INTEGRATE Funding Applications
Jan 2017 Applications
Accepted Jan 17
Applicants: Josef Lewandowski, Chris Dowson (
Application)
Departments: Chemistry, Life Sciences
Title: "Isotopically labelled lipid II enabling antibiotic discovery"
Duration: 4 months
Request: £13K
Summary:
Aims- New analytical capabilities enabled by the production of isotopic labelling of lipid II will generate a step change in our capabilities for the future rational design of an important class of antibiotics
Link to AMR- Lipid II is an essential well-validated antimicrobial target that is currently underexploited but for which we need, urgently, to find new classes of inhibitors that will be resilient to the emergence of resistance.
( CV, Application )
Applicant: Sebastien Ragideau (INRA Institute Computational Biology PhD)
Supervisors: Christopher Quince and Liz Wellington
Departments: WMS and SLS
Title: "Resolving the genomic context of AMR genes from environmental metagenomes"
Dates: Mar– Aug, 2017 (NERC project has secured 5 month RA funding which will be used to extend ECF if successful)
Consumables: £0 (none requested)
Summary:
Aims- Develop novel bioinformatics and statistics tools to resolve the genomic context of AMR genes. These tools will be applied to the Thames Metagenome Database being generated by the NERC funded consortium involving Warwick.
Link to AMR- The project will provide critical information on which environmental organisms harbour AMR genes and exactly where in their genomes these genes are found.
Cost: £7K
CV, Application )
Applicant: Kathryn Styles (Warwick Microbiology PhD)
Supervisors: Nick Waterfield, Peter Scott, David Roper
Departments: WMS, SLS and Chemistry
Title: "Flexicates: novel chemical entities with novel modes of action."
Dates: April – Sep 2017
Consumables: £1500
Summary:
Aims- Investigate the molecular mode of action of AKK022 a flexicate with bactericidal activity against ESKAPE pathogens and no adverse effects against Manduca sexta.
Cost: £8.5K
CV, Application , Letter of Support )
Applicant: Christopher Thoroughgood (Warwick MOAC PhD)
Supervisors: David Roper, Ann Dixon
Departments: SLS and Chemistry
Title: "Understanding the mechanisms driving resistance to two classes of antibiotic in Enterococcus faecalis."
Dates: Sep – Dec 2017
Consumables: £1500
Summary: High-resolution techniques to understand the mechanism of action in vancomycin and cephalosporin resistance in E. faecalis.
Aims- Since the role of IreK is to phosphorylate proteins in the cytoplasm we wish to investigate the kinase function of IreK further by establishing what proteins IreK targets. We will be able to identify possible targets using a phosphoproteomics approach. A complete understanding of the mechanism underlying synergy will help characterise new pathways to resistance and might suggest new targets or strategies for therapeutic intervention. We will gain a wider overview of the protein targets of IreK and how they are upregulated rapidly.
Cost: £5K
(CV, 
Application )
Applicant: George Parry (Warwick Physics MScR)
Supervisors: Meera Unnikrishnan, Marco Polin
Departments: WMS and Physics
Title: "Cell Shaping – the impact of proximity interactions between S. aureus and epithelial cells on infection"
Dates: April– Sep 2017
Consumables: £1500
Summary: To understand the pre-infection proximity interactions between S. aureus and human epithelial cells of different shapes, and secondly to compare our findings with repeated experiments where an antibiotic is added. The project will be conducted using microfluidic devices, allowing for a high degree of environmental control, and live imaging over many hours - enough to fully record an infection cycle.
Cost: £7K
Asked to obtain match funding
Applicants: Greg Walkowiak (Medicines Discovery Catapult), Chris Dowson ( Application)
Departments: Life Sciences, MDC Alderly Park
Title: "Inhibitors of bacterial transglycosylases- hit to lead stage."
Duration: 4 months
Request: £14600
Summary:
Aims- Selection of a lead-like compound of the best bactericidal properties.
The aim of this project is to push forward initial hit from McMaster to be in a position to develop a follow-on project with the Medicines Discovery Catapult who have highlighted AMR as one of three clinical targets (alongside neurobiology and inflammation) in their current 6 yr plan and have a £50M budget to prosecute innovative research and development.
