Grant: Operating Grant

Due to the extensive use and abuse of antibiotics, bacteria have increasingly acquired resistance mechanisms against these drugs. In turn, this rise in antibiotic resistance has dramatically compromised our ability to treat infections caused by "superbugs". The situation is currently such that there are no antibiotics available to which bacteria have not found a resistance mechanism and many bacteria have multiple resistance mechanisms, making infections caused by superbugs exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to cure. To address this pressing healthcare problem, multiple strategies must be employed. In addition to judicious use of antibiotics, one important strategy to pursue is to study the mechanisms by which bacteria resist the effects of antibiotics. This information can subsequently be exploited for the development of antibiotic therapies that are impervious to the bacterial resistance mechanisms. We have been examining, at the level of the atom, how certain bacterial enzymes confer resistance to antibiotics. In addition to better understanding the intricate details of what enables these enzymes to provide protection against numerous drugs, our studies have also contributed to the design of next-generation antibiotics with improved efficacy, as well as the exploration of adjuvant therapies. In the next five years we will continue and expand our studies, so as to further contribute to combating antibiotic resistance.