on, the patient will get less and less benefit from the medication,' he said. 'Any suggestion some people should stay on it for life is unlikely to be sensible or beneficial.' He said that for weight-loss efforts using Wegovy or surgery to succeed, patients must address the psychological and behavioural roots of their eating habits. This includes understanding what triggers overeating and receiving nutritional counselling.'Without external help to understand their drivers to eat and nutritional help to understand the sorts of foods they should be eating — particularly in the first 18–24 months — the medications could prove more harmful than good,' he said. Also Read: Cheaper than eggs, healthier than meat; the superfood that could save your health and the planet, and we are skipping it The surgeon noted that many patients experience weight regain after initially losing weight on either medication or surgery, especially without proper follow-up. In the case of Wegovy, stopping the drug often results in regained weight. But even staying on it may not guarantee sustained results due to increasing drug tolerance.'We know that, when semaglutide is stopped, in most cases, weight is regained,' he said. 'But we can also predict that if a patient stays on it, they will develop tolerance, because this occurs with bariatric surgery, albeit later in the piece.' French underscored that obesity should be treated as a chronic disease, often rooted in genetic, early life, and environmental factors. He explained that most people have a genetically determined weight 'set point,' which the body subconsciously defends.'Our primitive brain interprets weight loss from dieting as starvation and starts to fight back,' he said. 'That's why yo-yo dieting often results in regaining more weight than was initially lost.'This process, he added, can raise an individual's set point over time, making long-term weight control increasingly difficult without medical intervention and behavioural support. Also Read: Men posing as women to get nudes; what's the creepy new catfish trend on OnlyFans? Another major factor driving obesity, French said, is the rise of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which he described as 'manufactured to make us eat as much as possible.''These foods make up about 50–60 percent of what we eat now,' he said. 'We know from robust data that they cause metabolic disease, depression, dementia, and even cancer.'He urged patients to focus on eating whole foods 'at least 95 percent of the time,' describing them as items 'your grandma would recognise as food.'French warned that media and celebrity portrayals of Wegovy as a 'miracle drug' may be misleading. While the medication is a powerful tool, he said, it must be part of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach involving psychology, nutrition, and exercise.
The Hindu
26 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Eight-year-old Namibian female cheetah Nabha dies following injury at Kuno National Park
An eight-year-old Namibian female cheetah, Nabha, died at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on Saturday (July 12, 2025), following injuries sustained approximately a week ago, according to an official release. The cheetah was reportedly injured during a possible hunting attempt inside a soft-release boma (enclosure) at KNP. Despite undergoing treatment, she succumbed to her injuries, the statement said. A soft release boma is an enclosure used in wildlife conservation, particularly for reintroducing animals into the wild. "Nabha, an 8-year-old Namibian female cheetah, died today. She got badly injured a week back, probably during a hunting attempt inside her Soft Release Boma. She had fractures in both the Ulna and the Fibula on the left side, along with other injuries. She was under treatment for a week but succumbed to her injuries. Further details will be known after the post-mortem report is received," the release read. Cheetahs hunt in the grasslands of Kuno According to the KNP authorities, the park currently has 26 cheetahs — nine adults (six females and three males) and 17 Indian-born cubs — all of whom are reported to be healthy and doing well. Additionally, two male cheetahs housed in Gandhisagar are also stated to be in good health. Of the 26 cheetahs at Kuno, 16 are in the wild and have reportedly adapted well to the habitat. They are co-existing with other predators and are regularly hunting. "Recently, anti-ecto-parasitic medication for all cheetahs has been completed. Two mothers, Veera and Nirva, along with their recently born cubs, are healthy and doing well," the statement added.
India.com
31 minutes ago
- India.com
Namibian Female Cheetah, Nabha Dies Of Injuries In Kuno National Park
New Delhi: An 8-year-old female cheetah named Nabha, brought from Namibia as part of India's ambitious cheetah reintroduction program, died today at Kuno National Park following injuries sustained last week. According to an official press note issued by the Field Director of the Cheetah Project, Nabha was likely injured during a hunting attempt inside her Soft Release Boma. She suffered fractures in both her ulna and fibula on the left side, along with other injuries. Despite receiving treatment for a week, she succumbed to her wounds. Authorities await a post-mortem report for further details. Nabha, an 8-year-old Namibian female cheetah of Kuno National Park, died today after she was injured a week ago probably during hunting attempt inside her Soft Release Boma. "Nabha, 8-year-old Namibian female cheetah, died today. She got badly injured a week back probably during… — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2025 With Nabha's passing, Kuno is now home to 26 cheetahs, 9 adults (6 females and 3 males), and 17 Indian-born cubs. All remaining cheetahs are reportedly healthy and doing well. Two additional male cheetahs housed at the Gandhisagar Sanctuary are also in good condition. Of the 26 cheetahs in Kuno, 16 have been released into the wild and are adapting successfully. Officials say the animals have acclimated to their new habitat, are coexisting with other predators, and are actively hunting. Recent veterinary efforts included the successful administration of anti-ecto-parasitic treatment to all cheetahs. Two female cheetahs, Veera and Nirva, have recently given birth and are reportedly in good health along with their cubs.
