Stop “Superbugs” to fight antimicrobial resistance

Project Code

MRCIIAR26Ca Serpi

Project Type

Wet lab

Research Theme

Infection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Repair

Project Summary Download

Summary

While antibiotics have revolutionised the landscape of medicine saving millions of lives, their misuse has also resulted in the rise of “Superbugs”, which are bacteria resistant to most of the standard antibiotics. The continuing rise of antimicrobial resistance has led to the failure of antibiotics to treat common infections. This project proposes to develop novel antimicrobials that target bacterial cell division, a crucial step for bacterial replication and survival. We will combine our expertise in medicinal chemistry and microbiology to design molecules that, acting like “Trojan horses”, cross the bacterial cell envelope and once inside become toxic and kill bacteria.

Lead Supervisor

Dr Michaela Serpi

Lead Supervisor Email

serpim5@cardiff.ac.uk

University Affiliation

Cardiff