Link to AMR- :
Data resulting from this research will contribute to the understanding of peptidoglycan biosynthesis and its inhibition. If successful, identification of a potent inhibitor would accelerate the advent of the new class of antimicrobials.
Not funded
Applicants: Peter Sadler, Chris Dowson (Application)
Departments: Chemistry, Life Sciences
Title: "Novel Compounds to Combat Antifungal Resistance"
Duration: 4 months
Request: £18839
Summary:
Aims- To further characterise (structure-activity relationships, resistance frequency) novel compounds that have proven activity against ESKAPE pathogens and against fungi (C. albicans), as well as low mammalian cell toxicity
Link to AMR- A new class of antifungal agents will address the serious emerging problem of resistance to current first- and second-line antifungal drugs and promises to refresh the pipeline and accelerate the development of new therapies.
James Harrison
Application
Length: 6 months (March-August)
Consumables: £3000
Cost: £10K
CV, Application )
Applicant: Emily Stoakes (Warwick Microbiology PhD)
Supervisors: Chrystala Constantinidou, Andrew Millard and James Covington (in collaboration with Fixed-Phage)
Departments: WMS and Engineering
Title: "Using Fixed Phage for control and monitoring of bacterial load in the farm environment"
Dates: July – Dec, 2017
Consumables: £1500
Summary:
Aims- Explore efficacy of treating E.coli and Campylobacter strains from chicken farms and supermarket chicken with bacteriophage immobilised onto small plastic balls (electonic nose system will be used to confirm efficiency and monitor bacterial load).
Link to AMR- Development of a new methodology to reduce the bacterial infection and antibiotic use in intensively farmed animals like poultry, which are the major sources of C. jejuni and E. coli antibiotic resistance strains.
Cost: £8.5K
(CV, Application )
Applicant: Holly Hall (Warwick Microbiology PhD)
Supervisors: Emma Denham, Julie Morrissey, Julian Ketley, Tauqueer Alam
Departments: WMS, SLS, Leicester (Genetics)
Title: "Staphylococcus aureus Fur, virulence and antibiotic resistance - a new anti-infective mechanism"
Dates: April – Sep 2017
Consumables: £1500
Summary:
Aims- Investigate how transcriptional regulator Fur controls virulence gene and sRNA expression, and antibiotic resistance in order to identify novel anti-infective targets and increase our understanding of S.aureus antibiotic resistance.
Cost: £8.5K
( CV, Application )
Applicant: Aurelija Grigonyte (SynBio CDT PhD)
Supervisors: Andy Millard
Departments: WMS
Name of University of non-Warwick host: The Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy PAS in Wroclaw (IIET PAS)
Dates: 2 weeks in 2017
Consumables: £1110
Summary:
Aims- Gain experience in phage isolation and purification
Link to AMR- Engineering bacteriophages to enhance phage delivery and retention at sites of infection.
Applicants: Tara Schiller, Antonia Sagona, Freya Harrison, Abid Hussain (PHE Birmingham), Daniel Keddie (Wolverhampton), Wayne Heaselgrave (Wolverhampton) ( Application)
Departments: WMG, Life Sciences, PHE, Chemistry
Title: "Design and synthesis of bandages with immobilised phage as a method to treat and prevent infection of diabetic ulcers."
Duration: 30 January 2017 to 31 July 2017
Request: £24958
Summary:
Aims- We will explore the potential for bacteriophage to be incorporated into wound dressings while retaining clinically effective bacteriolytic activity
Link to AMR:
Does phage therapy have the potential to be an alternative treatment for drug resistant infections in diabetic ulcers?
Application)
Departments: Life Sciences, Mathematics/Life Sciences, Heart of England NHS Trust
Title: "Rapid diarrhoea diagnostics in low-income countries using fluorescent phages."
Start: 1st of February to 31st of May 2017
Request: £24,991
Summary:
Aims- We propose to develop a rapid diarrhoea diagnostic method targeted to childhood and specifically to low-income countries. For the diagnosis of the sample and to identify the pathogens responsible for the disease, we propose to use a cocktail of genetically modified reporter phages.
Link to AMR:
Novel diagnostics for resistant diarrhoea pathogens in low-income countries.