Biofilms: How Microbes Unite to Fight Antibiotics

How do microbes such as bacteria survive antibiotics? One way is by forming sticky, protective and complex communities called biofilms. We explore how scientists are studying biofilms in human conditions (not just in labs), and how, by knowing this, we can protect ourselves better.

Dr. Karishma Kaushik is a physician-scientist. After her MBBS and MD in Clinical Microbiology at AFMC, Pune, she earned a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and returned to India as a Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellow. From 2018 to 2023 she led an independent research group at Savitribai Phule Pune University studying biofilms in human-like environments. As Executive Director of IndiaBioscience (2023–2025), she expanded the program’s national impact and fostered global scientific partnerships.