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Why antibiotics are failing: IISER Pune scientists uncover bacteria’s new survival secret

A new study from IISER Pune reveals a hidden mechanism in E. coli that enables it to survive broad-spectrum antibiotics. Understanding this gene copying could be the key to tackling antibiotic resistance.

2 min readPuneFeb 2, 2026 04:08 PM IST

IISER Pune research found that E. coli can quickly survive antibiotics by temporarily making extra copies of a key gene (File photo for representative use).

A recent study at the Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, found that Escherichia coli can quickly survive antibiotics by temporarily making extra copies of a key gene. This helps them adapt quickly and can lead to antibiotic resistance, which is a big problem worldwide. E. coli is a common gut bacterium that can cause urinary tract infections.

“The E. Coli bacteria can survive a broad-spectrum antibiotic called trimethoprim as it copies a gene called folA, which helps them resist the drug. This increases the amount of the protein the antibiotic targets and helps the bacteria grow even in the presence of the drug. These extra copies usually disappear, but they give the bacteria time to develop permanent resistance mutations,” Nishad Matange, assistant professor, DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance; intermediate fellow, Department of Biology, IISER, told The Indian Express.

In the study at IISER Pune (published in eLife, 2025, funded by DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance), Dr Nishad showed that bacteria use these temporary increases in gene copy number to survive antibiotic treatment.

“This may be one reason why antibiotic resistance is spreading so fast. Understanding this process could help slow down the evolution of drug resistance,” he said.

Also Read | How AIIMS is leading the fight against superbugs

Most living organisms have two copies of each gene in their cells (diploid), but bacteria usually have only one copy (haploid). Interestingly, bacteria can temporarily increase the number of copies of certain genes, which helps them adapt quickly, especially to antibiotics.

The study also showed that a bacterial enzyme, Lon protease, controls how often these gene copy changes happen. Understanding this process could help improve strategies to detect and fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Researchers also said it would be important to investigate how frequently these kinds of gene copy changes occur in clinical strains and whether they play a role as resistance evolves in patients undergoing treatment.

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“Overall, our study shows that gene copy number changes play a key role in how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. This knowledge could help develop better diagnostic tools and treatment strategies,” Dr Nishad added.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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