Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have discovered a host protein that uses tiny tweezer-like machines to kill germs before they harm the human body. The study to discover the new arsenal of the human immune system was conducted by a group of researchers led by IIT Bombay Prof Anirban Banerjee, said the institute on Thursday.

The study found a host protein, which works like an elite special operation unit that detects the threats and neutralises them before they can cause harm to the body, it said. When bacteria attack the cells and steal nutrients from them, human cells recognise this as a hazard and tag them as a ‘red flag’ using a special protein called ‘ubiquitin.’