At the University of North Carolina Asheville, 2022-2027 GlaxoSmithKline Distinguished Professor in Molecular and Chemical Biology Amanda Wolfe (PI) and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Ryan Steed (CO-PI) are combining their individual research specialties of Medicinal Chemistry and Biomolecular Chemistry, respectively, to potentially turn the pharmaceutical industry on its head. Their goal is to develop a new antibiotic that treats a form of bacteria that is currently antibiotic treatment-resistant. Their initial research, conducted entirely with UNC Asheville undergraduate research students, has been promising. So promising that the team has received a National Institutes of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award of over $380,000 to continue developing their research, and support six students with stipends to work on the project full time over the next three summers.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a type of bacteria spread in hospitals and health care environments. This antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria is transmitted through water or soil and spreads from person to person via contaminated hands, surfaces, and equipment. For those already immune-compromised, the infection from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the blood, lungs, or other parts of the body post-surgery can be deadly. In the U.S., between 32-33k people may contract this bacteria in a hospital setting, with 2,700 deaths reported annually.
“So far, very little work has been done to target ATP synthase in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This new antibiotic would be able to eliminate drug-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa because it works in a novel way,” explains Wolfe regarding the new antibiotic that her team is developing. “Our approach is unique from how other antibiotics function because most target parts of the bacterial cell that have evolved over time to be less affected by current antibiotics. We are developing a series of antibiotics that selectively target ATP synthase in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and cause bacterial cell death. Bacteria will have no defense against it.”
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