Grant: Project Grant

The opportunistic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a significant threat to human health and the economy as it has a natural resistance to antibiotics and potential for multidrug resistance. This bacterium's ability to adapt to various environments, including a human host, depends on a system of energy-harvesting molecular machines known collectively as the electron transport chain (ETC). Blocking ETCs of bacteria and parasites with drugs has proven successful in eliminating these pathogens in humans. The goal of this research project is to gain a deeper understanding of the ETC of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In particular, we will elucidate the connection between the ETC and 1) the bacterium's ability to communicate within its population, and 2) its capacity to develop and maintain biofilms, which are deposits of bacteria in a protective matrix. Through a large collaborative effort, we will identify and develop specific inhibitors of the P. aeruginosa ETC. This research will reveal essential information about the ETC of this bacterium and assist in guiding the development of P. aeruginosa ETC inhibitors that can eventually become novel antibiotics.