Dr. Chhaya Singh

My work integrates protein biochemistry and structural biology to address antibiotic resistance and bacterial signaling. My PhD research at IISER Bhopal focused on Targeted Covalent Inhibition (TCI) and the development of new bioconjugation methodologies. I designed and synthesized a library of small-molecule inhibitors to covalently modify non-catalytic residues in Diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and thereby disrupt bacterial biofilm formation. Additionally, I worked on protein bioconjugation projects for site-specific protein labeling.
Currently, my research focuses on the structural and functional characterization of L1- and L2-β-lactamases. Alongside, I am identifying and optimizing novel boronate-based inhibitors to combat antibiotic resistance in emerging bacterial variants. By combining high-resolution X-ray crystallography with rigorous enzyme kinetics and biophysical assays, I seek to unravel the structural basis of enzyme-ligand binding to facilitate the rational design of potent, next-generation therapeutics.