Seminar: Antibiotic Resistance up close: a structural biology perspective on a global health threat

Abstract: The dangers antibiotic resistance poses to human health needs little introduction. Statistics, such as that more than one million deaths annually are directly attributable to resistant bacteria, have been well publicized. The WHO has advocated a multi-pronged approach to address this global heath threat, which includes developing new medicines. We have used structural biological approaches to examine various mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, with the objective of informing the development of new therapeutic options. Notably, we have examined enzyme-mediated resistance to aminoglycoside and macrolide antibiotics. Our findings have underscored the difficulties of drug development in the contexts of wide-spread multi-drug resistance, but have also revealed viable avenues to combat resistance.