Antibiotic resistance, bacterial pathogenicity and population genetics are our three major (often interlocking) areas of research into a range of human and animal pathogens. Understanding the molecular basis for the evolution of antibiotic resistance and virulence will help to predict how novel targets will respond to the selective pressures imposed by new chemotherapeutic agents or vaccination.

Professor Chris G Dowson (School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, UK) has, for many years, examined the emergence and evolution of antibiotic resistance across a wide range of bacteria. His recent focus has been to better understand how penicillin targets bacteria. This began during his postdoctoral time at the University of Sussex, in the laboratory of Professor Spratt (1986-1990) and subsequently with his Lister Institute Centenary Fellowship (1991-1996). He currently holds a personal chair at Warwick University and is a recent past member of the Medical Research Council Infections and Immunity Board. He has established the Warwick Antimicrobial Interdisciplinary Centre (WAMIC), the location of the Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) Laboratory facility at Warwick and has been involved with philanthropic research fundraising regionally across Warwickshire for the past 16 years with the Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund (MLSRFLink opens in a new window) and the national antibiotic discovery charity Antibiotic Research UK (ANTRUK)Link opens in a new window where he is a Trustee and Chair of the Scientific Committee.

Chris’ research is funded by BBSRC, EPSRC, MRC, Wellcome Trust and industry. It is highly collaborative, involving teams of biologists, chemists, engineers and physicists across universities in the UK (£3.2M SWON AllianceLink opens in a new window), CA, CHN ( £1M Accelerate CHNUKLink opens in a new window and recently £3M Integrate CHNUK ), US, SA (H3DLink opens in a new window), EU, AUS to help drive innovations from this research forward to a commercial outcome, which includes the use of high throughput structural determination using the XChem Link opens in a new windowplatform at Diamond Light source and virtual reality to visualize antibiotic: target protein interactions. Industry partners past and present include AstraZeneca, Basilea, Bicycle Tx, Cubist, Merck, Novartis, Novobiotic, GSK and supported in AMR SME engagement with the Medicines Discovery Catapult (£1M investment MDCLink opens in a new window) at Warwick and the increasingly successful Antimicrobial Screening Facility at Warwick.

Abstract for current research:
The development of new reagents and new assays are crucial underpinning technologies enabling a multi-target focus to antibiotic discovery, with priorities in peptidoglycan biosynthesis and protein biosynthesis (aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, aaRS). The focus of his research is peptidoglycan biosynthesis as an enduringly attractive target or antibiotic discovery, including the multi-targeting of penicillin-binding proteins and Mur ligases.

Population genetics underpins our understanding of the spatial and temporal structure of bacterial populations, as well as phylogenetic relationships and rates of evolution. All of these are key issues if we are to understand the epidemiology of resistance or virulence within a population, and all the more if we want to identify stable targets for vaccination or chemotherapy, or identify important strains of bacteria associated with the disease.

Outreach and impact activities:

AMR global policy dialogue output 2022:

Radio 4 Drama with Val McDermid 'ResistanceLink opens in a new window' 2017 and 2018

Shanghai 'Science as Art'Link opens in a new window exhibition 2017

'Pint of ScienceLink opens in a new window' Coventry 2018

MRC Millenium Medal 2017 Science Impact

UKRI Superheroes vs Superbugs live 2018 at the Science Museum 'Mega MagnificationLink opens in a new window' with PhD students Hector NewmanLink opens in a new window and Katie SmartLink opens in a new window

Channel 5 2017 AMR featureLink opens in a new window

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Antibiotic resistance and drug discovery video link

Centenary video link Flemming to Dowson and Roper

Contribution to global AMR reports O'Neil Pew Trust

Support for Warwick PG synthesis facility

AMR news report

CANUK Team grant NewsLink opens in a new window April CANUK team meeting, part of larger GRC Barga, Italy

Coventry General Charities visit to the Lab