By Aleece Williams, Naval Medical Research Command

SILVER SPRING, Md. – Biswajit Biswas, head of Naval Medical Research Command’s (NMRC) Bacteriophage Science Division (BSD), received the Precision Phage Therapy Award at the 9th World Conference on Targeting Phage Therapy.

Biswas was recognized for his presentation,“Adaptive Targeting: A High-Throughput Screening Strategy to Overcome Evolved Bacterial Resistance in Phage Therapy.”

As the sole recipient from Maryland and one of only two nation-wide, Biswas’ research provides a critical, targeted countermeasure to antimicrobial-resistant pathogens which pose a continuous threat to warfighter health and readiness in operational environments.

Multi-drug resistant bacterial infections pose a severe threat to operational readiness. Traditional broad-spectrum antibiotics eliminate both beneficial and harmful bacteria, often failing entirely against highly evolved resistant strains.

“On a personal level, this award is a deeply humbling recognition, but I view it primarily as a testament to the relentless dedication of my entire team within the BSD and our colleagues across the Infectious Diseases Directorate (IDD) and Biological Defense Research Directorate,” said Biswas.

Biswas’ research identifies and combines effective phages to build targeted therapeutic cocktails that counter antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This approach offers an alternative solution to antibiotics.

“Science of this magnitude is never an individual endeavor,” he explained. “It is the culmination of years of collaborative laboratory research, bioinformatic analysis and clinical coordination”

“The future of Navy medicine relies on agility and adaptability,” he added. “Using our research and findings, we can rapidly screen and substitute ineffective phages with functionally equivalent alternatives from our established biobank. It paves the way for true precision antimicrobial medicine that can be deployed anywhere in the world.”

Biswas credits much of his success to the team he works with at NMRC.

“I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of the BSD team, our exceptional laboratory personnel and IDD leadership. Their guidance, collaboration and support are what make this cutting-edge research possible. Finally, I share this achievement with all our Navy partners who are working tirelessly to protect the health and lethality of the joint force.”

NMRC, headquarters of Navy Medicine Research & Development, is engaged in a broad spectrum of activity from basic science in the laboratory to field studies in austere and remote areas of the world to investigations in operational environments. In support of Navy, Marine Corps and joint U.S. warfighter health, readiness and lethality, researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, operational mission support and epidemiology.

Navy Medicine’s 44,000+ talented and ready forces optimize health readiness, deliver quality healthcare and provide global expeditionary medical support to warfighters.