Niraj Kumar’s research primarily focuses on how Mycobacterium tuberculosis adapts its protein synthesis machinery to survive under low-oxygen (hypoxic) conditions. Using cryo-EM single-particle reconstruction, he has studied the structure of the 70S ribosome in complex with the hibernation promotion factor (RafH), which is induced during hypoxia. His 2.8 Å resolution structure reveals that RafH binding blocks all three modes of translation initiation, shields the ribosome from degradation, and prevents ribosome-targeting antibiotics from binding. Moving forward, Niraj aims to expand his expertise in Cryo-electron tomography and Cryo-FIB SEM to further explore ribosome function in a cellular context under stress conditions.
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Niraj Kumar is an emerging researcher with a growing body of work. His publication on the 70S ribosome structure with the RafH complex has garnered attention, contributing to the understanding of bacterial protein synthesis and antibiotic resistance. He continues to publish and present his research at scientific conferences, expanding his footprint in the field of structural biology.
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