Infectious disease, prevention and control

Principal Researcher: Dr Sue Lang

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest threats to human health. We are interested not only in the efficacy of new and novel agents to tackle this growing problem, but also how bacterial pathogens respond to these agents at concentrations below levels required to effectively treat the infection. This situation can potentially arise where the infection is complex or where there is an associated biofilm. We believe that the bacterial pathogen can respond to this stress through altered behaviour, which may potentially exacerbate the infection. In our research we analyse changes at the molecular and phenotypic level accompanied by measurable changes in the virulence to investigate stress-related responses to antimicrobial challenge.

Principal Researcher: Dr John George

The outer surface of gram-negative bacterial cells is made up of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The synthesis of this essential molecule has to be tightly controlled and modulated in response to changing environmental conditions. Importantly, the LPS layer is known to protect the bacterial cell from physical or chemical attack, including antibiotic treatment. This study uses computational network analysis alongside traditional biochemistry to probe the regulatory mechanisms which operate during the synthesis of the bacterial cell envelope. Our work produced new insights into the ways that bacteria are able to synchronise the key elements involved in envelope biogenesis. Additionally, this work has highlighted potential antibiotic targets which could help in the fight against the antimicrobial resistance crisis.