Tackling Superbugs with Smart Science

Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to public health around the world. Some germs, especially a group known as Gram-negative bacteria, have changed over time, and with overuse of antibiotics, they’re no longer responding to even our strongest drugs.

This research project is taking a bold step towards solving that problem. The team is working to create new types of antibiotic drugs that attack bacteria in two powerful ways: by changing the natural balance of the metals inside bacterial cells, which they need to survive, and by disrupting important enzymes that bacteria use to function.

To do this, researchers are designing and testing new molecules which contain two metals, iron and copper, alongside chalcones, which are natural products known to kill bacteria. The combination of these metals and natural products could weaken or kill bacteria in a new way, allowing for the treatment of bacteria which have become resistant to other drugs.

Before these new compounds go any further, they’ll be put through a series of safety checks. They'll be tested on human cells to make sure they aren’t toxic, checked to ensure they don’t damage red blood cells, and evaluated against drug-resistant superbugs to see how effective they are. If any of these new drugs show promise, scientists will study exactly how they work in future research.

This project brings together two skilled scientists with different areas of expertise to create a new and exciting research platform—one that could lead to groundbreaking discoveries in antibiotic development and make a real difference to global health.