TalkTime: Why Frogs Matter
Effective antiviral drugs are always in demand, given the serious challenges posed by influenza outbreaks. Professor Jacob Joshy, a leading immunologist at Emory University, has found promise in an unexpected source: frogs. Explaining how he made the discovery, he highlights another argument for wilderness preservation and biodiversity conservation.
What prompted your interest
in microbiology and immunology?
I got interested in immunology
because of its potential in
curing diseases, and did a Ph.D. in
Immunology from the University
of Maryland School of Medicine in
Baltimore. I always wanted to do a
Ph.D. as I wanted to be a teacher
like my grandfather.
What has your path to Emory
been like?
I first did a B.Sc. from India and
then came to do a B.S. in Medical
Technology from the University
of Texas, followed by a Ph.D. from
University of Maryland. After finishing
my Ph.D., I went to the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
in Cambridge, MA, and spent
six years as a postdoctoral fellow
in the laboratory of Nobel laureate
Dr. David Baltimore. I joined
Emory in 1999 and have been here
ever since. Joining Emory University
was one of the best decisions
I made in my life. It has been good
for my professional growth.
Your latest research project
gets its source from frogs. What
potential do you see there and
how does it work?
We sourced an antiviral peptide
from the skin of frogs. The
frog makes this peptide along with
others to protect itself from pathogens
in its niche, those it encounters
in its environment. It just so
happens that one of the peptides
cross-neutralizes or kills influenza
viruses. The peptide kills all influenza
viruses of the H1 type.
Of all the natural objects in
the world, what made you look at frogs?
It’s been known for a long time that frogs are resistant
to infections. In ancient Ayurveda scriptures, frog
skin was used in wound healing. This is because the
frog’s skin has short peptides, which have the ability
to fight and kill microbes such as bacteria. We identified
one that can kill influenza viruses. This peptide is
also efficient against drug-resistant influenza viruses.
Frogs are an excellent source of antimicrobial peptides.
Also, I have a collaborator, Dr. Sanil George, at the Rajiv
Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology in Kerala who studies
them and has isolated a library of these peptides.
What is the biggest challenge you’re hoping to
solve with your work?
So far, the work on frog peptides has gone on
smoothly. But the next step—figuring out how to
formulate and deliver this peptide for treatment—is a huge challenge, but we are confident we can
overcome it.
What do you mean by formulate?
I mean that we have to make it into a “pill” form
so that we can use it for treatment of influenza
virus infections.
What lessons can the average person take away
from your work?
Eco-conservation and preventing species from
going extinct is vitally important as we never know
where the next big cure will come from.
Work in the lab requires infinite patience and
hard work. What advice do you have for those who
want to pursue a career like yours?
Read widely, be on top of the scientific literature
and, above all, persevere and work hard. If you want
six-pack abs like Salman Khan, you need to put in
the work.
Poornima Apte is a Boston-area freelance writer and editor. Learn more at WordCumulus.WordPress.com.
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