Nikhil Pradeep

Immersed in the M-PATHS (Multiple PATHogen Serology) initiative, our mission is to revolutionize infectious disease diagnostics in India and neighboring regions. By innovating a diagnostic approach, we aim to simultaneously identify antibodies against over 25 pathogens using a small serum sample. Our optimized and automated procedures promise efficient data analysis from a diverse Indian population, paving the way for a more impactful and comprehensive infectious disease testing paradigm.

At the forefront of Multiple Pathogen Serology exploration, my research tackles a crucial issue: over 50% of human infections often go undiagnosed. While sequencing methods have their merits, their limitations in detection window and nucleic acids' stability hinder unbiased pathogen prevalence estimations. Recognizing this gap, our team is committed to developing the M-PATHS assay—an ingenious approach to concurrently detect antibodies against 25+ pathogens, offering a comprehensive assessment with just a drop of blood. My passion as a researcher lies in unraveling virus-host interactions, deciphering immune responses, and staying at the forefront of virology advancements for potential applications in treatments and vaccines. I am primarily focusing on the microbiology aspects of the project.

Apart from research, I am an artist, well versed in all media, from traditional to digital, and often use this as a resource to breakdown complex scientific concepts into simpler format and help in sci com.